FabSwingers.com forum: the fat duck

By *reelove1969 OP Couple
over a year ago

bristol

a friend mentioned today that him and his family have booked to go to the fat duck restaurant. didn't seem too odd until I heard that this particular restaurant has at least a one year waiting list .. and the 'taster menu' is £200 per head and you aint warned in advance what may be on the menu ... I had already bailed out at this stage but then came the punch line .. you are expected to leave a tip of at least 12.5% .. now each to their own and all that but I could do a weeks shopping and still have change !

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By *edangel_2013Woman
over a year ago

southend

It's a Heston Blumenwhatshisname restaurant.

Supposed to be lush. If I could afford to, I would, I love eating out. But alas I can't afford it, and probably never will!!

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By *adyA01Woman
over a year ago

Wellington

I am a bookkeeper and recently saw a bill for that restaurant that was put through a business! Dinner for 4 people! Nearly £1600 quid later!! I nearly spat my tea out when I saw it!!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Its around the corner from me, other places in Bray are nicer IMHO

Dave

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By *r and mrs sanddancerCouple
over a year ago

BOLDON COLLIERY

some people will go to any lengths to appear superior ,

most of these places rely on the 'Kings new clothes ' syndrome

if you charge enough you can get away with any thing, loads of suckers will fall for it

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By *reelove1969 OP Couple
over a year ago

bristol

you're right it is a Heston bloomingfookingexpensivemotherfooker but geez ... i'm a tight arse and I cant stand spending money over and above what I believe something to be worth .. if me and my fella went there it would be £500 notes for our evening meal before we had bought a drink ... I cant justify that and it would spoil my meal

PS .. I have been spotted in poundland and Wilkos on more than one occasion !

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By *icecouple561Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

East Sussex

Its all relative to income I suppose. I would love to try something like that but I doubt I ever will.

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By *layfullsamMan
over a year ago

Solihull

a friend of mine once processed the invoice/bill for when two of his bosses took a very important business client that they wanted to impress.

for the three of them just the drinks bill was over £10000

unbelievable

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I would imagine most people who use this place will be having business meets there and running the bill past the tax man

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By *reelove1969 OP Couple
over a year ago

bristol

I understand what you say about being relative to income as to how much you spend as my fella subscribes to that rule all the time .. I however cant .. I always equate things to being on my arse end financially and get abit cross if I think it cant be justified or is slightly flash ... maybe my fella is right at times and we should treat ourselves from time to time but it is something that is engrained in me .. being frugal .. or tight as he calls it !

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By *layfullsamMan
over a year ago

Solihull

mind you the high costs didn't stop that one load of customers getting the vomiting bug from those oysters contaminated with sewage,I think ?

think he had to pay over £100k to them as compensation

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By *iamondsmiles.Woman
over a year ago

little house on the praire

Jays daughter went and apparently it is lovely

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

to be fair this is somewhere that's been in the top 3 restaurants in the world.. the taster menu is always going to be more as its the show piece of all a chef can do. how much would you normally spend on tea? how much on taking someone out for dinner? how much for something that you have no idea how they did it?

it will always be the wine where the mark up is made!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I understand what you say about being relative to income as to how much you spend as my fella subscribes to that rule all the time .. I however cant .. I always equate things to being on my arse end financially and get abit cross if I think it cant be justified or is slightly flash ... maybe my fella is right at times and we should treat ourselves from time to time but it is something that is engrained in me .. being frugal .. or tight as he calls it !"

im a bit like that, tho im happy to pay expensive prices for things if I feel its worth it, I wont pay over the top prices for things I can get cheaper else where, if I can get a perfectly good meal for £15 including a drink at the harvester im not paying £195 just for food at the flipping fat duck

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By *layfullsamMan
over a year ago

Solihull

think we all should treat ourselves now and again if means allow, would love to treat you but it wouldn't be at hesters unfortunately

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By *reelove1969 OP Couple
over a year ago

bristol

KFC does me ... if I push the boat out I have a large gravy .. .whooo hoooo !!

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By *icecouple561Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

East Sussex

I always think that someone who lives on poverty wages in a third world country would think a simple meal at a carvery was a huge extravagance but I know what you mean I struggle to justify extravagance

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By *iamondsmiles.Woman
over a year ago

little house on the praire

Were happy to pay for treats and that is what they are treats. If you did it to often you wouldn't enjoy it

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By *layfullsamMan
over a year ago

Solihull

"KFC does me ... if I push the boat out I have a large gravy .. .whooo hoooo !!

blimey your a cheap date, unless you want £200 worth of alcohol on the town to wash it down

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I don't want snail ice team or exploding ice cream.. Or something fishy that I gave to eat with a spray wooshed in the air .

