British pub food is "better than French food."

UK pub grub 'better than French food'

By Nina Caplan, Metro

21 November 2005

Think of French restaurants and you think of great food? Well, think again. According to one of the world's leading food experts, you'd be better off heading to the nearest British pub.

Egon Ronay's 2006 Guide to the Best Restaurants And Gastropubs In The UK claims British pub grub is better than many traditional bistros in France.

He said pub staff gave customers a warmer welcome than 'surly' waiters on the other side of the Channel and often produced food of restaurant standards despite having 'cramped' kitchens and overburdened cooks.

The guide states: 'The great importance and the greatest difference from French bistros - which strike you as soon as you cross the threshold - lie in the immediate friendliness and heartiness of the welcome, often by the family of the proprietor.

Though around for some time they are a phenomenon having spread explosively with a surprisingly high standard of cooking and a warm-hearted atmosphere - altogether the biggest change in the catering scene in my 50 years' experience as a restaurateur and critic.'

Mr Ronay said it disproved French president Jacques Chirac's scathing comments about British food made during the battle to land the 2012 Olympics.

The guide names The Star in Harome, North Yorkshire, as Gastropub Of The Year 2006 and China Tang at The Dorchester, in London, Restaurant Of The Year 2006. Its findings are based on anonymous inspections of 430 gastropubs - which applies to pubs serving food and draught beer.

thesun.co.uk

Being English I strongly agree with what the topic was orignally about, before it veered off. And, yes Jessica Simpson is better than Britney Spears lol.

hmmm. ya about that.. yes if you like bland food that goes exquistly with warm beer... hop on up lads.

When you have guiness on tap and other liquids that are meals unto themselves.. yes you can tolerate english faire.. but only then. The tucker they serve is good like I said if you are on a bland diet but like bland gravy then by all means toddle of to the local public house raise a pint of Ale high and enjoy your "spotted dick" with a few friends..

When I went last spring to Europe, the only edible British food I had was from curry shops and Chinese take-out, while everything I ate in France was fantastic, from the kebab vendors on the street to the nice restaurants in Paris.

Sorry, but I'd rather have a sandwich from Tesco than British pub food...whatever you do, stay away from the English breakfast (canned tomatoes poured over top fired eggs). That was nasty!

Not good enough, garçon
(Filed: 21/11/2005)

With its predictable menus and often surly service, closed-on-Sunday closed-on-Monday France is where Britain was in the 1970s.

One of the distinguishing traits of the British Euro-prat is his insistence that French food is better than our own. "My dear, we found the most charming little bistro - no more than the village pub really - and had the most wonderful parmentière there" (another characteristic is his insistence on using foreign words).

How heartening, then, to learn that our gastro-pubs are outclassing their French rivals. Like most clichés, that of vile British food is based on an old truth. Although the best London restaurants overtook their Paris equivalents many years ago, provincial France continued to have the edge over small-town Britain until more recently.

Not any more. With its predictable menus and often surly service, closed-on-Sunday closed-on-Monday France is where Britain was in the 1970s. Let foreigners believe the old stereotypes if they want. But let's not fall for them ourselves.

telegraph.co.uk

Is the authour drunk?

I look forward to the follow-up article about how British wine is better than French wine.

British food is the best in the world.

A British restaurant that serves bacon and egg ice cream has been voted the best place in the world to eat. The Fat Duck restaurant, near London, was at the top of Restaurant magazine’s list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The owner and head chef Heston Blumenthal opened his restaurant ten years ago. He has quickly developed a reputation for experimental and unique dishes. His menu includes leather, oak and tobacco chocolates, sardine on toast sorbet, snail porridge, and mousse dipped in liquid nitrogen. He taught himself how to cook and is now famous for this new style of cooking, which is called “molecular gastronomy”. It mixes chemistry, physics, food and flavour to make unusual taste combinations. Britain, the home of fish and chips, is famous for tasteless and boring food. However, it seems things are changing: in addition to the Fat Duck’s award, London was named in March by Gourmet magazine as the Gourmet Capital of the World.

Top ten world restaurants:
1. The Fat Duck, Bray, Berkshire
2. El Bulli Montjoi, Spain
3. The French Laundry, Yountville, California
4. Tetsuya’s, Sydney, Australia
5. Gordon Ramsay, London
6. Pierre Gagnaire, Paris
7. Per Se, New York
8. Tom Aikens, London
9. Jean Georges, New York
10. St John, London
---------------------------
Britain had more restaurants in the top 50 than Italy, France and the US combined.

Of the top 10, 4 are British, 3 are American, 1 is Australian, 1 is French, 1 is Spanish and 0 are Canadian.

Only 1 French restaurant in the top 10, but FOUR British ones? Zut alors! And who says French food is good?

It's just another example of how Britain is currently going through a sort of revolution. It is strong, dynamic, exuberant and confident, whereas France and Continental Europe are currently stagnating and decaying, with high unemployment and low growth.

Here's another top British restaurant to visit -

The Gun is on the River Thames and is where Nelson used to meet Lady Hamilton. It's just been voted best eating pub in London. The food is excellent. They even serve bolied beef and carrots!

Pub Menu

The main bar which dates back 200+ years. The Dining Room is on the far left of the picture and you can also see the old reclaimed oak timber floors which were laid following the recent fire. The wording behind the bar ("Port, whisky" etc) is in fact listed!

Sicilian olives with chilli, garlic and bay £3.30
Kalamata olives with coriander, cumin and cardamom £3.30
Pint o’ prawns with mayonnaise £7
Six oysters with shallots and Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar £9
Fresh homemade soup with country bread and butter £4
Baby spinach salad with stilton, lardons and port vinaigrette £6
Charcuterie and antipasti platter for 2 or 4 people £15/£30
Rare breed pork sausages with Lyonnaise potatoes and Pommery mustard sauce £12.50
Boiled beef and carrots with thyme dumplings £10.50
Bookmaker’s sandwich with fresh horseradish £8.95
Old Spot bacon sandwich with brown sauce £6
The Gun fish pie, sauce Mornay £11
Plaice goujons and Gun tartare £7
Fresh pappardelle with ceps, peas and lemon oil £7
Gun side salad £4
French fries with homemade ketchup and aioli £2.50

All of our fish and shellfish is hand picked in the mornings at Billingsgate Market by Head Chef Scott and the rest of his team.

I'll take fish and chips over quiche any day...

I'll take bangers and mash over crepes any day...

I'll take an ale over wine any day...

Cheers!