Churchill's @ 25, Southsea

There are four small cafe-restaurants on Marmion Road, Southsea, just off Palmerston Road shopping precinct. I had only ever been to one of them, the Vegetarian Greenhouse Kitchen, and thought it was about time to try out one of the others. Late one Saturday morning we looked at the menus in the window of Churchills @ 25; my son had been before and said I should be the one to decide. It looked very busy inside, but a table for two all on its own by the entrance was just being vacated so I suggested we take it.

Main dishes on the menu included quiche, lasagne, chicken and ham pie, eggs benedict, mushroom fricasee and fish cake with a poached egg (which seemed a bit of a strange combination). Soup of the day could be ordered along with a sandwich chosen from a varied list of fillings. Jacket potatoes were mostly around the £3 mark. A board with the day's specials had been placed outside, and I had to go and take another look as I couldn't see them listed inside. There was cauliflower cheese with either chips or salad, vegetarian lasagne, and a tempting Thai chicken salad amongst a few other choices. However, we noticed that it was possible to order a full English breakfast for £5.25 including tea, coffee or fruit juice (orange, apple or cranberry). We both decided to order the vegetarian version which offered two sausages, an egg (poached, fried or scrambled) on half a muffin, cherry tomatoes, and slices of button mushrooms. Both of us chose scrambled egg, my son ordered tea and I asked for orange juice.

The drinks were brought after a couple of minutes. There was a pot of tea (enough for two cups) with a jug of milk, and the orange juice was served with ice. We had to wait about fifteen to twenty minutes before our food arrived, but we were not in a hurry so we didn't mind. Each of us had just the one sausage whereas the menu had promised two, but we didn't complain as neither of us thought we could have managed a second one. The scrambled egg was a little overdone, but other than that we enjoyed our breakfasts. Everything was freshly cooked and arranged on the plate with care, the tomatoes and mushrooms surrounding the scrambled egg on the muffin.

Just above our table was a board listing desserts at reasonable prices, mostly around £2.45. These included treacle tart, lemon cheesecake, rum and raisin cheesecake, and a three-flavoured jelly; bread and butter pudding was a little more expensive. We weren't interested in any of them on that occasion, but it's obvious that you could have a two or three course meal without breaking the bank.

A notice in the window states that if you order lunch, you can have a glass of wine for £1.75. That's worth remembering. Another notice advertises coffee and cake for £2.75 in the afternoon.

Churchill's @ 25 has not long been open and is very clean and tastefully decorated. Tables and upright chairs are of wood, without tablecloths. Most of the tables do seem to be rather close together, and I felt that we had been lucky to come at the right time to sit at the table for two that is on its own by the entrance. On the far wall are four prints of Winston Churchill, each one based on a different colour in the mode of Andy Warhol. Other abstract artworks were very uninspiring to me; as well as these there is a series of maxims printed on the walls, words of wisdom to digest along with your lasagne or cheesecake.

We were satisfied with the service from both the waiter and waitress on that Saturday, as they were polite and efficient, making a point of asking us on two occasions if everything was all right. My son, however, had not been so impressed with another waiter on a previous visit and probably wouldn't have chosen Churchill's if I hadn't been interested in trying it out.

There appears to be just one toilet with disabled access and baby changing facilities, but I cannot comment on its cleanliness as I did not use it.

I would recommend Churchill's @ 25 as a venue for a drink, breakfast or lunch to anyone shopping in Palmerston Road and wanting a break. It makes a change from Costa Coffee and offers much more in the way of food. I would personally prefer the Greenhouse Kitchen, but that is a vegetarian restaurant and obviously won't suit everyone. For anyone walking up from the sea front or Southsea common, there are so many restaurants to choose from before reaching Marmion Road that Churchill's is unlikely to be a candidate. I would, however, be happy to go back there if that Thai chicken salad is on offer again one day.

