Restaurant de la Cote

Forgot the not-​in-​the-​thick-​of-​it location. Forget the tired décor. Forget the slight feeling of haven’t-done-this-before from the waiting staff. Let’s face it, it’s the food that matters and here Restaurant de la Cote is nothing short of amazing.
I had the scallops and black pudding to start (lovely, great combination); Romney salt marsh lamb for mains (the best lamb I’ve ever had, says my Dad, who had the same); and ginger crème brûlée for desert (simple, but delicious). It was all served beautifully and cooked to perfection. And all this for £25. Bargain of the century. Oh and there are plenty of good wines on offer for around the £15−16 mark.
The rest of the family were similarly impressed. OK, there are a few small things to iron out (e.g. sending people out to the cashpoint because you don’t have a chip and pin machine isn’t what you expect from a quality restaurant), but the waiter was friendly and eager to please and, like I say, it’s the food that matters.
Apparently the place has only been open under new management for a year and, with a great chef and good quality ingredients, I really hope that it works out for them.