Best restaurants in Lancashire Published 30 November 2023
Home to World Class-rated Moor Hall and Best Local Restaurant award winner The Parkers Arms, Lancashire is brimming with restaurants worth travelling for. With a larder of exceptional local produce, warm hospitality and great cooking, Lancashire's best places to eat also enjoy a backdrop of some of Britain's most beautiful rural spots. Here are our picks.
The name means something like 'At the sign of the pomegranate'. A few blocks from the South Promenade and the thrills and spills of Blackpool's Pleasure Beach, this neighbourhood Indian restaurant is everybody's idea of an invalua… Read more
The name means something like 'At the sign of the pomegranate'. A few blocks from the South Promenade and the thrills and spills of Blackpool's Pleasure Beach, this neighbourhood Indian restaurant is everybody's idea of an invaluable local resource. Behind a leafy-green frontage, the place exudes a family feeling, with cooking that is steeped in the Subcontinent's ancestral traditions and executed with impressive flair. Sharing platters encourage a sense of togetherness, but otherwise the menu works in the expected way, with extras of naan breads and parathas alongside main dishes such as punchy sarson (mustard) prawns in coconut milk and poppy seeds, creamy khichri with salmon, or perhaps the special chicken thighs in a ('secret') spicy mix underpinned by garlic, ginger and onion, singing with the flavour and sizzle of fresh green chilli. You might preface these treats with crisp-coated paneer pakora, or the unmissable lehsuni houmous – textured with garlic oil and the pop of pomegranate seeds, served with tandoori roti. Desserts herald some of India's aromatic classics including bowls of kheer – soft rice pudding flavoured with cardamom, rosewater, cashews and pistachios. Fruity cocktails, meanwhile, offer a true taste of Blackpool. Varietal wines from a makeshift list start at £17.
While Lancashire has long since ensconced itself on the northern culinary map, its administrative centre (a full-fledged city for over 20 years, after all) has awaited its moment in the spotlight. Step forward Aven, which opened i… Read more
While Lancashire has long since ensconced itself on the northern culinary map, its administrative centre (a full-fledged city for over 20 years, after all) has awaited its moment in the spotlight. Step forward Aven, which opened in an odd backstreet site in the vicinity of its near-namesake Avenham Park in October 2023.
Under the eagle executive eye of Lancashire-born chef-director Oli Martin (ex-Northcote et al), this city-centre venue is a tiny room (seven tables) done out in impeccable decorative style, with dark olive panelling offsetting brilliant white door frames, glass panels partitioning the space, and menus presented in little envelopes bearing the name of the booking.
Set four-course menus are the mainstay, with an evening taster adding another two courses, as well as a vegetarian alternative. An opening soup of fermented mushrooms is piled with diced Jersey Royals, maitake, peas, braised radishes and bites of smoked eel, under ruffles of tasty chicken skin. To follow, a commendably imaginative fish course offers a sliver of opalescent monkfish in brown butter, topped with soft baby leek and pickled magnolia petal.
The star dish at our meal was a piece of splendid chicken breast with braised and puréed turnips, wild garlic pesto and a strong chicken jus – an object-lesson in the savoury arts. The bemusing presentation of dessert saw its elements marooned in a little cluster at one edge of a huge platter, as though awaiting rescue: fine honeycomb, apple-peel tuile, cultured cream, surprisingly delicate pine parfait. That said, there is enough creative energy here to make Aven one to watch. Slick professional service adds to the gloss, while a modestly proportioned wine list is big on pairings, opening with recommendations by the small glass from £8.