Churchill's @ 25

25 Marmion Road

Southsea

PO5 2AT

Tel 023 9273 8525

Lou Lou's, Southsea

Vying as it does with three other small restaurants on Southsea's Marmion Road, Lou Lou's is one that I had previously wanted to visit because of its apparent French feel. I hadn't done so, however, as I always seem to be in the area at lunchtime and Lou Lou's is inevitably crowded, with very little space between one table and the next. An opportunity arose one Friday afternoon when I bumped into my son as I was leaving work. Both of us were at a loose end and decided to have a bite to eat before shopping at Waitrose. As it was around 3.30pm, I thought Lou Lou's might be relatively quiet so we sauntered along to see if I was right.

A menu in the window was difficult to approach as both the outside tables were occupied. As we turned away, a waiter rushed out and handed us a menu to tempt us. The menu seemed varied with reasonable prices and there seemed to be a few free tables inside, so we ventured in. Two of the tables turned out to be reserved, but we settled for a table for two by the side wall.

All the tables in the main area are circular marble ones, some bigger than others. The chairs are old-fashioned, basic wooden ones with curved backs. I said that Lou Lou's has an apparent French feel to it, but this is in fact because it used to be a butcher's and the original décor has been kept. Ceramic tiles cover one wall, and the wooden floor has seen better days. A curved metal rail hanging from the ceiling would once have been used for displaying carcasses. Now it has rather charming ornaments and flowers dangling down. The place has character and is quite unlike other cafe-restaurants in the area.

A waitress immediately brought us another menu. A page of all day breakfasts (including a continental one) was followed by a list of Welsh rarebit, croque monsieur or madame, then one or two pasta dishes, a few salads and a rather surprising venison burger. The usual simple lunches such as soup of the day, various sandwiches and jacket potatoes are also on the menu. Tartiflette is a typical French addition that I can't remember seeing before in a Southsea restaurant. Steak is one of the pricier lunches, but even so is just £8.95. Having not long since recovered from a nasty bug, I hadn't had eggs or bacon for weeks, so I decided on scrambled egg with back bacon in a toasted and buttered muffin, accompanied by sliced button mushrooms for £3.45. My son went for what would have been my second choice: scrambled egg with smoked salmon, wholemeal or white toast and sliced button mushrooms at £4.95.

We wanted to order freshly squeezed orange juice, but the waitress explained that the machine had been switched off. We didn't quite understand why, but we both ordered apple juice instead. This was brought over very quickly. I don't like having fruit juice with a glass full of ice cubes, and thankfully no ice was served here, but I suppose some people might want and expect it.

It must have been about ten minutes before our food was served. My immediate impression was that the servings were very generous, especially where the mushrooms were concerned. I had two rashers of nicely cooked, lean bacon, lots of scrambled egg, and a whole muffin as opposed to the half I had had at Churchill's a few weeks earlier. My son's meal came garnished with a slice of lemon and a small sprig of parsley. His butter was served separately in a small tub for him to spread on the triangular slices of toast. I thought the square-shaped plates and black serviettes were tasteful, although the serviettes were a little on the small side. Pepper and salt are provided on the table, but the waitress also asked us if we required any other sauces. We declined. The food was beautifully hot, and I would only say that the scrambled egg was slightly overdone. This usually seems to be the case in restaurants, however.

As soon as we had finished eating, the waitress came to clear our plates. For those wanting a two-course meal, desserts are mostly priced at £3.25 or £3.50 and include pancakes, waffles, ice cream sundae and sticky toffee pudding. A tempting selection of home made cakes is displayed at the counter, and Lou Lou's menu also offers afternoon cream teas. We had only come for a light meal, so we asked for the bill. As it turned out, payment is made at the counter.

The ladies had just been cleaned when I entered so I can't comment on what it might be like towards the end of a busy lunchtime. Two steps have to be negotiated to get to the toilets, which would obviously prove difficult for the disabled. These steps also lead to a rear area which has a number of small tables but is without windows.

I would be glad to return to Lou Lou's one day, as their food is good, served in generous portions and reasonably priced. I have no criticisms of the service we received. It is a place that has character but might not appeal to those who prefer ultra-modern, stylish restaurants. If I do go back, however, I shall probably make a point of going either early in the morning for breakfast or once again in mid or late afternoon. Lou Lou's is definitely a popular place, but the lunchtime crowds would put me off. Closing time is 6pm, so this is a daytime rather than an evening restaurant.

