The Guide’s longest-standing restaurants Published 21 August 2024
The Guide has seen many restaurants come and go in its seven decades. And in a year that is proving to be a challenging one for the hospitality industry, with a raft of independent restaurant closures, we’ve taken a look at those who have stayed the course with tenacity. We’ve highlighted current Guide-listed restaurants that have been doing business for 20 years or more. Qualification for this list is that the restaurant has had the same owner/chef since opening, or has been passed down through the same family.
In compiling the list we discovered that Talbooth in Essex, owned by the Milsom family since 1952, has been in business almost as long as The Good Food Guide (1951), that chefs Sally Clarke, Clarke’s, London, and Raymond Blanc, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxfordshire, celebrate 40 years in 2024, and the Stein family’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow will celebrate 50 years in 2025.
Part of the MW Eat group (Veeraswamy, Chutney Mary and the Masala Zone mini chain), this classy Belgravia grill restaurant tucked down a passage beside the Pantechnicon has been plying its trade since 2004. Swathes of polished dar… Read more
Part of the MW Eat group (Veeraswamy, Chutney Mary and the Masala Zone mini chain), this classy Belgravia grill restaurant tucked down a passage beside the Pantechnicon has been plying its trade since 2004. Swathes of polished dark wood and seductive lighting create a contemporary, luxurious feel to the generously spaced dining room, which is bookended by a smart bar area and an open-to-view kitchen with tandoor ovens and tawa grills in full view. Several notches above your average curry house, it continues to tease and satisfy, experimenting with herbs, spices and ketchups via a line-up of bijou grazing dishes. Smoky and spicy jumbo-sized ocean prawns, fired in the tandoor are succulent, fleshy and spiked with ginger and tomato, while seared scallops are pearly pucks of similar stature in puddles of fresh coriander and coconut sauce. Oysters, crumbed and grilled, sit plumply in coconut milk (from whole nuts cracked open in the kitchen) with ginger, turmeric and chilli. Meat receives similarly impressive treatment: a marinade of spices and cheese helps to point up a beautifully tender black-pepper chicken tikka (with chilli paneer, date and sesame), while subtle spicing gives heft to a pair of juicy tandoori lamb chops, accompanied by puffed-up naan bread, glistening with ghee and showered in truffle. For a short season, there could also be chicken biryani with wild garlic, cooked in its sealed pot and opened at table to wafts of herby, garlicky steam. A typical meal might kick off with crispy cabbage and noodle salad with nuts, pomegranate and grapes bound by a splash of balsamic vinegar, while desserts are given an Indian twist – perhaps a miniature lime tart sharing the plate with a blueberry compôte infused with anise and a wobbly limoncello jelly. Service, led by a gracious maître d’, is quick and efficient. Contemporary cocktails mingle with a carefully assembled, spice-friendly wine list including almost two dozen selections by the glass (from £11).
