Michelin man puts smile on the Face (From Oxford Mail)

The Broadface used to be a brilliant pub, possibily the best in town.

Tony Goulding, of the Campaign for Real Ale, said: “The Broad Face is a challenge, and Camra praises anybody who takes it on.

“Our ideal would be a beer pub that serves food as a back-up, but if it needs food to survive, and provided it sells real ales, we will support it.”


TRAINED IN SWITZERLAND AND GERMANY BY SOME OF EUROPE’S BEST AND FINEST CHEFS, SUCH AS: PHILLIP ROCHAT, MARKUS NAGY, MANFRED SCHWARZ, LEOPOLD ENZ AND MANY MORE. HE THEN HONED HIS SKILLS IN PARIS WITH PIERRE GAGNAIRE AT HIS EPONYMOUS RESTAURANT PIERRE GAGNAIRE ON THE RUE BALZAC, STAGES AT RESTAURANT BRAS IN LAGUIOLE WITH MICHEL BRAS AND HIS SON SEBASTIAN, HESTON BLUMENTHAL’S FAT DUCK IN BRAY, BERKSHIRE – FOLLOWED BY GORDON RAMSAY’S FLAGSHIP RESTAURANT IN CHELSEA ‘ROYAL HOSPITAL ROAD’. AFTER A FEW STATIONS AROUND GREAT BRITAIN AS SOUS AND HEAD CHEF – MICHAEL OPENED HIS OWN FIRST RESTAURANT IN 2007/08 – RESTAURANT MICHAEL RIEMENSCHNEIDER AT THE ABBEY IN PENZANCE,CORNWALL.

JUST RECENTLY MICHAEL HAS BEEN FEATURED IN THE CELEBRITY COOKBOOK, WITH PERSONALITIES SUCH AS DAVID CAMERON, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER AND MANY MORE. HIS MANY ACCOLADES INCLUDE, TO WIN 3 ROSETTES WITH THE AA RESTAURANT GUIDE, THE OLIVE MAGAZINE DESCRIBING HIM AS A STAR OF 2010 AND THE NUMBER ONE SPOT OF WHAT’S HOT IN 2010 - A CHEF DESTINED FOR THE TOP. HE IS FEATURED IN NUMEROUS PUBLICATIONS AROUND THE UK AND EUROPE AS ONE OF THE MOST DYNAMIC UP AND COMING TALENTS, WITH A VERY UNIQUE STYLE AND APPROACH TO COOKING. IN 2009 HE WAS VOTED IN THE TOP 100 RESTAURANT & CHEFS IN THE UK, PLACED 14 & 62 IN THE SAME YEAR WITH HIS THEN RESTAURANTS THE ABBEY AND MICHAEL RIEMENSCHNEIDER AT JUNIPER.

MORE RECENTLY MICHAEL IS INVOLVED IN A FEW HIGH CLASS CONSULTANCIES, WHERE HE GOT INVOLVED WITH 5 STAR HOTELS AND HIGH END RESTAURANTS TO IMPROVE STANDARDS, STAFFING AND THE GENERAL ALL AROUND RUNNING OF THE KITCHENS AND AT SOME OCCASIONS THE RUNNING OF THE WHOLE OPERATION.

Well it is going to be a waste of all that training and experience, if he is going to run an ALE pub that sells a bit of food.

This is good news for Abingdon, a reasonably sized pub selling good food has been lacking for a long time. I'm sure it will be a bid success.

lookingfromhere wrote:
This is good news for Abingdon, a reasonably sized pub selling good food has been lacking for a long time. I'm sure it will be a bid success.

What is the Nags like? The Broad will start at about £16-20 for a main. £6 for a starter.

about time abingdon had somewhere decent to eat, hope its a winner.

Hi Grunden, I think £6 for a starter is ok as are mains between £16 to £20, I've not eaten at the Nags yet, but those I know who have all say its got a bit of an identity crisis, is it a pub? a restaurant? or a music venue? trying to be all things to all people is impossible, The last thing diners spending £50 on a quiet meal out want to hear is a deafining local rock band ! oh, and no spectacular reports about the food either.

cubist wrote:
about time abingdon had somewhere decent to eat, hope its a winner.

Plenty of decent food in Abingdon already, but one more place wont hurt.

Dil Raj does good curry, The Parasol nice enough chinese, Bella Napoli good italian and Kitson's excellent 'modern'.

Have to disagree about Kitsons, my last two meals have been very average. Dil raj always a good curry, would say limmoncelo would be my preference for italian.

lookingfromhere wrote:
Hi Grunden, I think £6 for a starter is ok as are mains between £16 to £20, I've not eaten at the Nags yet, but those I know who have all say its got a bit of an identity crisis, is it a pub? a restaurant? or a music venue? trying to be all things to all people is impossible, The last thing diners spending £50 on a quiet meal out want to hear is a deafining local rock band ! oh, and no spectacular reports about the food either.

Check out his website, the food he does seems great for the prices he will charge, AND he will be in the kitchen for the first few months as well. I will make the trip from Oxford for one just to enjoy his cooking.

Sorry I forgot to add, that hopefully he will take the pretentiousness out the food of The Fat Duck (£195 tasting menu) and give us just the essence. It may just be possible to have Le Manoir quality at a fraction of the price (until he gets a star at The Broad face) Happy cooking and eating.

Anon Coward wrote:

cubist wrote:
about time abingdon had somewhere decent to eat, hope its a winner.

Plenty of decent food in Abingdon already, but one more place wont hurt.

Dil Raj does good curry, The Parasol nice enough chinese, Bella Napoli good italian and Kitson's excellent 'modern'.

Hmmmmm. Kitson's is OK if you like your creme brulee served in a large egg shell, thus transferring shards of burned egg shell to the pudding as you try to eat it out of a manky-looking egg cup.

This is nothing but fantastic news. Michael Riemenschneider is a brilliant chef and we should all be delighted that he has chosen Abingdon-upon-Thames to come to. Not only does it give the town a great eatery it will provide a boost to all aspects of the local economy particularly tourism, of course, which has a positive knock on effect to everything else.

Prefer Limoncello? Well, food ok, but when we went, they seemed to have the world's most uncomfortable chairs?! I see nobody mentioned Ask's offerings?! - (not cheap, not substantial).

Ask is slow, noisy, and just like Pizza Express. I love Limoncello; waiters with personality, an interesting menu and I find the chairs as comfortable as they need to be. But maybe that's because I have a fat a***.

I have eaten at The Broad Face, evening and for lunch and I can honestly say the food is amazing and great value. A two course meal at lunch time for £10 is a complete no brainer. I will be going back, that's for sure!!!