Pretentious ....

Give me fish and chips eaten outside anyday...

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By *reelove1969 OP Couple
over a year ago

bristol

"I don't want snail ice team or exploding ice cream.. Or something fishy that I gave to eat with a spray wooshed in the air .

Pretentious ....

Give me fish and chips eaten outside anyday..."

snail porridge on the menu last time I looked ... I mean really ??

what the hell is that about ??

can I come and eat fish and chips with you on the sea shore bench out of the paper watching the ships come in and argue about 'who never shook enough vinegar on the chips ?'

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By *icecouple561Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

East Sussex

"I don't want snail ice team or exploding ice cream.. Or something fishy that I gave to eat with a spray wooshed in the air .

Pretentious ....

Give me fish and chips eaten outside anyday..."

I think both experiences have their place

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I don't want snail ice team or exploding ice cream.. Or something fishy that I gave to eat with a spray wooshed in the air .

Pretentious ....

Give me fish and chips eaten outside anyday...

snail porridge on the menu last time I looked ... I mean really ??

what the hell is that about ??

can I come and eat fish and chips with you on the sea shore bench out of the paper watching the ships come in and argue about 'who never shook enough vinegar on the chips ?'

You can all come to west Wales for Fish and Chips. We can sit on the harbour wall and eat them out of the box

None of this overpriced yucky stuff for me either. I could feed myself for a month on that amount

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By *layfullsamMan
over a year ago

Solihull

not in west wales but did just that after work one night last week and omg I kid you not it was the best tasting fish n chips I've had for years

sometimes the simple pleasures in life are the best

my only complain which took the mark down to 4.5 out of 5 was the stupid polystyrene box it came in

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By *reelove1969 OP Couple
over a year ago

bristol

you amateur sam ... take your own newspaper with you .. it can almost feel authentic if you get someone else to do the transfer for you !!

oooh yes ... and then you can read 2 week old news and have a debate about it !!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Bet they don't do Victoria sponge

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By *atasha_DavidCouple
over a year ago

Slough

As others have said £200 is the going rate for food in a 3* restaurant.

Personally, I don't have the palate to appreciate the food at the FD so I would prefer for the same money to take both of us to the Waterside Inn or The Hand and Flowers both just down the road. Sometime soon I intend to try restaurant Sat Bain which looks amazing

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By *reelove1969 OP Couple
over a year ago

bristol

omg ... I sooooo want to google them now but I will resist ... I can ... no .. I will ... arghhhh !!

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By *icecouple561Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

East Sussex

"Bet they don't do Victoria sponge"

bet they bloomin do but it would probably contain the real ashes of Queen Victoria

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If I had that kind of money to waste suppose I would pay it.

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By *iamondsmiles.Woman
over a year ago

little house on the praire

I paid £650 for a meal in may but it did include bottle of champagne and was on the northern belle

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By *reelove1969 OP Couple
over a year ago

bristol

my idea of 'food heaven' is old style 'granny food' .. never mattered what time you turned up ..announced or unannounced she always seemed to have a big pot of stodge on the stove

mince and dumplings was my favourite .. give me a good old stodge food restaurant anyday

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Bet they don't do Victoria sponge

bet they bloomin do but it would probably contain the real ashes of Queen Victoria

The mrs just spat her tea out laughing

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By *enithWoman
over a year ago

closer than you think

my partner treated me to an evening at Quaglino's in Mayfair .... no quite the same league as Fat Duck but still very nice

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Hand and Flowers, Marlow, near Henley on Thames. Restaurant owned by Tom Kerridge, 2* rated came to £80 a head plus beverages. Service impeccable, food out of this world, unrushed, very nice indeed. Waiting list only for weekends, but certainly not a year.

Food for thought?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Fine dinning is worth every penny IMHO, and I have been fortunate enough to experience such delights a few times in my life so far.

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By *enithWoman
over a year ago

closer than you think

"Hand and Flowers, Marlow, near Henley on Thames. Restaurant owned by Tom Kerridge, 2* rated came to £80 a head plus beverages. Service impeccable, food out of this world, unrushed, very nice indeed. Waiting list only for weekends, but certainly not a year.

