Travel log

Note: All Hotels, Restaurants etc listed are currently not supplied by Christopher Piper Wines.

La Grenouille Bleue

23 Sep 2010 by Christopher Piper
Country/Region France, Beaujolais
Address and contact details Port Chassy, 01091 Genouilleux tel: 04-74-66-05-68
Opening times/days Always best to ring first
Score 15
Published 23 Sep 2010
Reviewer Christopher Piper

Although La Grenouille Bleue is across the river Saone in the l'Ain department, it is ideal for people visiting Beaujolais. It is in a stunning position, situated on a tow-path on the eastern bank of the river Saone, opposite Belleville-sur-Saone. The menu offers a mix of Dombais and Beaujolais produce, all fresh and very simply cooked. Brilliant Foie Gras 'Maison', fresh grenouilles (quelle surprise!) from les Etangs de l'Ain and local snails. The Friture d'Ablette are second to none and make this slightly wacky restaurant worth the detour. Simple wine list of mostly Beaujolais and Maconnais from good sources.

Auberge La Reine de Sicile

20 Mar 2010 by Christopher Piper
Country/Region France, Loire, Saumur
Address and contact details Manuella & Cédric Poulain, 71 rue Waldeck-Rousseau, 49400 Saumur Tel: 02-41-67-30-48
Opening times/days Closed Sunday night and Monday
Score 17
Published 20 Mar 2010
Reviewer Christopher Piper

We discovered this delightful family-run auberge during the Salon des Vins de Loire this February. He is the chef and she runs the front-of-house. Great local dishes, attentive and very friendly service makes this an excellent port of call when in the Saumur region. It is hidden away in the back streets of "the island" and has a convivial, 'auberge atmosphere' and is anything but pretentious. Good wines from good local growers at very sensible prices match the equally good value menu. One of those 'étapes' that prove that France hasn't completely lost it when it comes to quality mid-range restaurants. Booking is essential as it is not very big and is always full of locals and wine producers.

Bread Republic

Bread Republic
23rd May 2011 by Christopher Piper
Country/Region Beirut, Lebanon
Address and contact details Nehme Yafet Street, Hamra, Beirut, Lebanon (tel: 961-173-9040 - web: www.breadrepublic.com)
Opening times/days 7.30am-11.00pm
Score 19
Published 23rd May 2011
Reviewer Christopher Piper

Walid Ataya is one of Beirut’s characters who owns a number of restaurants and an artisan bakery that supplies his own and other restaurants. Once an architect, he is now a highly successful self-taught chef (he prefers the word ‘cook’) and restaurateur who is widely regarded as amongst Lebanon’s most talented chefs. Walid is also president of the Slow Food movement in the Lebanon and cooks with only organic and local produce. Hamra Street is almost the main street of Beirut with an extraordinary mixture of local and multi-national shops but where. most importantly, you see a cross-section of Lebanon with Christians, Sunni and Shiite Muslims, Druze and foreigners all living together. It is just up from the American University and the influx of students from all over the world adds to the polycultural feel of the area. Bread Republic is not a fancy restaurant; it is more of a bar-bistro with a bakery shop on the side. Most people eat outside and Walid tempted us with a kaleidoscope of different ‘tapas size dishes – all totally original with the aromas and flavours of the Levant. Walid is passionate about his food and is very knowledgable about wine, with a deep interest in the wines of Italy. This is a destination that any serious foodie visiting Beirut should head for as soon as they get their bearings!

Chez Zakhia

Chez Zakhia
23rd May 2011 by Christopher Piper
Country/Region Jbeil, Lebanon
Address and contact details Aamchit Port, Jbeil, Lebanon (tel: 961-962-1717)
Opening times/days 12.30pm-midnight (booking advisable)
Score 17
Published 23rd May 2011
Reviewer Christopher Piper

