West 10...Going down hill?

[kopite]

I just though I would see what other people's opinions are about the wine bar and also its sister bar Trippets??

[Claret]

Went to Trippets on Saturday night and really enjoyed it. They have a good range of wines - all reasonably priced. It was busy, but not so much that we couldn't find a table. Whenever I go I think that I should try and go more often, but I think I just kind of forget about it with it being slightly off the beaten track.

[Ousetunes]

Personally, I rate the food in West 10 (in the restaurant upstairs) as the finest available in Sheffield. Granted, it has its good days and less-than-good, but overall it's 10 out of 10 food, unrivalled in our city.

 

Johnny is a great host, very knowledgeable about his wines but not a snob. You might like Cloudy Bay wine like me, might not mind paying £35 for a bottle. But Johnny is good enough to recommend other, cheaper alternatives (a New Zealand equivallent - well, almost - for £17.70 a bottle). Thus, you are introduced to other wines.

 

His Cruzcampo lager is excellent and of course, there's always Vueve Cliquot champagne. Maybe he's working hard at establishing Trippets? West 10 is a well-established place with a loyal following. Personally, and as a non-smoker, I think the smoking ban has spoiled the atmosphere of West 10. There's a cabinet showing Havana cigars; you can buy them but you can't smoke them inside!

 

Crazy.

 

I went to Trippets a few months ago and it looks promising. Superb bottle of Rioja, nice surroundings and good company. I'll be back.

 

Johnny Higginbotham knocks spots off the likes of Richard Smith.

[DippyDore]

Personally, I rate the food in West 10 (in the restaurant upstairs) as the finest available in Sheffield. Granted, it has its good days and less-than-good, but overall it's 10 out of 10 food, unrivalled in our city.

 

Johnny is a great host, very knowledgeable about his wines but not a snob. You might like Cloudy Bay wine like me, might not mind paying £35 for a bottle. But Johnny is good enough to recommend other, cheaper alternatives (a New Zealand equivallent - well, almost - for £17.70 a bottle). Thus, you are introduced to other wines.

 

His Cruzcampo lager is excellent and of course, there's always Vueve Cliquot champagne. Maybe he's working hard at establishing Trippets? West 10 is a well-established place with a loyal following. Personally, and as a non-smoker, I think the smoking ban has spoiled the atmosphere of West 10. There's a cabinet showing Havana cigars; you can buy them but you can't smoke them inside!

 

Crazy.

 

I went to Trippets a few months ago and it looks promising. Superb bottle of Rioja, nice surroundings and good company. I'll be back.

 

Johnny Higginbotham knocks spots off the likes of Richard Smith.

 

I like the atmosphere in West 10 but the night that we went the food really wasn't up to much. I mean, it wasn't even in the same league as the stuff that they turn out at Artisan. Artisan is recognised nationally in the Good Food Guide for a reason - so I think it's pushing it to suggest that West 10's fare comes anywhere near.

 

I won't judge the place on this one visit but, it's pub food there, or maybe "gastro-pub" food at best. Artisan is a proper restaurant.

[Ousetunes]

Personally I found Thyme (now Artisan - how presumptious) similar to a school canteen.

 

The food was well presented, but the place was so huge there was no intimacy and I think that's important when you're going out for top-notch food. I also thought the food to be lacking in flavour. I simply was not impressed.

 

And as for Thyme Cafe, don't even get me started on this overpriced greasy spoon eatery.

 

I believe, as I stated, that West 10 is in a different league to any Richard Smith place. To call West 10's food as 'pub food' is a ridiculous statement.

 

Artisan might be 'recognised nationally' but Mr Smith also forks out a huge sum for his own advertising (which appear to be reviews; they're not).

 

As I repeatedly say: Don't believe the Richard Smith hype.

[missymarsbar]

Got to agree with Ousetunes on this one. Jonty, the chef at West 10 is excellent - maybe he had a night off or was down at Trippets. As for Artisan, contrary to many reviews, I personally don't rate it. Been there a few times....

 

...the first time we got there at 9.25, waited around for 10 minutes until a member of staff finally greeted us and said that we couldn't have a table as it was after 9.30!

 

The second time, we had chateaubriand for 2. It was well presented, but I think it might have been standing for a while until the waiting staff brought it to our table - it wasn't the best piece of tenderloin I've had, far from it and it had the usual "hand cut fat chips" which were actually "hand cut luke warm fatty chips" and a warm oily mushroom on top. Maybe it wasn't the chefs fault, but it wasn't good to say the least, particularly when you expect better.