Food for thought?

lovely food and just down the road

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I have to be honest if I had £200 got spare id sooner spend it on a nice pair of boots, I just don't rate food that much id pay that price for it, I eat to live it don't have to be fancy and eating out has never been a passion of mine, I have spent that kind of money and more on many things but a meal will never be one of them

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By *reelove1969 OP Couple
over a year ago

bristol

"I have to be honest if I had £200 got spare id sooner spend it on a nice pair of boots, I just don't rate food that much id pay that price for it, I eat to live it don't have to be fancy and eating out has never been a passion of mine, I have spent that kind of money and more on many things but a meal will never be one of them "

I am with you on that .. I am a constant grazer and will leave the house not hungry .. but when I do get hungry I am ravenous .. not a lot of food later and 'im stuffed' .. again

I even get on my own nerves with it .. as I wish I could just eat like other people .. about 2 or 3 times a day

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By *edangel_2013Woman
over a year ago

southend

Food for thought?

I just spent a week working in Marlow. Have to go again soon. May well consider this place.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

There was a receipt going round facebook for the bar bill of a corporate christmas do. Magnums of champagne, £12k each, one methuselah £25k. Total bill (just for drinks) was north of £110k

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By *iss_tressWoman
over a year ago

London

"It's a Heston Blumenwhatshisname restaurant.

Supposed to be lush. If I could afford to, I would, I love eating out. But alas I can't afford it, and probably never will!! "

I would pay that for a Mary Berry, Deliah Smith type meal as just thinking about their food makes me salivate. Paying that for snail ice cream and caterpillar consomme?!! Pass!

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By *edangel_2013Woman
over a year ago

southend

"It's a Heston Blumenwhatshisname restaurant.

Supposed to be lush. If I could afford to, I would, I love eating out. But alas I can't afford it, and probably never will!!

I would pay that for a Mary Berry, Deliah Smith type meal as just thinking about their food makes me salivate. Paying that for snail ice cream and caterpillar consomme?!! Pass!"

I love experimenting with food. However, I cannot cook at all. I can burn a Pot Noodle (and set fire to uni halls with one, but that's another story). So I really love going to places and eating things I wouldn't normally eat. If there is something I've never tried before on a restaurant menu I'll have it!!! Although I do miss my Grans shepherds pie.

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By *iss_tressWoman
over a year ago

London

"Bet they don't do Victoria sponge

bet they bloomin do but it would probably contain the real ashes of Queen Victoria

ROFLAO!!!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I've tried that snail porridge ice cream muck - it's crape!!!!

made it meself!

Make bowl porridge add copious amount ice cream, leave overnight on patio when snails are active n sliding over top of it

Bring back indoors n re freeze for coupla hours

Eat

Minging!!!

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By *ucsparkMan
over a year ago

dudley

I got taken there for my birthday a few years back, it was ok but I would not have paid that much. The food is somewhat like a science project. The staff seem rather snobbish once they heard my accent. But I have been but probably not return, too many other places to try.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If I had that kind of money to spend, a restaurant is the last place I would consider, rather spend it on something I need like maybe a weekend away as not been on holiday for a few years

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By *umpkinMan
over a year ago

near the sounds of the wimborne quarter jack!

"I paid £650 for a meal in may but it did include bottle of champagne and was on the northern belle"

Good food on a classy train! That`s fine dining!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I appreciate cuisine, god quality ingredients and good service, but still can't cope with the deconstructed, mucked about element of the Menu on offer there...

£200 can be better spent elsewhere...

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By *layfullsamMan
over a year ago

Solihull

"you amateur sam ... take your own newspaper with you .. it can almost feel authentic if you get someone else to do the transfer for you !!

oooh yes ... and then you can read 2 week old news and have a debate about it !!

I tried that last year but when I turned the newspaper over to read the sports pages first all of my fish n chips ended up on the floor

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Some people have a loads of money and don't care as long as its a good experience. You see it at the Races and other things , Some will pay loads to be seen at the right places too.. Myself I have seen it on tv and its not really what I call food ... its a experience .. more food sciences smells visions not my thing and I am into food .

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"some people will go to any lengths to appear superior ,

most of these places rely on the 'Kings new clothes ' syndrome

if you charge enough you can get away with any thing, loads of suckers will fall for it

Even if I won the lottery I'd never go to somewhere like that.

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By *livia_KWoman
over a year ago

South London

I am a bit of a foodie and have been lucky enough to have eaten at some of the best restaurants in the world. I would love to go to the Fat Duck, and yes it is expensive, but you are paying for the whole experience in these places, not just the food.

One of my my best mates and I have a ritual that twice a year, around the time of our birthdays, we always go to a fine restaurant and have a blow out evening. To be honest, I wouldn't want to do it more often than that anyway otherwise it wouldn't be a treat.