Lou Lou's

37 Marmion Road

Southsea

Hampshire

PO5 2AT

Tel. 023 9282 5113

A taste of Morocco in Bath

Wandering around Bath late one Saturday afternoon, there seemed to be coffee shops at every turn but not much sign of restaurants. A visit to the Tourist Information Office solved the problem, as they gave us a leaflet showing a variety of eateries situated in the city centre. We narrowed it down to two, and soon found ourselves outside the Cafe du Globe, described as a Moroccan and international restaurant. It was about 5.15pm and a group of people just in front of us were told that it was too late for afternoon tea but that they were welcome to have dinner. When our turn came we thought the proprietor, a Mr Benjelloun, was telling us that we would have to wait for a table until 7pm, but fortunately it turned out that we would have to vacate the table by 7pm. That suited us, so in we went.

The restaurant is quite small, and there was just one table for four free to one side. Both tables and chairs are of very sturdy dark wood. The chairs have leather seats and the tables have inlaid square panels that are painted gold. Slender candles, carnations in bud and cruet sets decorate the tables. Menus in folders were immediately handed out to us by a young waitress. She soon returned to take our drinks order. One of my sons ordered a draught Stella Artois at £3.50; the rest of us chose soft drinks – mineral water, cranberry juice and orange juice – at £2 each.

Starters include traditional Moroccan mezze, warm grilled goat's cheese, felafel, and home-made harira soup amongst others. We decided, however, to go straight for the main course. I ordered vegetarian couscous (£10.25) and my elder son picked the Cafe du Globe brochettes (£14.95). His partner and my younger son decided to order from the Mexican section of the menu, one going for chicken fajitas (£12.25) and the other for combo (chicken and beef) fajitas (£12.95).

It was a little while, but not too long, before our food was served. We sat admiring the décor of the restaurant with its low lighting, wooden fretwork, Moroccan lampshades and mirror frames and a carved book shelf. We weren't quite so keen on the painting of two covered ladies, but each to his own taste. Middle Eastern music is played to add to the atmosphere.

The waitress brought the fajitas first. The tortillas (four in number) are served in a covered earthenware pot alongside a side salad with grated cheese, guacamole and sour cream. The meat and sliced pepper filling is brought afterwards, sizzling and steaming. My son's brochettes with tiny roast potatoes and salad garnish looked delicious. My couscous came in a covered decorative ceramic dish on a thick wicker mat. The waitress removed the lid and brought a separate plate of accompaniments. This consisted of a small bowl of jus with a few sliced carrots alongside two tiny lidded pots. One contained cooked raisins and the other the spicy harissa. The jus felt only just warm as I held the bowl to pour it over the couscous, but that didn't matter as the main dish was piping hot. I sprinkled all the raisins on but decided to forego the harissa. What surprised me was the mixture of English and Mediterranean vegetables: carrot, potato, parsnip, aubergine and courgette all jostled alongside each other with the couscous, garnished with parsley. We all agreed that the food was excellent. I finished mine and felt full but not heavy.

Plates were soon cleared away and dessert menus brought. My elder son and his partner ordered Moroccan mint tea with baclavas (£4.85). I considered toffee apple fudge cake (£4) or orange salad but didn't really have room for a dessert so confined myself to a decaffeinated coffee (£1.95). My younger son was content to finish sipping his beer (but he did have some goodies from the San Francisco Fudge Factory of Bath in his backpack for later!) The mint tea comes in a tiny metal teapot topped with a delightful tea cosy in the shape of what might be a whirling dervish. The waitress pours the tea from a great height into a very small glass. The baclavas were served on one plate with a sprig of mint, and I think there were eight pieces altogether, six of which were considerably smaller than the other two. My son and his partner had been to a Moroccan restaurant in London a few days before, and although they said the London one was slightly better overall, they commented that the baclavas at the Cafe du Globe were fresher and tastier. I had one of the little ones and certainly enjoyed it with my coffee.

Our total bill came to £71.55 to which we added a tip as we were all happy with the food and the service. We chatted a little to the proprietor, a very friendly man who told me that he reads reviews of his restaurant every Sunday morning and does his utmost to address any criticisms. I assured him I would be writing a favourable review.

