Henrock
Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria
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* Mark McCabe, formerly at The Ethicurean near Bristol (now closed) has taken over as head chef. He replaces Cillian Hennessy, who has been appointed Aulis development chef. Watch for a new review coming soon.*
Once up the sweeping driveway of Linthwaite House and through the 14 acres of gardens onto the hotel’s terrace, you'll be treated to one of the finest views of Windermere, with the namesake ‘hen rock’ poking out of the lake below. Henrock (the restaurant) is at the viewless rear of the hotel, which focuses attention firmly on the plate, though – as in the rest of the impressive property – there is also art to admire from the owners’ private collection. Henrock is a Simon Rogan restaurant with a pronounced Asian accent (the chef is a big deal in Hong Kong) and each dish bears the imprimatur of Rogan’s precise presentation. Meals kick off with the ‘hen on a rock’ canapé (mushroom and egg in a scooped-out shell atop a piece of slate) ahead of starters such as lacquered smoked eel with XO custard – eastern flavours filtered through modern British fine dining. A main course of Peking duck with a date and gochujang croquette, meanwhile, involves pink-cooked, crisp-skinned roast breast and autumnal, sweet-and-sour accompaniments. Many of the ingredients have travelled no further than the extensive Our Farm in Cartmel, 13 miles away, and vegetarian dishes such as fermented and grilled cabbage with truffled tofu, teriyaki sauce and wasabi emulsion are as diverting as the meat and fish options. Desserts (pistachio cake with blackberry and buttermilk; steamed banana sponge with rum ice cream) suggest that afternoon tea here would be excellent (and it comes with a lake view from the conservatory). The wine list casts its net wide, from Sussex to Slovenia, and an excellent by-the-glass selection (from £6) helps to make amends for the rather lofty bottle prices. If there’s a drawback, there’s no getting away from the feeling that one is eating in a hotel dining room, and that this is a Rogan satellite rather than the L’Enclume mothership. But if you can’t get into L’Enclume or a Lakeland visit doesn’t allow time or transportation for Cartmel, Henrock provides a taste of Rogan destined to inspire further exploration.
