I know I'll never find another you

[venta]

A little over ten years ago Felix, whom I knew as an online presence, arrived in Oxford to begin a university course. The scholarship he was taking gave him a generous settling-in allowance, and he offered to take me out for dinner. Not knowing the city, he chose blind from the Yellow Pages and, since it shared my name, booked a table at The Restaurant Elizabeth.

I'd never heard of the restaurant, much less knew where it was or anything about it. It became apparent as we arrived that (a) it was an extremely upmarket establishment, and (b) we were seriously underdressed for it. Many things combined to put it instantly at the top of my list of favourite restaurants - the beautiful, quiet, oak-pannelled rooms. The classic French menu. The utterly wonderful food. The delightful, steam-punk equpiment they used to brew coffee. And, more than anything else, the way we were treated with impeccable politeness despite being two scruffy students who clearly hadn't dressed for dinner.

We went back on a subsequent occasion, when we had something to celebrate (though I forget what). The Elizabeth had an air of unchanging permanence, and an antique grandeur, but still managed to surprise. We asked the maitre d' a question about the wine list; instead of answering, he brought us the cellarer who joined our table, answered the question, and talked to us about his travels buying wine on the continent until our food arrived.

leathellin and I treated ourselves to a meal there a few years ago, and I ate there with my parents twice; the last time was about two years ago. Five meals there, in total, and I remember each one. A trip to The Elizabeth was something special, and my chosen way of marking any celebrations. Even had I had the money, I wouldn't have eaten there frequently; it was to be saved for special occasions.

About six months ago secutatrix told me that the gentleman who ran the restaurant had died, and it had been taken over. "It's still a nice restaurant," she said, "but it's not The Elizabeth" any more. From outside the place looked unchanged - still the same wrought iron letters, the unobtrusive sign. Since then I've been suffering indecision: should I accept that my favourite restaurant was gone for good ? Should I try it out under its new management, and gamble a happy discovery against disappointment ?

Yesterday, following a rather muddy walk up the towpath into town, my mother and I strolled up St Aldates. Glancing casually across the road, I noticed a changed sign. The wrought iron letters are gone, and in their place is a painted wooden board which reads "Shanghai 30s"; it is now a Chinese restaurant. It may be a wonderful Chinese restaurant (and indeed Daily Info thinks it is), but I don't think I'll ever go there.

My favourite restaurant is gone for good.

Comments

[triskellian]

Oh no! I've always meant to go there, and never quite got around to it :-(

[taimatsu]

Same here.

If either of you haven't been to the Old Parsonage, though, that's worth a visit - less eccentric than the Elizabeth sounds, but (at least when I went there) with something of a similar feel.

[triskellian]

But the name's just not as good :-(

(I do keep meaning to go there, too, but I just don't care as much about parsonages as I do about elizabeths ;-)

[uitlander]

Where exactly was it? It rings no bells, but must have been close to Christ church from what you describe.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Aye, bang opposite. It was on the first floor, and had no obvious door. To get in, you went into the strange gloomy passageway near the Alice in Wonderland shop and rang a bell.

[leathellin.livejournal.com]

I go past on a bus and noticed it had gone.
I'll have to find somewhere that makes the coffee equipment now.

[venta.livejournal.com]

I believe Felix investigated that one, and the answer was the coffee and gubbins shop in the covered market - but at a somewhat astronomical price.

[leathellin.livejournal.com]

Bodum do shinier but less cool ones which work using the same vacuum plan - Less cool coffee plan

[zotz]

Ah. A friend of mine has one of these made (I think) by someone else. Almost worth buying as a toy even if you don't like coffee.

[ringbark.livejournal.com]

Many, many years ago, a group from the family set off from Merseyside to somewhere in the Cotswolds to visit a very aged relative. On the way, we stopped for lunch at an inn in Leebotwood, The Pound. The meal there was very fine, and enjoyed by all. We went on to visit the relative, and the visit must have passed without incident.
The following October, we asked my mother where she would like to go for dinner for her birthday, and without hesitation he said The Pound.
Pointing out that this was well over 100 miles in each direction didn't seem to be a concern, so I called them to book a table.
Ian: Is that the Pound Hotel?
Reception: The Pound Inn.
We booked, we drove, we had a very fine dinner again.
But that was before I was married (1987), and quite possibly when I lived at home (to 1984). It's a long way to go to see if a restaurant is still any good. And what if it isn't? So we have never returned.