Toilets are situated in the basement. Tea lights are placed at the side of each step, and at the bottom of the stairs are showcases with Cafe du Globe pots, jewellery and other gifts for sale. There is just one toilet for ladies and one for gents; each has a mirror with a Moroccan frame and a metal washbasin with a decorative border. The ladies was clean and well equipped with soap and toilet tissue. Unfortunately there is no disabled toilet on the premises.

The Cafe du Globe is situated very close to Bath Abbey and the River Avon. It is only about five minutes' walk from the railway station. It was interesting to see the mixture of British and North African or Middle Eastern people among the clientele, so the restaurant does seem to have a wide appeal. The menu might have been a little more varied, but the inclusion of Mexican dishes means that if members of a group don't like Moroccan food, there are a few other choices. There are special offers for two-course lunches and dinners which are detailed on the website. This is probably not a place for a family with young children, but I am sure afternoon tea would be pleasant there if you do not want a full meal. Although I'm always on the lookout for new eateries, I would be very happy to return to the Cafe du Globe.

Cafe du Globe

1A North Parade

Bath

BA1 1LF

Tel. 01225 466437

www.cafeduglobe.co.uk

Abarbistro

The Camber Dock area of Old Portsmouth is one that I was not particularly familiar with, but I suspect I will be visiting it more often in the future. My brother and his wife live just a hop, skip and a jump from there and often go for a bite to eat at Abarbistro, formerly known as the American Bar. My younger son was coming from Bristol one weekend and we thought it was about time we had a family lunch, so my brother booked a table for 1pm on the Sunday at Abarbistro. I was actually so unsure as to how to get there that I decided a taxi was the best bet, but next time I won't need to do so. You can turn off High Street into Lombard Street, by Portsmouth Cathedral, or you can go from Broad Street down White Hart Road. If you are coming from Gunwharf Quays, turn right and follow Gunwharf Road. Alternatively, you can take Warblington Street off St George's Road. In other words, just about all roads lead to Abarbistro. If you are confused, follow your nose to the fish market, which is right close by.

The place itself doesn't look anything special from the outside. The building dates from the late eighteenth century and was apparently once a place where convicts were brought as they waited to be shipped off to a penal colony in the States – hence the name The American Bar. Abarbistro has whitewashed walls with blue window frames, and recent renovations include three glass doors which give views of the Spinnaker Tower. As we went inside, I was surprised at how stylish the restaurant is. We were taken through the front area to a separate room that resembled a conservatory with blinds across the glass roof and extensive windows that overlooked the garden area. It was a beautifully sunny spring day and was the ideal place to sit. I am sure the garden would be wonderful on a fine summer's day.

Menus were brought to us as soon as we sat down at the light wood tables. My brother and his wife are apparently quite well known there and the waiters and waitresses were very friendly, but I had the impression that they would have been even if we had all been first-time visitors. Our drinks order was soon taken. My brother and younger son both decided on cider. As my son has been living in Bristol for some months now, he has become quite particular about his cider, but all that was on offer was Bulmer's draught or a pear cider. Neither really impressed, but the Bulmer's at £3.50 a pint was chosen. The rest of us decided on a bottle of red wine, and the waitress recommended Zarabanda Rioja at £14. We all approved of her choice.

We decided to go straight into the main course, but if you did want a starter they range from olives and focaccia at £2 through a plate of anchovies at £4 to rabbit terrine with prune chutney at £6. Soup of the day is £5, and on that particular day it was broccoli.

Specials were seafood pasta (£9) or catch of the day, which was rainbow trout, for £13. There was also a lamb shank roast at £10. We all, however, chose our main course from the standard menu. I decided on the fishcake with spinach and Hollandaise sauce (£10), whilst my younger son opted for sausages (from local butcher Buckwell's) and mash (£8). My elder son chose beer-battered fish and chips with pea puree (£8), and his partner picked camembert stuffed chicken wrapped in parma ham with ratatouille (£12), My brother and his wife both went for roast belly of pork with colcannon and cider sauce (£10), perhaps influenced by the recommendation from the author of a review that had appeared in the local paper two days earlier. My sister-in-law ordered an extra portion of green beans at £2.

