Brasserie Blanc, Gunwharf Quays

We had wanted to sample the delights of Brasserie Blanc in Gunwharf Quays one evening in October, but without a reservation we would have had to wait about an hour for a table. Late one Saturday afternoon in December, I rang to see if I could book a table for three for 3pm the following day, and luckily this was possible. As soon as we arrived on the Sunday, we were greeted by a receptionist who checked our reservation and led us past a beautiful Christmas tree to a table not far from a window from which there was a view of the canalside and the Spinnaker Tower.

Menus were distributed before we had even sat down. I was glad to find that plenty of coat hooks were provided.

Linen tablecloths are used but they are covered with white paper cloths set diagonally. Napkins are large linen ones. As well as the usual cruet, there is a bottle of oil on each table. We had wooden chairs with comfortable leather backs and seats, but I noticed that some tables had all wooden ones. We loved the colourful paintings, all depicting food, which contrasted well with the black and white photographs, some of Raymond Blanc teaching a younger chef, which hang above the counter. Behind the counter the kitchen area is clearly visible. We remarked on how clean everything was.

A Christmas menu, £25 for three courses, was available on the day of our visit but we hadn't come for anything quite so special and decided to order a la carte. An extensive drinks menu was handed to us but all we wanted was a glass of fruit juice each of a different flavour – orange, pineapple and apple (£2.10) which was served with ice. We were also brought a jug of tap water, with separate glasses of course. Starters range in price from £5.45 to £6.95 and in variety from Mediterranean fish soup through Burgundian snails in garlic herb butter to Maman Blanc's miscellany of salads. We decided just to share one of the aperitifs, however, which consisted of garlic mayonnaise, harissa olives, balsamic vinegar and slices of French bread served with butter (£2.75). This is intended for one person, but as our serving of bread was replenished it was more than enough and did not spoil our appetites. The garlic mayonnaise in particular was gorgeous, and the waitress commented herself on how much she liked it.

The main courses on the lunch menu start at £8.75 for Swiss chard and cep mushroom lasagne and rise to £17.00 for Roast Barbary duck breast with blackberry sauce and Dauphinoise potatoes. There is also a selection of grills priced between £15.00 and £26.50. The waitress came along with a blackboard indicating the day's special, roast beef, roast potatoes and a selection of vegetables for £14.50. The fact that the beef was medium rare made us decline this option. My son's partner decided on Loch Fyne mussels in white wine and cream served with chips (£13.00). My son and I both considered the lasagne as well as Raymond's smoked River Avon salmon and trout fish cake (£11.00) but eventually both ordered Beef Stroganoff with pilaf rice (£10.25). I don't usually go for red meat but felt that this could be a good occasion to do so for a change. Side salads and vegetables can be ordered, mostly for £2.75, but our waitress thought the mussels and chips would be fine on their own and I certainly thought my main dish would be filling.

Soon after we had ordered the waitress brought a finger bowl for the mussels along with a soup spoon, as she explained that a lot of people like to drink the sauce of the mussels like soup after they have finished eating. It was a while before the food was served, as you would expect, but not overly long. The mussels came in their cooking pot with chips in a small side dish. The stroganoff was served in deep round plates, each with a mould of garnished rice in the centre. Our immediate reaction was that the sauce tasted wonderful and was of a perfect consistency but that the beef was not as tender as we had thought it might be. Slices of mushroom were plentiful alongside the beef. The mussels were highly appreciated as were the chips, and yes, my son's partner enjoyed the sauce so much that he did use that soup spoon. The waitress was passing as he did, and she chirruped 'I knew you would!'

My son had no hesitation in saying he wanted to see the dessert menu, so we were each brought one on a small card. The waitress mentioned that there was also a chocolate tart with coffee crème anglaise for a mere £3.50 – the coffee-chocolate combination and the modest price meant my mind was immediately made up. My son decided on apple and blackberry crumble (£5.20) but his partner wanted something light so he picked the selection of ice creams (£5.50). Four scoops of ice cream are served, and he chose coffee, chocolate, pistachio and hazelnut. Strawberry and vanilla were also offered.