Situated on the shores of the Mediterranean at Aamchit, a small village about 2km. north of Byblos, this very relaxing Lebanese sea-food restaurant is situated almost in the sea as parts of it are on a pontoon sticking out in to the Meditarranean. We ate a very late lunch indeed when we visited and looking at the fabulously fresh fish and seafood available on display as we arrived, we realised just how hungry we really were. We selected a range of dishes to graze from and settled down with a bottle of (guess what?)…Massaya Arak! This was the perfect way to end the day as the restaurant, Chez Zakhia, was nearly empty as lunch (for most normal people) had finished and dinner wouldn’t start for a couple of hours. The deep blue sea lapped on the rocks below and the sun was still high enough to be hot. After shuffling tables around in the shade, a procession of sushi-style prawns and fish arrived. There can be no doubt that Arak does go with a wide range of foods and certainly when it comes to a classic mezze selection but when it comes to fish, Massaya White is a perfect partner, which is where we decided to head this time round (after an opening glass of Arak!). Then came the hot fish courses which were stunningly fresh and beautifully cooked. However, there is absolutely no chance of us remembering the names of the fish. This is very definitely a restaurant that will put you in the right frame of mind if you have been stressed out by the madness that is Lebanese (and especially Beirut) driving!

Joe Peña's

Joe Peña's
23rd May 2011 by Christopher Piper
Country/Region Gemmayzeh, Beirut, Lebanon
Address and contact details Boutros Dagher Street, Gemmayzeh, Beirut, Lebanon (tel: 961-144-9906)
Opening times/days 7.00pm-2.00am (no booking necessary)
Score 13
Published 23rd May 2011
Reviewer Christopher Piper

Gemmayzeh is Beirut's artistic bohemian quarter, an old district full of narrow streets and beautiful historic buildings from the French era. Joe Peña's is in the heart of the quartier (where parking can be somewhat of a problem) and is an extraordinarily buzzy Cantina-Bar run by Steve Chahwah, a German-Lebanese. This is certainly a ‘happening’ bar where Tex-Mex meets Lebanon and where the ‘cool and hip’ young things of Beirut meet for a ‘pre-lash’. You can sit in one of a number of rooms in this converted private house or outside on the patio, where the noise of the very 'hip' music is slightly less. The Tex-Mex selection was really rather good and had an infusion of the Lebanon in some of the flavours. Try it with Massaya Rosé which is a great combination with this type of spicy food. Not 'grand' food but extremely well prepared in an really funky atmosphere.

Ma Cuisine

Ma Cuisine
23rd May 2011 by Christopher Piper
Country/Region Beaune, France
Address and contact details Passage Sainte-Hélène, 21200 Beaune, France (tel: 03-80-22-30-22)
Opening times/days Mon-Tues and Thurs-Fri noon-1:30pm and 7:30-9pm (booking essential)
Score 18
Published 23rd May 2011
Reviewer Christopher Piper

Situated in an 'impasse' (alley) just of the place Carnot, this Beaune institution (in a renovated 15th century stable) is only open four days a week but its simple, imaginative and high-quality Burgundian fayre is worth the careful planning needed to get a booking. Fabienne Escoffier is i/c in the kitchen and cooks in a reassuringly old-fashioned manner with very precise flavours. Her husband Pierre, runs the front of house and, more importantly, a vast and excellently-chosen wine list. As one can imagine, there is always a good cross-section of customers including local growers, visiting wine buyers and merchants and gastro-orientated tourists.

Le Gourmandin

Le Gourmandin
23rd May 2011 by Christopher Piper
Country/Region Beaune, France
Address and contact details 8, place Carnot, 21200 Beaune, France (tel: 03-80-24-07-88)
Opening times/days Daily: Lunch 12.00pm-2.30pm Dinner: 7.00pm-10.30pm (booking recommended)
Score 16
Published 23rd May 2011
Reviewer Christopher Piper

This is an unrpretentious, good-value family-owned restaurant with rooms, situated on the place Carnot, right in the centre of Beaune. Run by Alain (chef) and Isabelle Billard (front of house) this is a friendly establishment, even if it has a rather odd lay-out, in terms of its shape (on three floors, with tables arranged in classic bistro format running in a line next to each other). Another good wine list accompanies some quite accomplished dishes which again lean very much to what is available in terms of season and the market. The good-value menu du jour is only 19.50 euros although eating of la carte can rack up the bill quite a lot.