Vegetarian options include Moroccan vegetable tagine with cous cous (£8) or roasted root vegetables with celeriac dauphinoise (£11).

We did not have to wait long for our food to be served. I was amazed when I saw my fishcake, which was a huge, rounded one sitting on the bed of spinach and covered in Hollandaise sauce. The taste lived up to expectations too. I don't know exactly what fish it had been made with, but the predominant colour was pink. It was not at all salty and the sauce just gave a slight sweetness. Even though there was no mash or chips with it, for me it was more than enough. The three sausages sitting on top of the mash did not look like a large portion on arrival, but appearances were deceptive and my son was quite satisfied with his choice. The pork belly, stuffed chicken and fish and chips were also enjoyed by everyone. The pea puree in particular was said to be the best ever tasted. Not a single complaint from any of us.

My younger son and I were both very full after our main courses, so as we are both ardent fans of coffee we restricted ourselves to the boule of espresso ice cream with a cup of espresso (£2). My sister-in-law picked the crème brulee which came with a shortbread biscuit (£5). The other three were all tempted by the apple and blackberry crumble with vanilla ice cream (£5). Service had slowed down considerably by this time, although it has to be said that the place was extremely busy by about 2pm. Fortunately we were not in a hurry.

I was delighted by my espresso ice cream, but I have to say that the unanimous approval of the apparently heavenly crumble made me feel that I would have to leave room for it next time I visit. To follow the espressos we just asked for a glass of water, but my elder son still had room for hot chocolate and the other three in the party ordered filter coffee. All hot drinks are £2.

The bill came to £113 to which we added a tip, making an average of £20 per head. There are one or two cheaper ways of doing things at Abarbistro that I will definitely bear in mind. If you just want to go for a light meal and a drink, you could opt for a hot brie and bacon baguette for £4, or even just a cone of home-cut chips for £3. On the first Friday of every month between 5.30pm and 7pm (last orders 6.45pm) you can have haddock, chips, tartare sauce and mushy peas followed by sticky toffee pudding, all for £10. You can of course just go and have a drink.

Don't be put off visiting Abarbistro with your offspring, even if they are considerably younger than mine. There was one gorgeously well-behaved baby in a high chair not far from us as well as several children, mostly in the garden area.

The toilets are on the ground floor, so there should be no problems for disabled people.

Abarbistro is open from 11am until midnight Mondays to Saturdays, and from noon until 11pm on Sundays. You can park free of charge outside the restaurant or on Lombard Street, the street that runs down to Portsmouth Cathedral.

Should you be visiting Gunwharf Quays and want to get away from the crowds, Abarbistro is only a few minutes' walk away. Southsea sea front is only about ten or fifteen minutes on foot. Abarbistro definitely makes a very pleasant change from chain restaurants.

Abarbistro

58 White Hart Road

Old Portsmouth

Hampshire

PO1 2JA

Tel. 023 9281 1585

www.abarbistro.co.uk

Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery

Having recently visited Portsmouth City Museum and Art Gallery, I was interested to see how its counterpart in Bristol compared. I expected that perhaps it would be a grander affair, and I was right. Whereas Portsmouth concentrates mainly on local history and art, Bristol, whilst giving prominence to local artists and exhibits, has world-class displays in its galleries.

The museum is housed in an imposing three-storey Edwardian building; the stairs are not steep and there is a lift to certain areas on the upper floors, but you do have to call an attendant to operate the lift. How easy it is to do this I do not know. However, if you are at all interested in Ancient Egypt you are in for a treat, as there is a new display on the ground floor. This is where we started our visit.

The Egyptian exhibits here are based on the themes of life, death and the afterlife. Everything is behind glass, unsurprisingly considering the age of these artefacts. Even after more than twenty years of living in Egypt, I can still marvel at tiny amulets that look almost as if they were made yesterday, the mummy of a woman, or examples of hieroglyphics and other writing on a fragment of papyrus or a piece of stone. Touch screens placed low enough for children who can read allow visitors to access information on the individual items in each case. As well as the themes of life and death, attention is drawn to the way the Egyptians worked with different materials such as wood (as in the case for the mummy) and stone.