* Chef-patron Steven Smith has left. The kitchen is now overseen by head chef Matt Smith, although not much is expected to change as regards the menus.*
There are no signs to guide you to the narrow ginnel (alley to southerners) … Read more
* Chef-patron Steven Smith has left. The kitchen is now overseen by head chef Matt Smith, although not much is expected to change as regards the menus.*
There are no signs to guide you to the narrow ginnel (alley to southerners) in this pretty village, where you finally spot the Freemasons sign with a sigh of relief and an appetite sharpened by the fresh air of the quietly affluent, green hills of the Ribble Valley. Once through the door, the welcome is warm and the young local staff are enthusiastic and endearing. The interior of the pub is equally self-effacing: the tone is smart but comfortable, conventional and restful with old beams, huntin' and shootin' prints, wooden tables, flagstone floors and open fireplaces. All eyes are directed towards the output of a kitchen that describes itself as 'seasonal, progressive, passionate and humble'. It is certainly ambitious, with lots of contemporary tropes, notoceable energy and sophisticated skills. The flavour-driven cooking can be brilliant, with provenance and seasonality evident in both the short carte and tasting menus: Nidderdale lamb, Victoria plums, English burrata and Proctor’s Kick Ass Cheddar (sic) all put in an appearance. There are also playful nods to regional tradition – note an excellent crispy fish finger with samphire, ponzu and elderflower butter sauce, or a slow-cooked steamed suet pudding of Nidderdale lamb. Elsewhere, roast grouse with sticky leg, offal kebab, BBQ sweetcorn, pickled shimeji mushrooms and Cumberland sauce weaves all those elements together to create a rich, treacly dish that transcends its radical monotone appearance. While the kitchen aims high, some feel that execution strains on tiptoe to match it and occasionally totters: Herdwick lamb loin chops, for example, pronounced ‘exquisite’ and paired with a courgette flower intriguingly stuffed with softly spiced kofta, was sadly vanquished by the dominating note of balsamic in the accompanying green olive and basil sauce. Still, there's good news when it comes to dessert: a deconstructed lemon meringue pie with Scottish raspberries and pistachio ice cream was full of flavour, especially the eye-catching, frilly pistachio sponge you could have sworn were clumps of emerald parsley, while an unusual interpretation of French toast with Victoria plum, ginger biscuit and stem-ginger ice cream didn't hold back on the flavour front either. Cask ales are locally sourced, and the excellent wine list has plenty of choice by the glass such as a 2021 Pino Grigio, lush and rich with fruity tones for £5.50.
Its roots may stretch back to the time when Henry VIII was reinventing the English Church, but Grade II-listed Moor Hall is now at the pinnacle of present-day hospitality, thanks to a stunning renovation. Here you will find a ligh… Read more
Its roots may stretch back to the time when Henry VIII was reinventing the English Church, but Grade II-listed Moor Hall is now at the pinnacle of present-day hospitality, thanks to a stunning renovation. Here you will find a light, contemporary dining room (all clean lines, glass walls and thoughtfully considered detailing), plus glorious guest rooms, and a meticulously maintained kitchen garden that's always worth the tour – unless the weather is particularly grim. Indeed, that tour forms part of what we can for once call 'the journey', in that it is a staging-post on a canapé trail that starts in the lounge and ends in the kitchen, amid a whirl of activity from one of the most talented brigades in the land led by Mark Birchall. ‘His passion and drive are there for all to see,’ notes an admirer, and his startling culinary conceptions are brimming with imaginative panache. Expect a succession of multiple small courses that rarely miss a beat, while surprising and captivating even those already familiar with the style. A dinner that opens with a melt-on-the-tongue ‘flying saucer’ of puffed black pudding filled with gooseberry purée means business. By the time you arrive at your destination table, an oyster with white beetroot, dill and buttermilk might well turn up to greet you. Reporters often say it is nigh-on impossible to pick out highlights from the seasonally changing repertoire, but let's mention the richest, silkiest and most decadent mouthful of cod roe, chicken and chervil with a hint of salty/briny caviar, accompanied by beautiful-looking biscuits pressed with flowers from the garden. For some readers, fish is the undoubted highlight: a supremely delicate Mull scallop is brought to earth with asparagus and the merest suggestion of truffle, while a booming, deeply flavoured mussel and roe sauce shines the spotlight on a pairing of turbot and salsify – simplicity and richness taken to a world-beating new level. Superlative meat dishes have ranged from Spoutbank Angus beef (aged for 60 days) with BBQ celeriac, mustard and shallot to a startling plate of sika venison from Dorset with kale, beetroot, elderberry and some of the liver, dressed in whey and truffled honey. Desserts are often voguishly fragrant (woodruff, birch sap and marigold lending their scents to an apple and gooseberry assembly), while the ice cream suffused with Ormskirk gingerbread (a fine old Lancastrian speciality) is an essay in how to be luscious and spiky at the same time. As one reader observed: ‘Every taste and detail in every course is perfection.’ Some have felt that the wine flights are not quite as imaginative as they might be, and wine service could sometimes be more engaging (an odd tendency when there is such an authoritative and extensive core list to choose from), although everything will be right with the world once the fabulous array of petits fours arrives to give you a send-off back in the lounge.