Meanwhile, we are enjoying the Advent Box. Samuel Pepys today. He seems to have said "someone turned up half drunk, so we filled him up and sent him home". It's been a multimedia extravaganza so far, assailing all the senses. Samuel Pepys, The Ramones, sparklers and chocolate coins? Marvellous stuff.

[uitlander]

On a similar note, the Bird in Hand in one of the villages near Witney was absolutely superb 10 years ago and required advanced booking. If its under the same management, most highly recommended.

[ringbark.livejournal.com]

Ah, there's the key, isn't it? IF. But what if it's not? That is the road to broken memories and disappointment...

[uitlander]

Well indeed, but as I no longer live anywhere near the place, empirical investigation is a tad tricky.

[venta.livejournal.com]

I think the secret is to send A Scout out. We live in a networked age - surely we can make the internet help us find a vague acquaintance in the right locality ? They visit the pub in question and report back.

I've never heard of Leebotwood, but Witney's not too far for me...

I must admit I'm bewildered by the number of pubs round 'ere called The Bird In Hand.

[ringbark.livejournal.com]

Rather than sending a scout out, I just did the next best thing and used Google. Remember, Google is your friend.
Unfortunately, the news looks rather bleak. For less than two weeks ago...
http://www.shropshirestar.com/show_article.php?aID=39885
Thank you for your suggestion. No further scouts required. Pity: it seems that it was in fine spirits as recently as July 2003...
http://www.shropshirestar.com/show_article.php?aID=1308
and as long ago as 1851

[mr-tom.livejournal.com]

Aww, maaaan. I had a great meal in the Elizabeth a few years ago. Real old-school dining: Roast guinea fowl, candied chestnuts. Wonderful stuff. I especially loved the oak panelling and the fact that there was a separate smoking room...

[mr-tom.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, and the coffee pots they had were by Cona. They're f#cking pricey!

[jezzidue.livejournal.com]

... see below. Thanks - I put my order in tomorrow :-)

[jezzidue.livejournal.com]

Very sad to hear she's no more :-(

I've been there once ...

I was on the verge of resigning from Telewest. Having put in a 60 hour week, working far too hard and not having had a word of acknowledgement or thanks for months ... a member of staff had just complained about me to the divisional MD - a hard nosed uncompromising Scot. As a reflex he sent an e-mail to practically every senior (and career determining) manager berating how incompetently and apallingly I had acted. The thing was no-one had spoken to me, I had done nothing wrong, the employee was just being vindictive before leaving the company. Rather than escalating the matter to the CEO, I addressed it directly to the MD - making clear to him how I felt about what he had done. I knew the two most likely outcomes were (i) He persisted with his unreasonable behaviour and I resigned, taking the company to tribunal for constructive dismissal or (ii) He apologised ... tricky, as the damage had already been done - there was no way he would apologise in such a way as to back down before all the people he had cc'd to the original e-mail. He opted for option (ii); a mealy apology, motivated by fear of litigation.

My boss then phoned me immediately after (it had been perfectly choreographed) - apologised for the mistake and said I could have a meal out on the Company.

... so that Friday evening I pitched up at Oxford, bumped into Quantambo and Metame at the Shadow Gallery and asked if they'd eaten. We went to the Elizabeth - had champagne cocktails, every course available, coffee (and I too remember the steam punk contraption ... still looking for one!), the most expensive brandy and charged the meal to the Company ... £280 - a cheaper settlement no company could have hoped to negotiate. The meal was fantastic :-)

[metame.livejournal.com]

It surely was...

[verlaine.livejournal.com]

That's so sad. Can't you make it your life's work to recreate it, or something?

[(Anonymous)]

With the intention of buying you a coffee-thing if I ever saw one, I did, in the Hayloft at Barnard Castle. Secondhand and dusty as hell - and £80!! As someone else has already remarked, dibbling dear.

Commiserations

[marjory.livejournal.com]

I never actually made it to 'The Elizabeth', although it was the bye-word for poshness. Maybe that should be because it was such a bye-word... My favourite restaurant in Oxford was, instead, 'Le Petit Parisien' on George Street which was the first place where I ever had snails, did a mean tagine, good petit fours and the service and atmosphere was also... Put it this way, one day it closed down and turned into a Belgian moules et frites bar which we absolutely and resolutely refused to enter because it was so annoying and undesired in comparison to...

Our favourite place in Göttingen also closed down this year. We are evidently a pair of jinxes...

I have to see a steampunk coffee pot. Does it run perpetually via a system of uranium-powered steam and a series of ingenious cogs and levers which leave your man's hands free to introduce the freshly ground beans?