We were all delighted with our desserts when they arrived. My chocolate tart was rich in flavour without being too sweet or sickly, and the coffee crème added interest to the taste. The ice cream was drizzled with two kinds of coulis and sandwiched between two irregular-shaped wafers. The crumble was topped with a scoop of ice cream and looked delicious – something I would definitely try another time.

My son and his partner decided to order tea and coffee as they were going to the cinema and still had a little time to kill. I would like to try the coffee there, but I was feeling very full and it was a little late in the day for caffeine so I contented myself with my glass of water. The coffee was declared to be very good, so that's a perfect excuse for me to go back.

Our bill came to £60.55 to which we added a tip. I could remember that the last time the three of us had been to Rosie's Vineyard in Southsea we had paid the same amount there. Whilst the food at Rosie's is always very good, the service is not up to the standard of the Brasserie Blanc. The previous Sunday my son and I had waited half an hour at Rosie's just to place an order. The furnishings and décor at Brasserie Blanc are also superior to Rosie's. I should emphasise that the prices on the dinner menu are higher than those on the lunch menu at Brasserie Blanc. It is also worth mentioning, however, that some dishes are available in smaller portions and at lower prices for children.

I visited the ladies upstairs and found it to be extremely clean. Two bottles of liquid soap were provided: it was a French brand called 'Le Cuisinier' and was intended for cooks, to remove lingering odours. Two bottles, but three washbasins – had somebody pocketed a third bottle? I was amused to find 'The Fox and the Grapes', one of Lafontaine's fables, written out in French as I climbed the stairs, and I lingered to read it. When I got to the top of the stairs, there was the English translation. On returning to our table, I realised that another of the fables was written along the top of one wall, again translated on the adjacent wall. A lovely touch.

Just by the entrance are some shelves displaying French foods such as jars of conserves and packets of biscuits, any of which can be purchased. There are also one or two books by Raymond Blanc. If you arrive early or have to wait for a table, there is an area where you can sit and have a drink by the bar.

The only criticism I would make from my first visit to Brasserie Blanc would be that the beef was not as tender as I had expected it to be. Other than that, I cannot find fault at all with the menu, the food, the service or the ambiance. The dinner menu is a little out of my price range, but I am sure we will return to Brasserie Blanc every now and again for lunch. It stands head and shoulders above almost all the other restaurants in Gunwharf Quays at the present time. Raymond Blanc's wish was to create a relaxing atmosphere in which to enjoy good food similar to that cooked by his mother, and he has surely succeeded here.

Brasserie Blanc

Canalside

Gunwharf Quays

Portsmouth

PO1 3FA

Tel. 023 9289 1320

www.brasserieblanc.com

Rosie's Vineyard

Who would have thought that just along from Tesco Express and Ken's Kebabs would lie one of Southsea's best restaurants? But close to Elm Grove traffic lights, five minutes from the shopping precinct and less than a mile from the seafront, Rosie's Vineyard nestles between Nico's Cafe and an office furniture shop. You would not suspect that the narrow, original shopfront with its stained-glass window panes was the entrance to a jewel of a restaurant that could outdo any on the more select location of Osborne Road or the waterfront at Portsmouth's Gunwharf Quays.

My first visit was on a Monday evening, and I would say that any restaurant that's full at the beginning of the week must be worth its salt. Deciding on the spur of the moment to have dinner there one Saturday, I suggested going early as I knew how crowded it would be later on. Five thirty might seem a strange time for an evening meal, and we actually had the place to ourselves for the first hour. I noticed that every single table had a reserved sign on it, but ours was free until 9pm so there was no rush.

We were given a table on the ground floor alongside the bar; appearances really are deceptive, as there is a raised level at the back of the restaurant as well as a good number of tables in the basement. The tables are very basic plain wood, and most of the chairs look as though they might be cast-offs from an old church, having a place in the back for a hymn book. It probably sounds uncomfortable, but after the two hours that we spent there that was the last thing on my mind.