‘We have been going for over 13 years and it never fails to delight’ is just one testament to the consistently high standards achieved by chef-patron Laurie Gear and his wife Jacqueline over more than two decades at the Artich… Read more
‘We have been going for over 13 years and it never fails to delight’ is just one testament to the consistently high standards achieved by chef-patron Laurie Gear and his wife Jacqueline over more than two decades at the Artichoke. The plaudits continue, but this attractive, classy little operation on Old Amersham’s main street refuses to stand still. A recent refurbishment has introduced an artichoke colour scheme (as in ‘globe’, not plebeian ‘Jerusalem’) and an etched-resin screen that can be drawn open to reveal the kitchen. This allows diners near the inglenook fireplace – there’s also a private dining room on the first floor – a prime opportunity to watch the chefs patiently creating the components for the various tasting and set menus. Lunch might begin with an appetising cupful of foamy parsnip velouté enhanced by a dainty dollop of truffle cream, both main flavours clear and true. Bread (a miniature loaf of warm wholemeal laced with Chiltern Black Ale) and starters are of equal calibre: lightly smoked trout matched with pungent horseradish cream, rye bread crisps and salty bursts of trout roe, for instance, or a roundel of tender local pork belly, its fat luscious, its accompaniments (cubes of fresh apple, sliced fennel, marigold leaves) adding complementary textural and flavour dimensions. Seasonality suffuses the oft-changing repertoire, so a springtime main course of braised lamb shoulder shares the plate with white asparagus, springy fresh morels, herb couscous (large grains, resembling petits pois) and a wild garlic pesto – the dish made still more mouth-watering with outstanding gravy and a garnish of precisely cooked sweetbreads. Tip-top ingredients are treated with care and skill – witness skrei cod (the salty fillet brilliant white and succulent) with earthy Jersey Royals and plump mussels providing admirable support. The best dessert at inspection was a perfectly wrought passion-fruit soufflé, the zesty fruit also enlivening an accompanying scoop of ice cream. ‘Extremely well-drilled’ staff ensure a meal here is thoughtfully paced, while a knowledgeable sommelier administers the highly impressive wine list. France, Italy and the fruits of the Rothschild vineyards are the strengths, but the collection also ranges from Uruguay to Croatia and Corsica. Even the entry-point glasses (including an Armenian red and an Austrian Riesling) hold ample interest and flavour. The main drawback? Everything at the Artichoke is ‘rather pricey’, but Amersham regulars mind not a jot.
Archetypal Mayfair brasserie that oozes class and civility
Run with consummate grace and decorum by ever-present Gavin Rankin, this archetypal Mayfair brasserie feels as if it has been around forever – even though it only arrived on the scene in 2004. Inside, the green banquettes ar… Read more
Run with consummate grace and decorum by ever-present Gavin Rankin, this archetypal Mayfair brasserie feels as if it has been around forever – even though it only arrived on the scene in 2004. Inside, the green banquettes are almost an institution in themselves, and everything about the beautifully appointed dining room speaks of discreet civility and understated class – no wonder the late Queen Elizabeth felt right at home here.
In fact, everyone is most welcome and the whole place exudes genuine warmth – thanks in part to ‘truly exceptional’ staff and classical service of the old school. The menu is built on precisely executed, canonical specialities with Provençal overtones – think asparagus with hollandaise sauce, iced lobster soufflé and jambon persillé ahead of steak tartare with Pont Neuf potatoes, red mullet with anchovy butter or entrecôte of beef with pommes frites.
Many dishes have impressed of late, from devilled eggs (rich and creamy) to Dover sole, executed with consummate elegance, flair and copious quantities of butter – plus a dash of seasoning to bring it home. Desserts are well-tried classics, from île flottante, Marina’s chocolate cake and tarte tatin to Bellamy's famous 'soft' ice creams. Otherwise, a bowl of Minstrels (often brought out by Rankin himself) provides the final satisfying flourish. The lunchtime table d’hôte is a steal, and the fiercely Francophile wine list (from £30) offers terrific value across the range.
In what could be the oldest purpose-built dining room in the UK – there's a claim! – Newcastle has a real gem. It started life in the early 13th century as the refectory of a Dominican friary, and still radiates m… Read more
In what could be the oldest purpose-built dining room in the UK – there's a claim! – Newcastle has a real gem. It started life in the early 13th century as the refectory of a Dominican friary, and still radiates medieval atmosphere from its stolid stone walls and stained glass. A banqueting hall and tasting room host scheduled events. Staff in the main restaurant come in for affectionate praise for their warmth and attentiveness, and what they bring to your table are gently creative modern British dishes of considerable flair. Flavours pack quite a punch, as in an earthy starter of venison, chorizo and potato galette, with a fried duck egg, smoked mushrooms and salsa verde that girded the loins of a spring diner for the sirloin in onion butter and triple-cooked chips to follow. Those looking for a lighter route might consider rainbow trout tartare and ponzu jelly, and then smoked Cheddar tortellini with slow-cooked beetroot and creamed spinach. The caramel-centred dark chocolate fondant with cocoa-nib tuile and vanilla ice cream has its firm devotees. Glasses from £5.95 head up a wine list that secretes a few unusual head-turners: Brazilian Tannat or a Roditis-Malagousia white from Macedonia.
