Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:11 pm
#766360
An old school friend who now lives in Australia is currently visiting the UK. We'd arranged to meet at Southend, and rather than spend all day on the 'Thames Estuary Beach' I thought we'd head to Le Touquet and try out the all new Escale (the airport restaurant) as mentioned by Duncan here.
Before I get to the restaurant I just want to mention a couple of other things...
1. I haven't landed at Southend for quite a few years, but everyone from ATC, to the refuellers, to the people behind the desk were very friendly and efficient. What a great facility, even if it is in the wrong place. As I got out of the aeroplane a student was just taxiing out for his first solo, always something great to see.
2. After making sure that my friend had his passport I told him that I couldn't remember the last time I saw a customs officer at Le Touquet. A few seconds after landing in Le Touquet three armed customs officers came to check my documents! Not a peep for years and then twice already this year (once in Calvi and now in Le Touquet). They were friendly and professional, but all my papers were in order. They told me that they were heading over to try the new restaurant too. Incidentally, instead of a helicopter these officers had their own C206.
To the restaurant...
We arrived at about 13.15 local time and had a quick look at the set menu (€9.90)
Inside it's now bright, modern and aviation themed
We waited for someone to talk to us, but they were very busy (The customs team had got there first!). We waited a bit longer, and then a bit longer. Another couple walked in and the chap who looked like a head waiter seated them. This left us wondering what we were doing wrong. Eventually someone spoke to us and offered us a seat outside.
We waited outside for quite a while before our drinks order was taken. Surprisingly there was no bottled water (still or sparkling) available. We then ordered with two of us going for the set menu 1 x goats cheese salad, 1 x bulots, followed by 2 x agneau parmentier (shepherds pie) and Mrs Blew going for grilled crab and then chicken from the main menu.
We then waited a very long time before our food arrived. By a long time I mean 45 minutes. A waiter came to the table with our main course, but took it away when we pointed out politely that we hadn't yet had our starters. 15 mins later the starters arrived, but they'd got the order wrong (two salads, no bulots). By now we were bored of waiting so kept the salad.
The goats cheese salad was OK but the salad bit was a handful of iceberg (it was from the cheap menu), and the crab a bit stodgy and dry. Mrs Blew would have preferred not to have bits of shell in her crab meat.
We then waited for ages again (another 45 minutes at least) before our mains arrived. Out of the three dishes, just one was right. Instead of the agneau parmentier we were given lamb kebabs. We mentioned this and they were taken away. Ten minutes later we got our parmentier, although rather than a traditional parmentier the meat looked very much like it had recently been a lamb kebab.
The shredded kebab, sorry parmentier was OK, and the chicken was average.
We decided not to wait for the coffee, but to ask for 'l'addition' - which was wrong when it came (they'd charged us for four meals instead of three). The (corrected) total was €55 and the two course meal had taken two hours.
It was, as you can probably guess, disappointing. I've eaten a couple of times in their other restaurant (Ricochet) and have found it excellent. Today, L'Escale mixed bad service with average food. With a huge number of restaurants a short walk/taxi/cycle ride away in a nice town, L'Escale will need to get it sorted out sooner rather than later.
I hope it works out for them, and that today was unusual but Mrs Blew has already declared that she won't be bothering to return.
Ian
Before I get to the restaurant I just want to mention a couple of other things...
1. I haven't landed at Southend for quite a few years, but everyone from ATC, to the refuellers, to the people behind the desk were very friendly and efficient. What a great facility, even if it is in the wrong place. As I got out of the aeroplane a student was just taxiing out for his first solo, always something great to see.
2. After making sure that my friend had his passport I told him that I couldn't remember the last time I saw a customs officer at Le Touquet. A few seconds after landing in Le Touquet three armed customs officers came to check my documents! Not a peep for years and then twice already this year (once in Calvi and now in Le Touquet). They were friendly and professional, but all my papers were in order. They told me that they were heading over to try the new restaurant too. Incidentally, instead of a helicopter these officers had their own C206.
To the restaurant...
We arrived at about 13.15 local time and had a quick look at the set menu (€9.90)
Inside it's now bright, modern and aviation themed
We waited for someone to talk to us, but they were very busy (The customs team had got there first!). We waited a bit longer, and then a bit longer. Another couple walked in and the chap who looked like a head waiter seated them. This left us wondering what we were doing wrong. Eventually someone spoke to us and offered us a seat outside.
We waited outside for quite a while before our drinks order was taken. Surprisingly there was no bottled water (still or sparkling) available. We then ordered with two of us going for the set menu 1 x goats cheese salad, 1 x bulots, followed by 2 x agneau parmentier (shepherds pie) and Mrs Blew going for grilled crab and then chicken from the main menu.
We then waited a very long time before our food arrived. By a long time I mean 45 minutes. A waiter came to the table with our main course, but took it away when we pointed out politely that we hadn't yet had our starters. 15 mins later the starters arrived, but they'd got the order wrong (two salads, no bulots). By now we were bored of waiting so kept the salad.
The goats cheese salad was OK but the salad bit was a handful of iceberg (it was from the cheap menu), and the crab a bit stodgy and dry. Mrs Blew would have preferred not to have bits of shell in her crab meat.
We then waited for ages again (another 45 minutes at least) before our mains arrived. Out of the three dishes, just one was right. Instead of the agneau parmentier we were given lamb kebabs. We mentioned this and they were taken away. Ten minutes later we got our parmentier, although rather than a traditional parmentier the meat looked very much like it had recently been a lamb kebab.
The shredded kebab, sorry parmentier was OK, and the chicken was average.
We decided not to wait for the coffee, but to ask for 'l'addition' - which was wrong when it came (they'd charged us for four meals instead of three). The (corrected) total was €55 and the two course meal had taken two hours.
It was, as you can probably guess, disappointing. I've eaten a couple of times in their other restaurant (Ricochet) and have found it excellent. Today, L'Escale mixed bad service with average food. With a huge number of restaurants a short walk/taxi/cycle ride away in a nice town, L'Escale will need to get it sorted out sooner rather than later.
I hope it works out for them, and that today was unusual but Mrs Blew has already declared that she won't be bothering to return.
Ian
Twitter & Instagram @iancseager