The waiting staff all seem to be very young, possibly students; I haven't seen any sign of a manager on either occasion. They are relaxed, polite, friendly, never intruding or rushing you. Menus and a wine list were brought, along with a slip of paper detailing the day's specials. We had decided that we would limit ourselves to a main course, so I can't unfortunately comment on starters or desserts. Starters on offer included free range pork grillette with red onion and port relish, mussels, spiced Shetland Isle crab gumbo, mixed mezze with warm pitta bread, and roasted Capricorn goat's cheese with wild rocket and tomato and basil confit.

On a previous occasion for main course I had chosen roasted vegetable tagine with cumin and coriander couscous; not actually being a vegetarian, I decided to try fish this time. The choice was between whole roasted sea bass (one of the specials) or seared salmon fillet with saffron roasted potatoes and salsa verde. The salmon just seemed to have the edge. Since leaving home, my son has developed a taste for butternut squash (it's something I never thought of cooking), and liked the sound of the squash and leek pithivier with new potatoes. Neither of us had ever had pithivier, but I remembered seeing Rick Stein make an onion one once on his journey through France, so I knew basically what it was. My son's partner had no hesitation whatsoever in ordering the Spanish spiced free-range sausages with fresh herb crushed potatoes. We ordered a bottle of house red and sat talking to the accompaniment of Dido.

I should mention that Rosie's, being a winebar as well as a restaurant, has an extensive wine list and there were leaflets on the table giving details of bin ends. I have, however, only tried their house red up until now.

It was about half an hour before the food arrived. My salmon and potatoes were accompanied by mangetout peas, and the sausages on the bed of crushed potatoes were surrounded by baby carrots. I had thought the pithivier would be similar to a pizza base, but it was actually a puff pastry case. We each made approving comments as we started eating, and by the time we had finished, we were all in agreement that it was the best food we had ever had. I've never tasted such tender, well-cooked salmon, and the accompanying diced roast potatoes were crisp and golden. The sausages were perfect – and that's coming from one not easily pleased – whilst the pithivier was a new discovery and a huge success. Three completely different dishes, yet each one was a work of art that totally satisfied the palate. None of us could criticize in any way.

Dessert would be difficult for me on any occasion after such a main course, but among those on offer are spiced plum tarte tatin, Bailey's Irish Cream parfait, and English and continental cheeses with biscuits and Rosie's own chutney. Two more glasses of wine were ordered, but I chose instead to have decaffeinated coffee. This was the only disappointment of the evening for me, as it didn't honestly taste of anything. I am very hard to please where coffee is concerned, liking it strong and bitter, but I normally drink only decaffeinated coffee late in the day and know that I am likely to be disappointed.

The toilets are situated in the basement, so unfortunately this is not really a place for disabled people. I found the ladies to be perfectly clean, and I was then intrigued to hear about the gents. Apparently simulated tiles have been painted on one wall along with a display of slogans along the lines of 'a man isn't really drunk if he can lie on the floor without holding on'. Well that's what I was told, and there were no complaints about cleanliness.

One of the special aspects of Rosie's Vineyard that I have yet to experience is that they have live jazz on Friday evenings and Sunday lunchtimes, with a roast on the menu on Sundays. My son can remember once coming on a Friday and just having a drink whilst watching the jazz. Live music venues are very few and far between in Southsea, and I know Rosie's gets extremely crowded at these times. Another attraction during the summer months is the garden, and this is accessed through the basement. Something to look forward too.

By the time we left, just after 7.30pm, several couples had arrived as well as a group of six giggling ladies; you could tell it was going to be a lively evening. Jazz had replaced Dido by that time. I had noticed on my first visit that there were people of all ages: it's obviously a place that holds great appeal for a wide diversity of people, and I can certainly see why.

Our bill came to £55, so £20 each covered the tip as well. I can't remember when we have all left a place feeling completely satisfied with the food, the service, the atmosphere... I can easily forgive the coffee. I'm sure we'll be going back very soon. The icing on the cake for me is that it's less than half a mile from where I live. If I could give Rosie's six stars out of five, I would.

www.rosies-vineyard.co.uk/ gives details of the live jazz as well as menus, wine lists and opening times. Private functions can be booked.

Rosie's Vineyard

87 Elm Grove

Southsea

PO5 1JF