Gourmet Burger Kitchen York

It would be easy to knock this joint by saying I dislike franchise chains (which I do) and that the best burgers are made at home (which in our home that’s true), but Gourmet Burger Kitchen isn’t that bad, in fact, it’s really okay! I first visited the chain in Windsor, when we took the children to Lego Land. It’s head and shoulders above anything you’ll find at McDonald’s, and I’m sure I do a huge injustice by mentioning them in the same sentence! We visited the York, Gourmet Burger Kitchen on a wet day in August 2009 with all three children. It proved to be a wise choice. The burgers are very good. I choose the Blue Stilton, my wife the Mexican with the salsa thing!. My daughter had the Chilli, and both boys had the chicken (which was very, very good). I thought the price including chips (that were big, fat and hot!) plus 5 soft drinks was reasonable’ish at £48.00. The staff who all look like university students with PhD’s did a friendly professional job, I hope they earn enough to make it worthwhile. Summary: If you like burgers, you’ll like Gourmet Burger Kitchen. It’s not for everyone, but on both days we visited with young small children, it did the job with five stars. FOOD 7 SERVICE 7 VALUE 7 REFER 8 TOTAL: 29 GOOD

Green's Restaurant & Bistro- Whitby, North Yorkshire

Popular restaurant in the centre of Whitby.

We visited in August 2009, and although the restaurant had changed somewhat since our previous visit (not as snug), the food is still way beyond anything you'll find in town. We have four categories 1. Superb, 2. Good, 3. Bad & 4. Ugly. Green's are definitely in the 'Superb'. They have a great selection of specials and regular dishes, all produced with good local ingredients, they even list the name of boats that bring in the fish! I had a starter of Salted Squid with Lime and Chili Mayo £8.50 followed by Belly Pork with Apple, Black Pudding and Cider Mash at £15.95. My wife enjoyed a starter of Muscles in wine and Garlic £8.50 followed by a stunning seafood Ragu £16.95, all washed down with a bottle of White Voniger £20.00.

The service is very good which all adds to the pleasure. We visited on a busy night in August where every table was booked, but I know that it's busy most evenings even out of season, so it's a good idea to book first. Marks out of 10?

FOOD 9 SERVICE 8 VALUE 8 REFER 10 TOTAL: 35 SUPERB