* Simon Ulph (formerly senior sous-chef at the Gilpin Hotel in Cumbria) has replaced Liam Rogers as head chef. Watch for a new review coming soon.*
With Lancashire at its most majestic unrolling all around it, where the sweeping … Read more
* Simon Ulph (formerly senior sous-chef at the Gilpin Hotel in Cumbria) has replaced Liam Rogers as head chef. Watch for a new review coming soon.*
With Lancashire at its most majestic unrolling all around it, where the sweeping Ribble Valley edges into the Forest of Bowland, Northcote is a pastoralist's dream. It's the kind of place that's full of unexpected little corners and terraces, but even if you are only stopping in for lunch or dinner, it exercises a powerful allure. Staff are impeccably professional, and the engine-room of the whole operation is a dynamic kitchen, where Lisa Goodwin-Allen, now executive chef for the Stafford group, has been joined by head chef Liam Rogers (ex-Restaurant Andrew Fairlie and Restaurant Sat Bains). The Northcote style has always been about the celebration of fine Lancashire produce with its roots in regional tradition, but with a potent element of culinary invention lifting it into the realms of the special. The seasonally changing ‘gourmet menu’ offers a comprehensive demonstration: in springtime, it might begin with a serving of chargrilled Yorkshire asparagus complemented by sheep’s curd and sorrel, before moving on to roast quail with sweet turnip, apple, Lancaster bacon and tarragon. The counter-intuitive nature of dishes can be stunning, but there is also a willingness to relax into more familiar territory to great effect – witness ‘aged dairy cow’ with beef-fat ‘hash brown’, young leeks and wild garlic. Fish might mean Orkney scallop with fermented grapes or tempura turbot tail with warm tartare sauce and dill, before dessert heralds the like of Amalfi lemon and honey meringue with yoghurt and the savoury waft of thyme. Also, don’t discount the house cheeseboard (courtesy of the Courtyard Dairy in Austwick). With a chef's table and cookery school as part of the Northcote package, the options seem almost limitless. An imaginative glass selection opens the bidding on a magnificent wine list. Prices are pretty steep, but probably suit the context.
Village venue that puts the social into socialising
Equally popular with locals and urban day trippers out for a ‘run in the country’, this substantial red-brick pub is a model of comfortable low-key sophistication, decorated in warm colours with contemporary ceram… Read more
Equally popular with locals and urban day trippers out for a ‘run in the country’, this substantial red-brick pub is a model of comfortable low-key sophistication, decorated in warm colours with contemporary ceramic plates, leather seating and sepia pictures of old Croston. With the term ‘Social’ in the name, socialising has to be the order of the day, so expect anything from pizza-van parties to weekend breakfasts and alfresco lunches; the place is also home to the Croston jazz club. ‘A real local gem that we’re so lucky to have in our village,’ declared one fan.
