Restaurants

Having seen some of the restaurants that Gordon Ramsay in his TV show does his best to improve I wonder how many "out there" are in the sort of state Ramsay found some of them in; and these are not supposed to be the very worst of the bunch - they serve so-called quality food and wish to attract high earners.
Some of the kitchens are so disgusting that one wonders what most second rate places are like.
Quite frankly the sight of some of these places has put me right off going out to eat.
But last week I went to Shampers in Cardiff because I was meeting an old friend from London. It has a good reputation; I have been there many times before and always found the food good. This time however I was disappointed. The wild mushroom soup was excellent but the dish to follow was not at all a pleasure to eat or look at: a leg of duck placed on a mound of mashed potatoes with some gravy poured over it. Hardly any meat on the duck and enough potatoe to feed a platoon.
But the food is cooked where you can see it being cooked and the place is clean and tidy and welcoming so I'll probably return some time hoping things have got better.
For other Cardiff restaurants I'm afraid I will ask to see the kitchen before I chance it. Which means I won't be going anywhere else.