Buzzy up-tempo brasserie with decent Med-accented food
Walton Street is abuzz night and day, and this up-tempo brasserie is regularly packed with all-comers – from university academics to locals from Jericho’s desirable residences. There’s ample space, with a bar (mo… Read more
Walton Street is abuzz night and day, and this up-tempo brasserie is regularly packed with all-comers – from university academics to locals from Jericho’s desirable residences. There’s ample space, with a bar (modern art, a chandelier and picture windows), a dining area (bare brick walls and parquet flooring), function rooms and a garden terrace at the back, plus a daytime café/deli next door. Not surprisingly, it's also great for large parties.
The menu, while short on thrills, does its job well enough, with Italian cooking to the fore – including a choice of four pizzas and a trio of pastas. Young staff with ‘all the right attitudes’ plonk excellent focaccia and olive oil/balsamic onto every table as an introduction. Maybe start with a warming bowl of borlotti bean and Swiss chard soup or one of the zingy salads (perhaps grilled halloumi with roasted butternut squash, tenderstem broccoli, chicory and fregola). Impressively proportioned mains cover a lot of ground, from fish stew with chickpeas and rouille to Moroccan lamb kebabs with harissa flatbread, bolstered by steaks and burgers.
Desserts end proceedings on a high note, offering anything from a brownie sundae with vanilla ice cream, raspberries and chocolate sauce to a lemon tart of rare delicacy. To drink, the decent Sicilian house white is supported by a pertinent selection of Old and New World choices, with almost everything available by the glass.
The prospect of chilling out on a hugely desirable decked terrace by the river Cherwell makes this enchanting Victorian boathouse one of Oxford’s great delights – and that’s before you factor in its glorious wine… Read more
The prospect of chilling out on a hugely desirable decked terrace by the river Cherwell makes this enchanting Victorian boathouse one of Oxford’s great delights – and that’s before you factor in its glorious wine cellar and the added temptations of punting on the water. Dating from 1904, this beloved institution is also a good shout for capably handled food with noticeable English and French accents. Nothing is overplayed here, but the kitchen comes up with subtly creative ideas to match the seasons. Eating alfresco in summer, you might indulge in a bowl of gazpacho with watermelon or Cornish mackerel with sauce pipérade ahead of Cotswold chicken breast with samphire, tarragon and pea fricassée. Come winter, other treats await those who congregate in the dining room – an affable blend of wooden floorboards, bare beams and white tablecloths. Openers such as venison fritters with Parmesan purée and crispy kale might precede guinea fowl adorned with a festive harvest of walnut purée, wild mushrooms, roasted Brussels sprouts and bone marrow jus. For afters, hot chocolate pot with passion fruit is a perennial favourite – although you might prefer local strawberries with elderflower custard or tarte tatin with Calvados ice cream, depending on the calendar. For many, however, it’s all about the superlative wine list, an all-embracing compendium stuffed with mouthwatering global selections ranging from Old World aristocrats of high pedigree to the most fashionable young contenders. Mark-ups are kind, with selections from the 'shortlist' starting at £19.75 (£5 for a standard glass).
Pioneering venue dedicated to seasonal sourcing and organic produce
Back in 1984, Sally Clarke MBE was one of the first chefs to introduce London's restaurant-goers to the now-fashionable notions of seasonality and traceability; she was also an early champion of organic produce. Little has changed… Read more
Back in 1984, Sally Clarke MBE was one of the first chefs to introduce London's restaurant-goers to the now-fashionable notions of seasonality and traceability; she was also an early champion of organic produce. Little has changed in the intervening years. Her once-famous no-choice menu may have been replaced by a carte of daily changing dishes, but the cooking is still influenced by time spent at Alice Waters' Chez Panisse in California.
Dining takes place in a light room dressed in neutral tones (green-grey walls, wicker chairs, black leather banquettes, polished wood flooring) with well-spaced, white-clothed tables and contemporary artwork. The atmosphere is quiet and refined, service courteous and attentive – more so if you are a regular.