But I love food - it is my weakness. And I love the experience of fine dining that goes with it. Doesn't mean I don't enjoy a KFC occasionally

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

its all relative to what you value. foodies will have no problem paying a fortune for great food. similarly some people will spend 30k on a car when one at 2k will do!! btw most Michelin starred restaurants don't make money!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Its daylight robbery at those prices and then you need a magnifying glass to find whats on the plate, you would feed a bird more than whats on the plate and you cone out feckin starving looking for the nearest chipper me thinks not

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It is a nice place and it is just relative price wise to any other Michelin star restaurant..

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I always celebrate my birthday with a nice meal, and enjoy fine dining.

For my big 50 in 2015, I shall be in London for the occasion, and am likely to splash out on a very nice meal or two, most likely to be Le Gavroche or Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley.

I believe I should have sufficient time to save up for the trip, as it will involving going to the theatre for a show, and staying at a hotel for a couple of nights.

Don't fancy the Fat Duck as I am not keen on unusual food combinations, no matter how nice they may taste.

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By *icketysplitsWoman
over a year ago

Way over Yonder, that's where I'm bound

I would go for the experience but it's not my first choice. That is Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. Friends and family that have been to Le Manoir think the money is well worth the experience you get of excellent, interesting food and excellent service.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I thought about Le Manoir, however, I do not like to pay too much for a hotel room, hence I decided against it.

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By *icketysplitsWoman
over a year ago

Way over Yonder, that's where I'm bound

"I thought about Le Manoir, however, I do not like to pay too much for a hotel room, hence I decided against it.

You don't have to stay. There are some lovely B&Bs in that neck of the woods.

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By *Ryan-Man
over a year ago

In Your Bush

"I would go for the experience but it's not my first choice. That is Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. Friends and family that have been to Le Manoir think the money is well worth the experience you get of excellent, interesting food and excellent service."

When I dined at Le Manoir. I'm guessing you can guess what I did after

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By *icketysplitsWoman
over a year ago

Way over Yonder, that's where I'm bound

When I dined at Le Manoir. I'm guessing you can guess what I did after

You didn't?!

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

Have you been to Balthazar in Aldwych?

Highly recommend it....

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By *Ryan-Man
over a year ago

In Your Bush

When I dined at Le Manoir. I'm guessing you can guess what I did after

You didn't?!

I was still hungry

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By *icketysplitsWoman
over a year ago

Way over Yonder, that's where I'm bound

Have you been to Balthazar in Aldwych?

Highly recommend it...."

No but I will add it to the list - possibly with a theatre trip. I loved The Homage at the Hilton Waldorf when I went to Top Hat last week and it reminded me that every once in a while it's worth the splurge just to spend time in some beautiful places.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I am going up to London to see Top Hat in Sep/Oct before it finishes its run at the Aldwych, and shall have a lovely sushi meal at my favourite sushi joint Kulu Kulu near Covent Garden.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

[Removed by poster at 29/07/13 00:01:08]

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By *orkieMan
over a year ago

Who knows

"I paid £650 for a meal in may but it did include bottle of champagne and was on the northern belle"

£650 for a meal including fizz..... nah sorry not for me, and before anyone pigeonholes me as an uncultured heathen I have worked all over the world and experienced many cuisines and eateries from the cheap and cheerful to the hugely obscene. However I would never be so vulgar as to drop the cost and location into the conversation.

Think one of my all time favourites was cooking freshly caught scallops (yes caught by me 20mtrs underwater and skeined with my own hands) in seawater and minimal additives cept for seasoning on the back of a boat in the Orkneys, worlds away from the fancy prices that would be charged in fine establishements for day and a half old produce

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Each to their own.

Some women would spend vast amount of money on the latest shoes and handbags that go out of date after a year, whereas I prefer to spend it on food.

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By *icketysplitsWoman
over a year ago

Way over Yonder, that's where I'm bound

"I paid £650 for a meal in may but it did include bottle of champagne and was on the northern belle

That sounds succulent and life affirming. For me to have that sort of meal would cost about £300 once I had factored in getting there, getting a boat and someone to do the boat things, hire of diving gear etc. It's still about the experience.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Great haddock and Chips with vinegar, a great woman and lick yer fingers after.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I prefer rock salmon, salt, no vinegar, tartar sauce with the fish, mayo with the chips, plus some chunky batter bits to dunk in the mayo, to be washed down with a can of Coke.

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