Petrus, The Berkeley Hotel

This was the ultimate treat - Marcus Wareing's 2 Michelin Star restaurant. A little extravagant for a Monday lunchtime. But it was Tom's birthday, exams were over and, after all, we had a £100 voucher :-)

So the food went something like this:

Amuse bouche: absolutely delicious foie gras with a parmesan crisp (I think); hummus (the best I've ever tasted!); cucumber gazpacho; cheese straws

Starters: I had the crab terrine which was deliciously crabby and the apple salad it was served with was lovely. Tom had the foie gras which he said was quite possibly the best thing he's ever eaten. It was served with a shredded duck crispy bun and hollandaise sauce. It doesn't get much richer; or, apparently, much better.

Mains: I had the lamb which was cooked for perfection and the 'lavender' sauce was absolutely gorgeous. Tom had the pork belly (well he did until we swapped half way). It was, without doubt, the nicest thing I have ever eaten. The pork belly was succulent, yet still crispy, and so, so, so tasty.

We then had a cheese course which was fantastic. Some of the strongest cheese I've ever eaten. Mmmmm.

Bizarrely the palate cleanser was also amazing (is it weird for that to be one the highlights of the meal?). It was orange jelly, bramley apple and vanilla custard. Oh. My. God. It was AMAZING!

For dessert I had the custard tart which was cooked to perfection - any more wobbly and it would have been a mess on the plate. The strawberry ripple ice-cream it was served with was sensational. Tom's raspberry's and ice-cream with a lemonade sauce were also fantastic.

The we had bon bons (mmmmm) and coffee. And then we went for a lie down.

The service was the best I've ever received (attentive but not overpowering, polite but not snooty). At £180 for lunch it was expensive, but I think worth every penny for a real treat.

So all in all, pretty much 11/10. The best meal I've ever eaten and I can't wait to go back (but my bank isn't so keen).

Whitstable Oyster festival

We went to Whistable at the weekend for their annual Oyster festival. Lots of great stuff to do there and really nice to get out of London to the seaside.

There were loads of lovely seafood stalls around the festival - really fresh and tasty. There was also a great ice-cream stall there called 'Simply ice-cream'. Definitely some of the nicest ice-cream I have ever tasty - really, really creamy and smooth. My boyfriend is keen to get on the website and order as much as he can possibly fit in the freezer.

We went to Crab and Winkle restaurant on the Saturday night, which is right on the seafront in a great location. Sadly the food didn't really quite live up to our expectations. My seafood bisque was OK, but really just OK. My boyfriend's herring was pretty good. My main of skate was pretty tasty, but my boyfriend's fish cakes were pretty much just lumps of potato - really disappointing! I decided to pass on dessert. For some bizarre reason someone in the kitchen decided it was a good idea to drizzle balsamic vinegar all over his stilton. And 2 oatcakes? Not the most generous serving?

Service was also pretty appalling - we sat outside for 20 minutes until anyone came and offered us so much as a drink.

Wheelers the next day, however, was an altogether different experience. Tiny, tiny little restaurant which has been on the high street for years and years. We just about managed to book for 2 of us to eat on the counter. The restaurant in the back room only seats about 10. The seafood counter had the freshest seafood and was such good value. I had lobster with salad and new potatoes that was just delicious. Tom's potted shrimp to start and seabass main were fantastic. Such good value as well - £40 for 2 courses and BYO (no corkage). You would expect to pay at least double for the same in London. I will definitely be back given half a chance!

Randall and Aubin (Brewer Street, Soho)

What a great little find in the heart of Soho! Perfect for a lunchtime visit if you happen to be in the area.

Everyone around us was eating oysters (which looked delicious), but for a quick bite to eat on a Friday lunchtime they seemed a touch extravagant. I had the fish and chips (well, it was Friday) and it was absolutely delicious - perfectly cooked and the pea puree served with it was also perfect. My friend had the rotisserie chicken which she tells me was good as well. Great wine list too.

Brasserie James (Balham High Road)

We'd been dying to visit Brasserie James since the sad departure of Tabaq (which did the best Chicken Tikka Massala I have ever eaten!). The Head Chef (Craig James) has set up his own venture after leaving Quaglino's. The blogs I read said that he was aiming to create a 'true neighbourhood restaurant' - ooh yes, sounds lovely! On my walk home from the tube I can't think of a better (and more dangerous) spot to be popping in every time I fancy a meal out!

We'd been really keen to go and I booked a table for the opening night. Both my boyfriend and I weren't disappointed. The atmosphere was lovely (good music, not too loud), nice decor and the staff were lovely (if a little slow at getting to grips with their PDA's for ordering). The patio area outside is also a nice touch for the summer. The food was good as well. I had snails to start (a first for me), and my boyfriend went for the chicken liver salad that was absolutely delicious. The liver was cooked to absolute perfection.

My steak main course was also good, as was my boyfriend's chicken risotto. The highlight of the evening was the desserts. The creme brulee was pretty much one of the best I've ever eaten and my raspberry and white chocolate millefeuille was also very tasty (although perhaps a little sharp?).

The menu was huge, but definitely enough to keep you coming back. The brunch and lunch menu also looks great - definitely looking forward to trying that out as well!