The Devonshire Cat, West Street, Sheffield (South Yorkshire)

A fair caesar salad presented in a bowl and served with lashings of nice warm ciabatta. Good quality mixed leaves (alas no Romaine) and tomatoes (? don't ask, don't ask) with a fair portion of tender (though slightly bland) chicken (I suppose this was instead of the missing anchovies, so difficult to come across in the middle of a large city), good attempt at croutons and some warm Parmesan shavings. Innofensive Caesar salad dressing. Good value at £6.95 - took me most of my lunch hour to eat. Pleasant way to tickle the tastebuds

Some english motorway services 100 miles from Portsmouth

just before you enter the cross country section of the trip from Portsmouth to the north. (The dressage was up to Oxford on the A34).

It was late I admit (after midnight) but all we wanted was cup of coffee and a tea. Finding the coffee and a cup of tea was easy. Actually buying it was difficult. No cash so we proffered a card.

"This machine's been buggerin' about all day... might not work at all..."

"What would happen then - I haven't any money..."

"I'd just send you to the cash point me duck - 'ang about it's working well bugger me..."

£5-87 for a tea a coffee and a bottle of fruits of the forest flavour iced tea (for the road). We sat in the restaurant surrounded by tables full of either very late or very early breakfasts with brown sauce and fried egg competing for leftover of the year. The two tea ladies sat in the non smoking section of the restaurant and smoked. NB The use of the word restaurant in no way implies that real food was available. (or real service), ((or real value)), (((or real life))).

Pres de Coulon, venise verte

After a laidback 2 hours punting through the marais what better than a light lunch in the local restaurant. The trip through the canals was very relaxing. We saw cows, herons, musk rats and several other animals which I couldn't translate from the guides relaxed french. Apparently every plant in the marais has a beneficial purpose even the sativa.

Restaurant was very good. After the waiter had been speaking for a moment or two we asked the question
"Do you speak English?"
"Just a bit" was the response but delivered in a slow mancunian drawl which meant actually mate quite a lot.

Food was top notch. Tarte aux tomates et chevre chaud; Jambon avec special beans from the region rather like cassoulet but drier in taste and texture. Chicken bordelaise with roast legumes. Free quarter pichet of wine. 10 euros. Very leisurely and very good. Sun hot. Some kind of hat was in order.

Cafe Port, La Rochelle

Tapas

Never really done them but now I have. Strangely the area around the vieux port had many nationalities of restaurants and to be honest we were looking for a quick moules frites but managed to sit down in this place. Al fresco dining next to the yachts and the menu was basically tapas. Waiter (all in black with a pigtail) recommended 2 trays of 6 tapas each and we took his advice. Two silver rectangular rays with six terracotta circular flat ramekins arrived. There was octopus, potato salad, anchovies, sweet spicy peppers, dolmades, artichokes, chorizo, cheese cubes wrapped in bacon, rollmops, mussels, more potato salad. All dripping with dressing or oil. Two bottles of tabasco on each tray ("the red one's hot, the green one's not"). Bread and beer completed the meal. Utterly gorgeous. Fed 4 people for £20 all in including a few beers. Brilliant