There's a naturalistic quality to the menu and the kitchen puts a premium on execution rather than creativity – a delightful Cornish crab salad with tardivo radicchio, lemon mayonnaise and puntarelle plus a couple of rye toasts, say. To follow, our loin of Scottish fallow deer – roasted with thyme and apple and teamed with baked beetroot, cavolo nero and herbed lentils – was elegantly cooked, allowing the flavour to shine. We finished on a high note with a light yet rich dark chocolate and almond cake with crème fraîche.
The set menu is keenly priced for this exclusive neighbourhood and the wine list is a cracker, with quality bottles starting at £30.50 (for an own-label Verdicchio 2020) plus 30 by the glass or carafe. Also look out for mature vintages of Ridge Monte Bello from the Santa Cruz Mountains in Sally Clarke's beloved California.
All-day Italian café in a stunning Victorian banking hall
Quite the ace to have up your sleeve when you’re looking for somewhere casual, this dramatic double-height space, a former banking hall, houses a true urban eatery, an all-day Italian caffè. While busy and buzzy, the … Read more
Quite the ace to have up your sleeve when you’re looking for somewhere casual, this dramatic double-height space, a former banking hall, houses a true urban eatery, an all-day Italian caffè. While busy and buzzy, the room feels classy: soaring pillars, ornate ceiling, grey walls, striking bright-pink dangling lampshades, massive central chandelier, and a lively baroque fresco covering part of one wall.
It ‘feels special’ and feeds the mainly Edinburgh crowd from breakfast to dinner, whether snacking, just having a drink, enjoying one dish or more. Any time and any dish will do, whether it’s a plate of trofiette pasta with sausage, cremini mushrooms, dried porcini, fresh cream, rocket and Parmesan, or rump of Highland lamb with cannellini purée, pan-fried puntarella and salsa verde.
If you’re into the sweet side of things, Contini’s tiramisu is the ultimate soothing treat, although other equally indulgent temptations beckon – from panettone al forno to gelati and sorbetti. Liquid refreshment covers all bases too, with the good-value all-Italian wine list opening at £25.
* Fomer sous-chef John Shuttleworth has been promoted to head chef, following Adam Thackeray's departure to the Horseshoes at Longlane. Watch for a new review coming soon.*
Built centuries later than you might suppose from its le… Read more
* Fomer sous-chef John Shuttleworth has been promoted to head chef, following Adam Thackeray's departure to the Horseshoes at Longlane. Watch for a new review coming soon.*
Built centuries later than you might suppose from its leaded windows and formal gardens, Baslow Hall's heritage isn't entirely what it seems – but the hospitality of its restaurant is genuine. In this locale, it's long been the best address for a fancy feed, but there's no front-of-house ennui. The dining room, grand but fresh as a daisy in pale grey and blue, is a lovely spot in which to enjoy all the trappings of a country house restaurant, from bread with Lincolnshire Poacher butter (delivered with the gleeful mantra 'it's 3% salt!') to a supplementary course of grilled cheese with truffle – followed, of course, by something from the drinks trolley. Head chef Adam Thackeray knows how to make ingredients such as giant ceps (from nearby Ladybower) shine, adding the crunch of nigella seeds and an oozy barley risotto, with burnt lemon gel for contrast. The super-smooth curry sauce of the European kitchen is allowed to retain enough poke to work with stone bass, roast cauliflower and golden raisins, while for pudding there's anything as long as it's chocolate – the fruitier choice being poached pear with chamomile ice cream and creamy-light white chocolate namelaka. Staff know the dishes (and the extensive drinks list) well, and being one of their guests feels easy.