Grass-fed British beef and other meats come from Farrell’s, an artisan local butcher, while fish is sustainably sourced from Cornwall thanks to the owners' West Country connections: our grilled megrim sole was a sparklingly fresh treat, served on the bone just 12 hours after being landed in Newlyn. It arrived on the plate in company with some buttered sea greens and herbs, tartare sauce and hefty triple-cooked chips.
To start, pressed ham hock was richly savoury and carefully crafted, although the extra ‘bits’ such as burnt apple pickles, puffed potatoes, Burford cheese and pickled walnut ketchup were largely unnecessary (there's a tendency to gild the lily in the kitchen). For dessert, the house favourite is ‘Nana’s trifle’ with raspberries, strawberry jelly, crème Chantilly, charcoal and pink-peppercorn meringue.
Alongside the carte, there are small plates and ‘grazing’ options including Cornish oysters, ham-hock croquettes and deli boards. Cooked breakfasts deliver the full works, while Sunday roasts are consistently praised. Beer drinkers have a rotating choice of ales, the wine list offers plenty of choice, and there's even a gin club for aficionados.
The Trough of Bowland is rugged terrain, stretching expansively under skies that often look a hair's breadth off overcast, a setting in which Stosie Madi's country pub with its hanging baskets and outdoor tables could almost be mi… Read more
The Trough of Bowland is rugged terrain, stretching expansively under skies that often look a hair's breadth off overcast, a setting in which Stosie Madi's country pub with its hanging baskets and outdoor tables could almost be mistaken for a gleaming white mirage. Thankfully, it's real enough, a homely, hospitable place where the culinary net is flung wide, against a solid backdrop of sterling Lancashire produce – Bowland outdoor-reared pork, Meanley Estate venison, local pheasant, Morecambe Bay sea bass, and the county's incomparable cheese. Pies may be thought an obvious pub stalwart, but what heights they achieve here, the pastrywork alone worth the journey, the fillings richly compelling – as witness a venison, mushroom and bacon stunner in a perfectly glazed pork-fat pastry case. They take their place in a standard three-course menu format (with excellent appetisers), following perhaps spätzle with roasted pumpkin cream and sage butter or citrus-cured Glenarm salmon with creamed horseradish and blood-orange sauce. Mains come with their incidentals on the side (silky mash, buttery greens), matching the likes of porchetta sauced with cider or 60-day Bowland beef fillet with wild mushrooms. Basque cheesecake has become a firm British favourite, and is rendered expertly here – or there might be apple and sultana puff with vanilla custard. Ales from the local Bowland Brewery are a heartening feature, and there's a modest wine list too.
Brilliant local asset and serious gastronomic destination
Tim Allen moved some 250 miles from his former post at the Flitch of Bacon in Essex to set up Solo, his first independent venture. The erstwhile roadside pub is warmly welcoming and comfortable, tables are well spaced, chairs padd… Read more
Tim Allen moved some 250 miles from his former post at the Flitch of Bacon in Essex to set up Solo, his first independent venture. The erstwhile roadside pub is warmly welcoming and comfortable, tables are well spaced, chairs padded and two blazing fires were 'much appreciated' on a wet autumn evening when we visited. Service is relaxed (as is the atmosphere), but it's clear that this is a serious operation. It's a brilliant local asset, too – the no-choice set lunch is excellent value for the quality on offer.
The chef's cooking has confidence, his ideas speak of maturity, and you get the impression that he spends every spare moment trying out new ideas – his six-course evening taster (including vegetarian and pescatarian versions) changes regularly with the emphasis firmly on local and regional ingredients. You might begin with perfectly al dente agnolotti filled with spinach and dressed with a Parmesan foam, sweetcorn, a lightly poached quail’s egg and a rich brown chicken jus, then proceed to Cornish brill with diced salt-baked celeriac, ceps and smoked eel in a lovage-infused sauce.
Cauliflower, heady with Madras spices and the sweet-sour flavours of lentil dhal with lime buttermilk, has the making of a signature dish, while tender Aynhoe Park venison loin, paired with beetroot and red verjus, was evidence of the use of top-quality produce. A riff on raspberries teamed with caramelised white chocolate and verbena could be one of a pair of desserts.
