It was a private party for my 70th birthday: 20 people aged between 27 and 90.
Most of the menu was available to us. The soup of the day was cream of mushroom. It was thick, warming and tasty. This was followed by the warm bacon, avocado and crouton salad. The white wine dressing was nicely tart and the bacon bits exactly the right size. The veggie had her portion minus the bacon and croutons ! All but three people chose the rack of lamb (obtained from the local butcher who buys from local farms). The rack of lamb is the signature dish of the restaurant. Most people ended up gnawing at the bones, the equivalent of three chops, it was quite enough, but it would have been a dreadful waste to leave any of it. Although the lamb was nearly rare, the piece of crackling-crisp crusty skin served with it was done to a turn. The vegetables were served al-dente.
Desserts: as it was my birthday I had two ! The lemon posset with blackcurrant sauce, and treacle tart with with ice cream, which tasted like proper Italian ice cream from my youth. I was not disappointed, nor were those who chose any of the others on the menu.
By the time the coffee appeared, we were, in the immortal words of Gerard Hoffnung, 'well fed up and agreeably drunk.'
How good was the service ? One of our friends went out of the restaurant and bought a bouquet of flowers for the restaurateurs!