 

As for the place itself, I think it looks great in magazine photos - but it does feel like a canteen, particularly with the blackboard menus. As for Thyme Cafe, the whole idea of having to go to the bar and order food when the waiting staff are standing around doing nothing - I just don't understand it. They've done a good job with the garden / yard at the back, mind you.

[kopite]

any more reviews......i still think its nowhere near as good as it used to be!!!

[mrsmills]

Got to agree with Ousetunes on this one. Jonty, the chef at West 10 is excellent - maybe he had a night off or was down at Trippets. As for Artisan, contrary to many reviews, I personally don't rate it. Been there a few times....

 

...the first time we got there at 9.25, waited around for 10 minutes until a member of staff finally greeted us and said that we couldn't have a table as it was after 9.30!

 

The second time, we had chateaubriand for 2. It was well presented, but I think it might have been standing for a while until the waiting staff brought it to our table - it wasn't the best piece of tenderloin I've had, far from it and it had the usual "hand cut fat chips" which were actually "hand cut luke warm fatty chips" and a warm oily mushroom on top. Maybe it wasn't the chefs fault, but it wasn't good to say the least, particularly when you expect better.

 

Funnily enough the last time I went to Artisan, it was the same, the photos indeed make it look far more refined inside than it is, the chateaubriand was equally disappointing for the same reasons. The vegetarian food was also ludicrously priced for what was ultimately a pretty basic and unnecessarily small meal. I don't like asking the sommelier for a particular style of wine then having him try and foist something entirely different and inappropriate on the meal either. Had been to Catch several times before we went to Artisan, since that evening have not been back to either. Felt like we had really paid through the nose for a pretty average experience.

 

Really enjoy West 10 but since the smoking ban has lost something, as a non-smoker it is the only place I feel has suffered in that respect. Have not eaten there for a few months but the atmosphere remains excellent.

[DippyDore]

Personally I found Thyme (now Artisan - how presumptious) similar to a school canteen.

 

The food was well presented, but the place was so huge there was no intimacy and I think that's important when you're going out for top-notch food. I also thought the food to be lacking in flavour. I simply was not impressed.

 

And as for Thyme Cafe, don't even get me started on this overpriced greasy spoon eatery.

 

I believe, as I stated, that West 10 is in a different league to any Richard Smith place. To call West 10's food as 'pub food' is a ridiculous statement.

 

Artisan might be 'recognised nationally' but Mr Smith also forks out a huge sum for his own advertising (which appear to be reviews; they're not).

 

As I repeatedly say: Don't believe the Richard Smith hype.

 

As a result of your strong recommendation I will go back to West 10 and give their food another try. I went about 6 months ago with some friends who are regulars there and also swear by it. Even they said the food wasn't the usual standard that night so maybe we were unlucky. I remember vaguely what I had - it was some kind of boxed cheese served melted although I can't remember what came with it. Except, I remember them serving very thinly sliced carrots on the table in one of those old white enamel pie-dishes that have a navy blue edging. I'd not seen any cookware like this for years - we used to serve our dog its biccies and chappie in such a dish - that put me off I think. Obviously, it's my fault for forming an unfortunate association between our old terrier and West 10.

 

The last restaurant I went to of Smiths was their new workings at the Druid at Birchover. The Druid used to be one of my favourite places to eat. I loved the rustic eccentricity of the place, the huge blackboards full of delights from all around the world and the generally very good quality of the food. Unpretentious, welcoming to all and fairly priced. The Smiths have changed that for sure. Now, it's a little bit of Chelsea up in the Derbyshire hills. Minimalist decor and boutique food. Hearty and traditional has gone - and somehow I heard that they'd got a Michelin star for it? I wasn't impressed.

 

I agree with you also about Thyme cafe - it's neither one thing nor another.

 

And, I haven't eaten at Artisan since it got its award, although I had used it previously and thought it was ok - but surprised to see it got an award. I have been to the sister restaurant, "Catch", more recently and thought that was a very expensive chip-shop - and not on a par with Brian's of Headingly in Leeds.

 

One of the most pleasant surprises I had recently was the little Italian at the top of Banner Cross - home made Italian food, inexpensive, byo, I wish I could remember its name.

[kopite]

la luna???