Hoste Arms, Norfolk

The Hoste Arms has a Michelin Bib so it seemed a good choice for dinner on Saturday night in Norfolk with Laura, Jaimee and Natalie. 

To start I had a local Cromer crab served with pink grapefruit, avocado salsa and cucumber noodles. Very nice, and this is an unfair comparison, but it wasn't as good as Pollen Street Social's Dorset crab!

For main course, I had the sesame crusted fillet of sea bass, chilli spiced potatoes, bok choi, bean sprout & cashew nut stir fry, with coriander & spring onion dressing. I enjoyed it. I don't often have asian flavours so it was a nice change and the dressing didn't overpower the fish.

And for pudding I had an iced lemon parfait with raspberry dust, served with raspberry sorbet and two sweet little raspberry and white chocolate macaroons. It was packed with lemony punch and more than large enough to share.

The Hoste is a good pub with its menu featuring lots of fresh seafood, a good wine list and friendly, efficient service. I ordered quite well but there were a couple of disappointing dishes on the table. Natalie didn't love her salmon and tiger prawn main, and Jaimee's espresso creme brûlée was far too overpowering (the dessert chef might have a sweeter tooth than me!). There are lots of different rooms in what is actually a large pub but the individual rooms feel small and intimate.

If you ever happen to be on the north Norfolk coast then I would recommend going.

Cromer crab

Lemon parfait

Sorry about the very yellow photographs. I am slowly working on my food photography skills!

Albion, Shoreditch

After a mid-afternoon wander through Broadway market and Columbia Road flower market, Conran's Albion cafe seemed like a good spot to warm up. Nat and I queued for maybe 20 minutes to wait for a table - everyone else had the same idea as us - but the floor manager chatted to us and asked if we needed anything while we waited.

Once seated, we happily whiled away a couple of hours. I felt like a chicken, lettuce and mayonnaise sandwich and a glass of rose for a late lunch. It turned out to be two sandwiches (a bargain for £6) served on large slices of wonderfully fresh white bloomer loaf and I really liked it. A day of enjoying simple pleasures! Nat had coffee and carrot cake which she enjoyed.

Having been to Albion a few times since it opened a couple of years ago I was pleased to see the food standards haven't slipped which can sometimes happen. And I like the light filled room, especially on a grey day, and browsing the ridiculously priced deli / grocery section is fun too.

I didn't eat dinner after these two enormous sandwiches for lunch.

If only I knew how to poach my own rhubarb, I could have bought some from the cafe!

Railroad Cafe, Hackney

On Sunday Natalie and I trekked east for brunch. I'd seen the Railroad Cafe on an ABC news segment Mum told me about that also featured Lantana. I love Lantana so I thought Railroad would be worth a try.

Set on a main road opposite the railway, the small cafe was busy and filled up with east end hipsters quickly.

My two favourite things about the place were the mix of old school desks and big timber tables in the two rooms which are charming; and the crockery. The square mile coffee (nice but not amazing) was served in a cute little pottery cup and saucer.

The breakfast menu only had 4 items so choosing was easy - I had yoghurt with granola and poached rhubarb (I can never go passed rhubarb on a menu) - simple but nice. Nat had a bacon sandwich. The kitchen is pretty small so I guess they can't put anything too complicated on the menu. If you were hungry you'd be a little disappointed as there's nothing hefty on offer.

I thought it was odd that such a tiny place didn't have table service as the waitress clearing tables had to race back to the counter to take orders when she could have easily been flagged down for a second coffee as she was passing by.

I liked the place, but for an hour's journey I wouldn't necessarily go back. If it was my local I'd pop in quite often, especially for a quick, cheap breakfast. My two coffees and yoghurt were a very reasonable £9.

Breakfast

Duke of Cambridge, Islington

Laura and I ate at this all-organic pub a few years back and I remember it being fine. The dining area of the pub has a glass roof so it's nice and light even if it is pouring with rain, and it was! But that turns out to be the best feature.

The food here, and the service (just a bit hopeless and awkward), was incredibly disappointing especially because it's at the top end of the gastropub price range. The roast lamb, heaped on the plate, lacked seasoning and the thin gravy was oily with no flavour. The poor carrots and the potatoes were given no love and attention.

Fortunately the chocolate cake - hard to ruin - was up to par.

Not every dining experience involves a great meal which is a shame. Luckily the disappointments for me are few and far between.  But the company of my friends was as excellent as ever and salvaged the lunch, and the afternoon for me!