DIS Girly Weekend Sat Night Dinner Choice

[wilma-bride]

Just checking out all the options. Coco Rico is the one where we'd have to eat at 6pm, right?

Yes, Deb, Mandy said they already have another party booked that night. It's a shame as it looks a good option.

 

[Chilly]

Twice

i'm thorough

 

[UKDEB]

Despite not having paid much attention to the main thread at all , I have been keeping half an eye on it the past couple of weeks. Although I haven't really had an opportunity to check out the suggested restaurants (until now), my reasons for not posting are not that I haven't had anything to say. Quite the opposite - I have quite strong opinions (no surprise there ) - but I haven't had the time to properly express them.

Firstly, a HUGE thank you to Mandy for doing all the legwork. I know what a thankless task it is trying to organise something like this. Thank you, too, to Nat and Joh for sticking their necks out regarding F&B's following our conversation at Tony Roma's a week or so ago. For me, this weekend is about having a really good laugh with friends old and new. That's the reason that, despite my loathing of nightclubs, I'm not going to write off the prospect now. Maybe when it comes to it, I'll want to go along. I understand that, for some (that would be Joh ), Reflex is the focus of the weekend and not fancy food. For me (a foodie bar-none) to have the opportunity of going somewhere like Southampton with all its choices (Gloucester is foodie hell) and end up in TGIs one night and somewhere similar the next, would be criminal. I completely understand that plenty of people really enjoy TGIs and the like, so I'm happy that we've come to the compromise of doing that one night and somewhere a bit different the next. All those selected for the poll look more than acceptable. I haven't (and won't) torture myself with places not on the list.

As the food takes far greater priority for me than the nightclub thing, I haven't taken into account the proximity to the hotel or the nightclub. That's another area where I prefer to remain in blissful ignorance, so I can just focus on the food venue. If I have to get a taxi to Reflex (I think we may need to rename it Reflux if my experience of food followed by dancing is anything to go by! ), so be it.

I immediately wrote off Coco Rio because of the 6pm thing. I do remember thinking it looked pretty cool when I checked it out last week, but I'm not even going to go there now. It's an easy one to knock off the list from my point of view.

Joe Daflos looks like a stunning venue, so it was with a heavy heart that I chose to deselect it due to its limited menu. Shame.

La Regata isn't as swanky, but it still looks funky and, if they can pull it off, the tapas menu is superb. I can see us having a rip-roaring time there.

The Oxford Brasserie really appeals to my foodie inclinations, but there are no photos of the interior of the restaurant which worries me - just glossy magazine shots of the food. Ordinarily I would go off in search of other photos and reviews, but I don't have the luxury of time at the moment.

On the face of it, La Cantina's website appears a bit tacky, but the photos of the place and the menu both really appeal.

At the end of the day, we won't know until we get there and experience it. I won't be disappointed whichever of these options comes out on top. I have to commend Joh for presenting a completely unbiased synopsis. Given her well-documented food bias, it's impossible to guess her choices from her descriptions.

 

[wilma-bride]

Thanks for taking the time to vote Deb, I know you've got a lot on your plate at the moment.

I do have to pick you up on a coule of things though

I understand that, for some (that would be Joh ), Reflex is the focus of the weekend and not fancy food.

Not Reflex per se, more the alcohol and partying in general Although Nat and I did discuss last night - shock of shocks - the possibility of NOT going to Reflex if we ended up in an area that had pubs and bars where we could still have a bit of a boogie if we felt so inclined.

I have to commend Joh for presenting a completely unbiased synopsis. Given her well-documented food bias, it's impossible to guess her choices from her descriptions.

I'm afraid I can't really take credit for this as I just copied and pasted Mandy's research from the other thread. So, basically, it was Mandy's unbiased synopsis that I posted

 

[mandymouse]

So, there's just Andrea, Tina, Louise and Lesley to vote (and Claire L to do her 2nd vote). I'll send them a PM today and hopefully we can get our meal booked soon

 

[natalielongstaff]

So, there's just Andrea, Tina, Louise and Lesley to vote (and Claire L to do her 2nd vote). I'll send them a PM today and hopefully we can get our meal booked soon

Joh has sent them a pm Mandy

 

[strawberry blonde]

I did mine the other day Mandy.

 

[mandymouse]

Joh has sent them a pm Mandy

OK, thanks Joh

 

[mandymouse]

I did mine the other day Mandy.

Sorry, I'll cross you off then

 

[wilma-bride]

So, there's just Andrea, Tina, Louise and Lesley to vote (and Claire L to do her 2nd vote). I'll send them a PM today and hopefully we can get our meal booked soon

Mandy, as Nat said, I sent Andrea, Tina and Louise a PM last night and I PM'd Claire L yesterday morning. Will drop you a PM now

 

[Claire L]

I did not realise we had two votes, Doh! I must of been in a hurry when I voted. So for a second vote I would go for La Regata.

Claire

 

[wilma-bride]

I did not realise we had two votes, Doh! I must of been in a hurry when I voted. So for a second vote I would go for La Regata.

Claire

Noted Claire

 

[mandymouse]

We're just waiting for a couple of people to make their votes, then I will book our table and arrange to collect deposits

 

[natalielongstaff]

Although Nat and I did discuss last night - shock of shocks - the possibility of NOT going to Reflex if we ended up in an area that had pubs and bars where we could still have a bit of a boogie if we felt so inclined.

Well as its looking like we are eating at my least favourite restaurant choice im definatly not passing up the chance of a boogie at reflex mate

 

[mandymouse]

It's looking like La Regata is the popular choice at the moment, and the food sounds interesting, but I've never had Tapas before. I know I can choose a normal starter and main, but what do you do with Tapas ? do you choose a couple of dishes and share with people around you ?

Any Tapas experts out there ?

 

[wilma-bride]

It's looking like La Regata is the popular choice at the moment, and the food sounds interesting, but I've never had Tapas before. I know I can choose a normal starter and main, but what do you do with Tapas ? do you choose a couple of dishes and share with people around you ?

Any Tapas experts out there ?

Yes, Mandy, the idea with Tapas is that you order several dishes and share between you. However, since we have to pre-order, unless a couple of people want to get together and decided what they want between them, that is likely to be difficult.

Obviously, I will be fairly easy as I don't 'do' tapas and so will be ordering the plain chicken - as will Nat I believe. I was going to leave it until the decision had been made but, as you say it is looking like La Regata will be the winner, so I wanted to ask if, when you book the table, you could check whether we could just pre-order main course and decide on the night about starters and desserts as I really don't want to have to decide on all two/three courses irght now - plus, it says there is a specials board for desserts which, presumably, won't be available until that night

 

[Chilly]

I'm surprised they are asking us to pre-order as its tapas.

 

[Pinky166]

I'm surprised they are asking us to pre-order as its tapas.

Me too....I don't eat tapas myself but I can't see how preordering & sharing will work either?

 

[Chilly]

Sharing tapas works best but you can just order 3 things for yourself and then on the night share if people want to. Or all the people who want tapas could get together before hand to decide what to have.

 

[CustardTart]

EEK!!! It never occurred to me (naive, I know) that I'd have to pre-order tapas blindly.

Plus, I'm feeling dubious that they do cocktails!!!!