The Dark Horse, Stowlangtoft, Suffolk

12 Aug 2011 by Christopher Piper
Country/Region UK, Suffolk
Address and contact details The Stables, Kiln Lane, Stowlangtoft, Bury St. Edmonds, IP31 3JY Tel: 01359-232223 e-mail:info@thedarkhorserestaurant.co.uk
Opening times/days lunch: Fri-Sun 12.00-3.00pm Dinner: Thurs-Sat 7.00-9.30pm Breakfast: Sun 10.00am-12.00pm
Score 15
Published 12 Aug 2011
Reviewer Christopher Piper
You will find this slightly eccentric restaurant situated in the converted stables at Stowlangtoft Hall, hidden away in the middle of the beautiful Suffolk countryside, not far away from Bury St. Edmonds. Justin and his team took over the lease about eighteen months ago and, although they have found it somewhat of a struggle opening a new venture in the middle of an economic 'wobble', they seem to be holding their heads above water.
You take your your pre-dinner drinks in the converted horse boxes which make up the entrance hall and then move through in to the carriage hall of the stables. Although converted on a shoe-string budget, Justin has managed to put it all together with a great deal of style and originality. The food is excellent with five or six starters, mains and puddings to chose from. This is cooking with precise flavours using good local produce; stunning summer pea and broad bean soup with pancetta and probably one of the best crab (Norfolk) linguines that I've tried. Service is attentive and friendly and the bill very reasonable. Mark-ups on wine are very sensible with wines supplied by Thomas Peatling in Bury. The wine selection is very short but Justin will open a bottle of a better wine if you want something more interesting by the glass.
The Dark Horse is a restaurant that deserves to do well and judging by the number of people using it when we were there, the word seems to be getting around.

The Royal George, Barningham, Suffolk

Country/Region UK, Suffolk
Address and contact details Church Road, Barnignham, Bury St. Edmonds, IP31 1DD Tel: 01359-221246
Opening times/days lunch: 12.00-2.00pm dinner: 7.00-9.30pm
Score 13
Published 12 Aug 2011
Reviewer Christopher Piper
The Royal George is situated in the centre of the Suffolk village of Barningham. It's an attractive, 15th century (with some 17th century additions) Grade II listed thatched building with many original features. This is not a posh, gastro-pub but a really down-to-earth 'local' which serves some exceptionally fresh fish and seafood. Tony Cox and Annie Gubi run the pub and are wonderfully friendly tenants (it's owned by Greene King). Fresh crab and lobster come in from a Cromer fisherman of Thursday and Saturday with regular fish deliveries on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It's a busy place and you will need to book. Tony likes his wine and buys from excellent local merchant Shami Gill (Wattisfield Wines), based in Walsham-le-Willows. Prices for food and wine are exceptionally reasonable

The Evesham Hotel, Evesham, Worcestershire

Country/Region UK, Worcestershire
Address and contact details Cooper's Lane, Off Waterside, Evesham, WR11 1DA Tel: 01386 765566
e-mail:reception@eveshamhotel.com
Opening times/days lunch: 12.30-2.00pm dinner: 7.00-9.30pm
Score 16
Published 12 Aug 2011
Reviewer Christopher Piper
A great deal has been written about John and Sue Jenkinson's idiosyncratic hotel and restaurant over the years and, understandably, most of it is good. It has been said that "John Jenkinson has always had a fascination with booze and being different" and this is certainly the case! There are no wines from France or Germany (and there haven't been since the mid-1970's) and he was one of the earliest pioneers of New World wines. The wine lists (by country or grape variety) are in photo albums and list wines from just about every viticultural country and over 170 different grape varieties! This is not done for effect as the wines are well-chosen to match some exceptionally astutely cooked food in the traditional restaurant. You can eat very simply or chose from a well put together à la carte menu. Prices are sensible and fair for this level of cooking and service is friendly and sure-footed. Rooms are quirky and spacious with an amazing attention to detail (something that can be said of the whole hotel) and reflect a high level of house-keeping. This is a fantastically quirky operation that is very definitely family friendly but it is very much for people with a good sense of humour and who enjoy life!

Oz Clarke's Top Wines for 2013

"Really shows quality ...remarkably rich for a Beaujolais ....balanced and refreshing ...well matched by red cherry freshness and tasty acidity." Oz Clarke
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