Moving further down this gallery, there are some fine examples of Assyrian reliefs. These are finely executed, but personally they didn't thrill me in quite the way that the Egyptian exhibits did.

At the top of the stairs leading to second floor is a gypsy caravan; turning left, we found ourselves in the Oriental gallery where Chinese dragons are to be seen wherever you look. There is even a tee-shirt from Tammy Girl decorated with a dragon. It was interesting that although this gallery was one of the quieter ones, there were two children sitting drawing whilst their parents looked around. Emerging from the dragon room, you find yourself admiring one of the best collections of Chinese glass outside Asia.

From Oriental art you proceed to British art. The first gallery is devoted to a collection of beautiful silver artefacts amid paintings of Bristol as it was over two hundred years ago. Realising that we did not have time to see everything in one visit, we passed fairly quickly through this room; I really must go back one day to admire the silver. We made a beeline for the more modern exhibits such as the paintings of the St Ives group. Barbara Hepworth is represented here by a painting rather than a sculpture, alongside Ben Nicholson in Gallery 5. I was also particularly interested to find Bristol-born Richard Long's Delabole Slate Circle, acquired from Tate Modern in 1997. Long was a great influence of mine in my students days, as was Tom Phillips, one of whose paintings I was delighted to find here.

If you are not a fan of modern art, you might prefer the work of the Pre-Raphaelites in Gallery 6 where both Millais and Burne-Jones are represented amongst others. There are a few examples of Impressionist paintings in the European room, notably by Renoir, Sisley and Lucien Pissaro. Beyond the French gallery is a display of pottery and ceramics, but this was another room that I had to leave for a future visit.

Going back down to the first floor we were greeted by a fibreglass replica of a dinosaur as well as a huge dinosaur leg skeleton. This area was obviously one of the most popular ones for children, so we decided to leave them to it as they greatly outnumbered us.

The display of minerals was one we spent more time on. Although there are exquisite pieces from all over the world, perhaps my favourite was a slice of Blue John from Derbyshire. It's true that this mineral holds a special place in my heart because I spent some wonderful holidays in the Peak District during my childhood, but I loved the colours in this example, which ranged from orange through to purple. My son prefered the pyrophyllite with its fascinating geometrical forms.

Minerals were followed by fossils, including some that were unearthed during the building of the Great Western Railway. Then came the wildlife area, but we decided to give it a miss as it looked to be swarming with children and must be one of the most popular sections of the museum. Many of the exhibits there focus on rare, endangered or extinct species of wildlife. British wildlife can be seen on the ground floor.

Descending the staircase to the ground floor once again, we walked past the shop without taking a look, as I don't usually buy souvenirs from museums. We noticed an enclosed area for temporary exhibitions where paintings were waiting to be hung. There is a cafe in an open area on the ground floor which seemed to be frequented mostly by families with young children who probably needed a break from all the excitement of dinosaurs and gorillas. Organic and fair trade food and drinks are served here. The cafe, as well as the toilets, are due for refurbishment during the course of 2008.

As we were leaving I suddenly noticed a huge biplane suspended from the lofty ceiling above the entrance hall – despite its size, neither of us had looked up and spotted it on our way in.

Certain areas of the museum are great attractions for children, and there were plenty around on the grey Saturday afternoon when we visited. There is even a play area called Small World for the under-fives on the ground floor. The museum would be an excellent choice for a family outing, whether your children are into dinosaurs, wild animals or mummies. As for adults, I'm sure everyone will find a display here that fascinates them. Since it's free, there is nothing to lose by paying a visit.

Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery

Queen's Road

Bristol

BS8 1RL

Tel. 0117 922 4749

www.bristol.gov.uk/museums

Open Daily, 10am-5pm (hours may change in 2009)

Lifts to some floors; space to leave buggies in front hall; baby-change; toilets' wheelchairs; highchairs available in cafe.

Car parks are situated five minutes' walk from the museum in either West End or Trenchard Street. On foot, the museum is ten minutes from the city centre and twenty-five minutes from Bristol Temple Meads railway station.