Where do you start at Taste? With a glass of rose of course! Super dry, super sharp Robert Skalli, Cotes de Provence rose to accompany me on my journey. First thing that struck me though... if you are a vegetarian, you might struggle at Taste. Most of the restaurants were serving up meat or fish and with the only veggie option dessert.  Miss SMBW got stuck in straight away at Tom's Kitchen with the Daylesford organic lamb whilst I searched the menus for something that used to swim.

First stop was Asia de Cuba for their Tunapica. Light and fresh but worthy of the 10 crown price tag? Maybe not. More eating required for comparison.

With my next dish, I decided to give Salt Yard a second chance. I'd eaten there about a year ago and had been disappointed that their calamari resembled and tasted like pork scratchings. And for a fish-a-tarian that's bad. Anyway, I opted for the courgette flower stuffed with goats cheese and drizzled with honey also at a princely 10 crowns. The goats cheese could have been tangier and the dish was under-seasoned, but a much better effort than their calamari. 

At this point I paused for Champagne: the rose from Champagne Veuve a Devaux. Tart and zingy to clear the palate.

Mr & Mrs A (and wee Miss O) tucked into the soft shell crab from Benares - the one dish I wish I had eaten.

Dish three was from Hereford Road. Previously unknown to me, I was lured by the seared sea trout, samphire and cucumber (and Mr S by the lamb sweetbread with lamb's tongue, parsley, mint and barley). You could watch your dish being cooked as Hereford Road were filming their kitchen live. The results did not disappoint and the one savoury dish that deserved its 10 crowns.

However outright winner for me was the Gower Cottage chocolate brownie with a coffee from Caffe Musetti. Both 2 crowns each. Bargain for £2.

 We all agreed that much fun was had at Taste. But...

• it's very expensive (tickets, purchase of crowns)
• the portion sizes are small
• the Thai offerings were underwhelming (given that the focus was on Thai food this year)
• the range of wines on offer was disappointing: no riesling or gerwurztraminer to be seen and Mr S's burgundy was over-oaked
• it shut at 9.30pm! And Miss SMBW and I were forced to go on to a pub in Marylebone for a large glass of red. 

My advice: if you're looking for good food, wine and music then go to The Big Chill instead. 

Or head to Wales and eat your own body weight in Gower Cottage brownies. Yum!