Rhodes 24 at Tower 42

Following up to The Reid

excellently!

more detail?

booking, bit of table fascism going on, don't bother with the internet, ring and ask nicely.

OK. Carol got there first and was ensconced in a wine bar with an outdoor seating area behind the Royal Exchange, in conversation with a city bloke who had probably had more than one cold drink. We did our best to catch up with some nice albarino. Once through security at Tower 42 a lift whisked us up to Rhodes 24, which, by coincidence is on the 24th floor. There is a bar but they took us straight to our table, (probably because we were a little late from talking to our city friend). A nice young lady suggested a glbutt of champagne with the menus, which we went for. Carol had asked for a table with a view and it certainly had one, even from the adjacent chairs. we were right against a floor to ceiling window looking directly at the gherkin. Excellent. The menu was no nonsensely sub headed with things like "PORK" or "VEAL" and "BROAD BEANS" in capitals, just like I typed it just now. I didnt want broad beans, as I still have two rows on the allotment at home, but its nice to see the veg in season on the menu. There were a number of attractive things, that's the city for you, all those girls looking for rich bankers to marry, but I digress, my eyes settled on "oxtail pudding" and "pork sausage" for a starter. Hah, confidence in good sound English food! In all the restaurants in all the towns I've been to, dive never seen anyone have the confidence to serve up a good simple English banger on a plate as a starter. Fairly unadorned too, a little pile of celeriac with it IIRC. Carol had fancy stuff concerning veal, ravioli, truffles and bent macaroni. I treated it with contempt, awaiting the arrival of a complete suet pudding stuffed with shredded oxtail, which was lovely. I haven't eaten anything like that for 20 years, I don't intend to wait another 20, who cares if its "unhealthy"? It came with some carrots, which were served in a little copper saucepan, a fussy touch maybe, BWTH, and a little jug of gravy. We drank priorata from the shortish and mostly expensive wine list. Carol always argues against puddings, but I felt a proper English meal should have a pudding, cheese would be Francophile treachery, so we had a chocolatey thing, you know, a pudding. Then to the bar, which also has a magnificent view towards the river, although you cant see Tower Bridge or the Tower of London. Cant remember if we had a drink there, but Carol must have asked about Vertigo 42, the chickentail bar on the top (42nd) floor, so they took us up there, where I think we had another bottle of wine and looked down on the city, slurring the names of the places we miss identified. Somehow we got talking to a party of Spanish people who also had enjoyed it, either that or they had been to a late meeting.

I've been through the pockets of my whistle and found the damage reports:- Corney and Barrow wine bar albarino £22.95 a bottle Rhodes 24 (dinner for two) £193.39 service included (that includes two glbuttes of fizz at £10 a go and a bottle of priorata at £44) Mains are £20 to £25 each. Vertogo 42 btle sauvignon £31.50 inc service.

Which Rhodes book is the best one? I want to see reinvented reworked engish dishes. -- Mike Reid