On Sundays, Allen cleverly weaves a traditional roast in a mini four-course taster that is refined enough to wow but served with 'zero pretentiousness'. There is plenty of decent drinking by the glass on a short, global wine list that includes some skin-contact, organic and biodynamic bottles.
Seasonal sophistication in an informal but smart setting.
From the lowlands of west Lancashire, it’s a pleasure to drive into the immaculate grounds of Mark Birchall's Moor Hall. The Barn itself is a first-floor restaurant that runs the length of a beautifully restored ou… Read more
From the lowlands of west Lancashire, it’s a pleasure to drive into the immaculate grounds of Mark Birchall's Moor Hall. The Barn itself is a first-floor restaurant that runs the length of a beautifully restored outbuilding, with an open kitchen occupying the far end. Wooden beams criss-cross the airy pointed roof and the red-brick walls exude a warmth enhanced by the friendly but properly courteous welcome.The short seasonal menu is (thankfully) constructed in traditional three-course fashion; prime ingredients are supplemented by Moor Hall’s own produce – including their excellent in-house charcuterie (perfect with a delightful non-alcoholic libation). There are intriguing elements such as smoked marrow and sea buckthorn sauces, but dishes sound comfortably contemporary rather than riskily experimental, and they are well-served by a suitably sophisticated wine list with a broad global spread. Even on a mid-winter visit, the cooking felt fresh and light. A fragile Pablo beetroot tartlet presented like a bishop’s mitre held spiced pieces of the vegetable, a luscious slice of smoked duck ham, blackberries and red radicchio leaves. Equally elegant and restrained in appearance was lightly seared, cured Cornish mackerel draped with translucent ribbons of earthy-sweet salt-baked white beetroot, buttermilk and dill. An impeccable dish of Saint-Sever guinea hen yielded tender white breast moistened with jus alongside a nugget of stronger-tasting leg meat encased in crispy skin as well as a piece of rolled leek stuffed with offal forcemeat – the whole thing pulled together with a bowl of super-creamy, fluffy potato purée. However, Belted Galloway short rib glazed with black garlic, shallot, charred baby gem and smoked marrow sauce was less successful and lacked the coherence notable in other dishes.The kitchen’s patisserie skills are showcased in desserts such as apple millefeuille with buttermilk custard and cider caramel served with vivid apple and vanilla sorbets – although the unexpected star turn was a squash custard tart with clementine and crème fraîche sorbets. The perfect custard, with deep, intense toffee notes, was finished off with the smoky, mineral notes of drizzled birch sap. Petits fours included gorgeous fudge coated in fiery Ormskirk gingerbread crumbs (they should sell this delicacy in boxes to take home).
It may only be a few miles from the brash lights of Blackpool but this remodelled 17th-century coaching inn beside the tidal river Wyre is light years away in style and atmosphere. There are tranquil views of the Fylde plain acros… Read more
It may only be a few miles from the brash lights of Blackpool but this remodelled 17th-century coaching inn beside the tidal river Wyre is light years away in style and atmosphere. There are tranquil views of the Fylde plain across to the Bowland Fells, and restaurant tables overlooking the river are always at a premium – although there is much more to engage both eye and palate here.
To the rear, a small garden-courtyard, edged by a deli, gallery and jewellery shop, is festooned with painted bird houses, trees strung with coloured streamers and sequinned bunting. Inside, the decor is not so much quirky as idiosyncratic, with an eclectic collection of art and craftwork brightening up the bar and dining areas. It might not be to everyone’s taste but it’s fun and engaging.
On the whole, the food matches the setting, with a good selection of seasonal dishes served at wooden tables decorated with whimsical hand-blown glass mushrooms. The menu has serious French aspirations, and there's an emphasis on big, bold meat and game specialities such as local wood pigeon saltimbocca, braised pig's cheek tacos and grilled, stuffed lamb’s heart. Prissy it ain’t. The Gallic blow-out entitled 'premeditated gluttony’ needs to be ordered 48 hours in advance and features a ‘grands fruits de mer’ platter that has been described as ‘the best we have had anywhere in Britain or France.’
