h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Au Crocodile (pronounced Crocodeel) is a 2-Michelin-starred restaurant in Strasbourg. It is, apparently, much favoured by Euro parliamentary types. (Oh, those expense accounts! )

We went there in the summer of last year. Unfortunately, we'd (OK, *I'd*) made an unfortunate error of having a late lunch that day - we were on a bit of a tight schedule, and I insisted on having the local Alsatian speciality for lunch. So I wasn't massively hungry when we arrived at the restaurant (although, due to some creative map-reading*, we'd had quite a stroll to work up an appetite.

The food was good. As is usual amongst the higher echelons of restaurateuring, they bring you little extras (amuse-bouches, I believe is the technical term) as well as what you've ordered. They obviously go to a lot of trouble, but I *really wish* they wouldn't trim the vegetables down to a nubbin just to make them the same size and shape. It's not big, it's not clever...

I had a main course of fillet steak, which I couldn't finish (having had a very rich starter, and various other bits and pieces in between). I think we decided to skip dessert, and certainly I left feeling a bit bloated.

It may have been the most expensive meal I've eaten, but I don't think it was the best. This is in part my own fault, but I seriously think I've had better food, that I've enjoyed more, in more convivial surroundings than this. I'm not inclined to go to another 2-star restaurant purely on the basis of that rating. If, however, I hear that the food's good (and worth it! Like Michael Deane's restaurant in Belfast) then I'm more than happy. But Michelin? Boff!! (As they say in France.)

RF

* My fault.