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It seems that there is no absolute winner in our poll of the best restaurant in Cork. The top 3 were Cafe Paradiso, Ivory Tower and Le Gourmandises with the same amount of votes. Ristorante Casanova is runner-up and Star Anise is holding place 3.
The question really is; what do we expect from a good restaurant. First of all good food - obviously. But how much are we effected by service, interior, location and other diners? I depend very much on the 'whole' dining experience to be a happy diner and for me to come back to the restaurant. Some people might just want a bite to eat and head their way....do we have different requirements for lunch and dinner?
And what makes a good restaurant...??? How do Michelin Inspectors actually measure the 'Star-Quality' of a restaurant....the Independent asked the same question:
Michelin inspectors visit each premises once every 18 months, unless it is moving up or down the ranks. A star candidate will receive four visits. A two-star restaurant receives 10 visits before becoming a three-star. Inspectors travel over from the Continent to ensure consistency. Visits take place anonymously and Michelin pays the bills. Inspectors are on the road three weeks out of four, staying in a different hotel every night and eating lunch and dinner at a different restaurant every day. They write a report on every meal. On one side of A4, they score service, décor and location, on the other they plot the quality of their meal on a graph. One star denotes very good cooking in its category, two stars denote excellent cooking worth a detour, and three stars represent exceptional cuisine "worth a journey".
Which means really...if the inspector likes the food the restaurant might get a star...I'd love to see one of these report-sheets...just to see how much judgement is left to personal preference. Anyhow....to say it with my nan's wisdom....if you like it and it doesn't kill you - it must be good for you ;-)
So, how much are you influenced by the food critics???? Next poll....let me know what you think.
3 comments:
Hi Elke,
Very interesting post. I must say from my experience of working and eating in restaurants i believe people will put up with average food, but will not tolerate average service.
Nine times out of ten, when you hear someone (Other than a critic) complain about a restaurant, they are usually complaining about something other than the food, most of the time its the service.
And i do believe that restaurant reviews do influnce peoples choice, but only to a certain extent.
Hi Kevin,
I think you are right, people hardly ever complain but I have seen people in restaurants being treated badly and they sat still through the meal. They might not go back but I have never seen that people were asking for the manager to complain about the service. But I also think, this is on the verge of changing. More and more people are into good food and hopefully bad restaurants will feel the pressure.
Elke
Hi Elke,
I totally agree, the days of Irish people tolerating sub-standard food are definitely numbered.
And your right about people putting up with bad service and saying nothing. We as a nation hate to complain, but we love to bitch!!
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