Concepts are contemporary but avoid falling down too many ‘creative’ rabbit holes – although on our latest visit it was the small things that let the side down (salty and oily potted hot-smoked trout, for example). Our daily fish special, however, was memorable: line-caught wild sea bass from Morecambe Bay, served with vegetables from the garden and a delicate lemony sauce. For afters, the choice might include banana parfait choc ice with hazelnut praline and goat's milk caramel or a ‘croissant’ bread and butter pudding embellished with roasted peach, while the enterprising wine list is noted for its global spread, fair mark-ups and by-the-glass selection.
As befits a constituent part of the Duchy of Lancaster Estate, this grand old inn is a suitably substantial prospect. It has also been refreshing weary travellers since the 18th century, so you are in experienced hands. These days… Read more
As befits a constituent part of the Duchy of Lancaster Estate, this grand old inn is a suitably substantial prospect. It has also been refreshing weary travellers since the 18th century, so you are in experienced hands. These days, a sensitive touch with modernisation has produced a dining room that looks over the kitchen garden and the meandering river Hodder. Jamie Cadman is comfortably into his third decade at the stoves, overseeing menus of modern pub food that deliver plenty of flavour, with generous helpings of Lancastrian ingredients underpinning the repertoire – from moorland game and beef reared on nearby Burholme Farm to smoked salmon cured over oak and alder chippings by Giles, the local fishmonger. To start, black pudding is a regular contender, perhaps added to a ham hock terrine or served as a warm salad with smoked bacon, chorizo and salsa verde. As a main course, the Whitewell fish pie is a majestic assemblage of poached haddock and prawns, flashed under the grill to bubble up its Cheddar topping, while slow-roast local lamb might turn up in Gallic garb alongside roast garlic mash, braised lentils, fine beans and pancetta. The day's desserts tend to be old dependables along the lines of treacle tart, sticky toffee pudding and millonaire's shortbread. Imbibers will be pleased to learn that the inn is also renowned for its ambitious wine list, which is arranged by style and accompanied by genuinely helpful tasting notes; the by-the-glass selection is rounded out with a small spread of French poshos from the Coravin.
Country pub and restaurant that's upgraded its neighbourhood
In the relatively short time since the Rum Fox opened, its owners have 'immersed themselves in village life' and the place has become a much-appreciated local asset. Nestled in the lovely village of Grindleton in the Ribble Valley… Read more
In the relatively short time since the Rum Fox opened, its owners have 'immersed themselves in village life' and the place has become a much-appreciated local asset. Nestled in the lovely village of Grindleton in the Ribble Valley, against a backdrop of rolling Lancashire hills, this splendid double-fronted pub has been stylishly renovated and is now in fine fettle. You can eat in the traditional beamed bar area (presided over by the antique, red-coated M Reynard himself) or in a spacious, light-filled open-plan contemporary room with its flagged floors, solid ceramic tables, contemporary stoneware and open kitchen. Service from a band of genuinely lovely staff is confident and enthusiastic.
A good-value set menu culls dishes from the carte, perhaps taking them down a notch or so in terms of refinement – although you never feel short-changed. Our summer menu included a glossy pea, lettuce and mint soup served with one of the kitchen's now-legendary stuffed potato skins, followed by cod loin with salt-and-pepper Jersey Royals and chilli crab sauce (quality fish but over-spiced for our taste). For afters, never mind the weather, it has to be exemplary sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream.
The kitchen's seasonal endeavours have a kind of muscular style and ambition, although it's all very controlled and the chef knows his market – hence popular pies and suet puddings such as chicken and chorizo or ox cheek, onion and mushroom, not forgetting apple and rhubarb crumble to finish. There might also be a riff on venison – perhaps haunch, shoulder and cottage pie with artichoke, wild garlic and rowanberry sauce. Wines and beers do their job admirably.
