14th February 2012
Put a ring on it...
Are any of you ladies out there thinking of popping the question on 29th February? They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so why not book a table for two and let some fantastic food work its magic? As for where to go, advice from The Good Food Guide is to think like a man, and we’ve got some great recommendations on the perfect places for girls to get down on one knee.
What man doesn’t love fish and chips with lashings of vinegar? Head to the big daddy of fish and chip shops – Whitby’s Magpie Café – and fill up on the day's fresh catch before wandering along the pier to pop the question in style. Or head west to Rick Stein's Seafood Bar in Falmouth, which offers 'seafood tapas from a master', and is handily located above Stein's bustling fish and chip shop on the waterfront.
Another firm favourite with men has got to be curry. Lasan in Birmingham will guarantee you a seriously classy curry, and as Rochelle Venables comments, ‘Lasan’s chic, contemporary and fresh dishes push the boundaries in a way that is bound to get him to say yes’. Or try Indian restaurant Amaya in Knightsbridge for 'gustatory thrills' – combine the 'sleek, slinky' atmosphere with a plate of Amaya's flash grilled rock oysters with coconut and ginger, and he's as good as yours.
If there’s one place most men are going to feel at ease, it's the pub – so if you can’t beat them join them, but make it a good one – whisk him off to The Freemasons Country Inn at Wiswell, Lancashire for a pub-based gastronomic proposal. Try their seductive dessert of Yorkshire Rhubarb and Custard soufflé with Vanilla Macaroon, pictured right (perhaps don't hide the ring in it, though...). Alternatively, this is the perfect opportunity to try out The Good Food Guide's Pub of the Year, the Duke of Cumberland Arms in West Sussex, a 'breathtaking pub with hearty Brit food'. We recommend an evening visit, when Simon Goodman's cooking has 'a more cosmopolitan edge and an acute seasonal feel'.
And men, count yourself lucky a law no longer exists (as supposedly it once did in Scotland), that forbids a man to refuse a proposal on this day, and fines any that do..!