Farm-to-fork flavour from the king of Lancastrian cuisine
About three miles outside Clitheroe, Mitton is hewn in two by the river Ribble, with the Three Fishes on the side to the north, properly glorified as Great Mitton. The pub itself can hardly be missed, sitting as it does on a … Read more
About three miles outside Clitheroe, Mitton is hewn in two by the river Ribble, with the Three Fishes on the side to the north, properly glorified as Great Mitton. The pub itself can hardly be missed, sitting as it does on a junction in its coat of brilliant white. Nigel Haworth, king of Lancastrian cuisine, has taken the place a little further upmarket from its initial incarnation, but the vibe is ‘neither stuffy nor formal’, according to one local, with helpful and knowledgeable staff ensuring that everything runs without a hitch.
Local suppliers are front and centre on the menu, hardly more so than the pub's own kitchen garden, which you are welcome to explore. Readers' feedback emphasises the attention to detail that lifts a dish such as teriyaki scallops with sublime jalapeño-spiked tartare sauce out of the ordinary; likewise, popping-fresh broad beans add the final flourish to a summer risotto topped with samphire, pea purée and parsley pesto. Loin of venison benefits from slow cooking and a deeply flavoured ragoût, with a wedge of hispi cabbage and mushroom ketchup to carry it, while sea bass is crisp-skinned and delectable, perfectly served by tempura spring onion and dill butter.
To finish, a whimberry pie seemed 'a little cheffy' to one recipient (all feathery delicacy) but damson soufflé was ‘simply outstanding’, packed with deep, ripe flavour and beautifully risen. There's a traditional ‘chippy tea’ on Fridays (6-7pm), and Lancashire-style Sunday roasts are abidingly popular. Drinkers sup real ales in the flagstoned bar, while the wine list offers a decent spread tilted towards the Old World.
Expect the unexpected, as the saying goes. And it was certainly unexpected to walk into this unassuming pub in an unremarkable Lancashire hamlet and experience a meal of such sophistication, complexity and precision. The buttermil… Read more
Expect the unexpected, as the saying goes. And it was certainly unexpected to walk into this unassuming pub in an unremarkable Lancashire hamlet and experience a meal of such sophistication, complexity and precision. The buttermilk-coloured frontage is modest, with the front door leading directly into the muted dining areas located on both sides of the entrance, while the interior has a pleasing simplicity with a refreshing lack of ‘designeritis’. The no-choice menu (five courses, six with cheese) is set daily, ticks every seasonal and local box you could wish for and evolves slowly, though the same dish rarely stays for more than a couple of days. It’s also a surprise: you won’t know what you’re getting until you get there. The driving force is Tom Parker, whose keen-witted approach to dish and menu construction means the choreography of the meal is carefully spaced and calculated so you are never hurried, nor discouraged from lingering. At inspection, the chef’s brilliance at balancing flavours and ingredients was apparent in ‘a beautiful, delicate composition’ of almost invisible slices of marinated cod teamed with little melon balls, jalapeño, cucumber and coriander, topped with herring roe and a dab of crème fraîche. There’s skill, too, in emphasising the principal components with ingenious but discreet accompaniments: red mullet is served with saffron potato, fennel, orange, seaweed and tarragon in a shellfish cappuccino, while Ibérico pork belly is paired with a sticky faggot, crab apple jelly, smoked honey, turnips and mustard sauce. Inviting combinations of texture and temperature, such as a ‘millefeuille’ with English pears, wildflower honey, preserved stem-ginger ice cream and maple verjus, lift desserts out of the ordinary, and honourable mention must be made of the artisan British cheeseboard (sourced from The Courtyard Dairy). As well as Luscombe soft drinks and Timothy Taylor ales on tap, there is an equally fine choice of wines from £30 a bottle.
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