Derek Marshall's piquant crab and ginger soup bobbing with tiny prawn dumplings was an instant hit with Glaswegians when he started serving it back in the day. Fast-forward more than 20 years and it's still an emblematic fixture o… Read more
Derek Marshall's piquant crab and ginger soup bobbing with tiny prawn dumplings was an instant hit with Glaswegians when he started serving it back in the day. Fast-forward more than 20 years and it's still an emblematic fixture of the menu at this loveable seafood restaurant – an elegant, tranquil and softly lit basement haven reached via some steps off busy West George Street. Gamba is Spanish for prawn, although Marshall scours the globe for culinary inspiration, serving Scottish lobster thermidor and lemon sole meunière alongside whole blackened bream with teriyaki prawns or roast monkfish with Puy lentil dhal, smoked haddock, vanilla yoghurt and sesame rice. Fans and first-timers come here for astute and well-balanced seafood cookery leavened with just enough imaginative twists to keep the taste buds alert. For the final flourish, well-sourced cheeses and a cluster of luscious old-school favourites such as sticky toffee pudding or raspberry and vanilla cheesecake are guaranteed to satisfy – although liquorice crème brûlée with milk sorbet sounds even more tantalizing. A substantial list of international wines from Corney & Barrow gives fish-friendly whites top billing, with bottles from £27.
‘A celebratory and inspiring environment offering a little bit of escapism in the heart of Oxford,’ is one reader’s verdict on this long-standing beau monde favourite, which now boasts a heated garden terrace and… Read more
‘A celebratory and inspiring environment offering a little bit of escapism in the heart of Oxford,’ is one reader’s verdict on this long-standing beau monde favourite, which now boasts a heated garden terrace and an adjacent art gallery/private dining space (handy for wedding bashes). The essence of Gees, though, has always been its beautiful conservatory restaurant, converted from a greengrocer’s in 1985 and still under the same ownership.
Globe lights dangle from the glass roof, while black-and-white tiled flooring and a convivial crowd of youngish locals add to the brasserie vibe – as does the catch-all Med-inspired menu. Crisp, thin-based pizzette with regularly changing toppings (including an inspired pairing of Taleggio with potatoes and thyme) are equally good as a first course or as a snack with drinks; alternatively, start with harissa-roasted squash, chickpeas and feta. Moving on, ‘today’s fish’ could be a little fillet of fresh mackerel matched with a wonderfully punchy anchovy and tomato salsa; otherwise, dip into the selection of pastas – perhaps rigatoni with duck ragù and pecorino. Sides such as tenderstem broccoli with chimichurri provide the greenery, yet also bump up an already sizeable bill.
To finish, desserts such as chocolate nemesis and crema catalana maintain the broadly Med theme, likewise unhurried Sunday roasts such as porchetta with chorizo-roast potatoes, carrots and courgettes. However, Gees' main attraction is its happy hubbub, helped along by agreeable young staff and a drinks list comprising cocktails and a 30-strong selection of wines with southern Europe as the main player.
To its many returnees, Hambleton Hall is the very definition of country-house dining: a late-Victorian pile on a peninsula jutting into Rutland Water, with beautifully tended landscaped gardens and a brigade of front-of-house staf… Read more
To its many returnees, Hambleton Hall is the very definition of country-house dining: a late-Victorian pile on a peninsula jutting into Rutland Water, with beautifully tended landscaped gardens and a brigade of front-of-house staff attuned to the gentilities, but without a trace of obsequiousness. Aaron Patterson has been cooking here for well over 20 years, but his menus still feel fresh and enticing, built on seasonal produce and with an emphasis on lightness. Early summer might see San Marzano tomatoes featuring in a starter with elements of gazpacho, including a little basil ice cream, ahead of jointed quail on seasonal greens with spinach tortellini and a fried quail's egg. Alternatively, you might begin with a terrine of heritage carrots with spiced carrot ice cream and coriander oil, before moving on to poached fillet of halibut with wild garlic, egg yolk purée and morels ('our fish dishes are served warm, not hot,' says a note on the menu). To conclude, the house take on tiramisu found one reporter discovering the limits of their tolerance for deconstruction, but a simple blackcurrant soufflé was an emphatic, featherlight triumph; also, don't miss Hambleton's 'walnut whip' with passion fruit marshmallow, if it's available. When it comes to wine, Hambleton doesn't rest on its laurels, so expect an extensive line-up of high-toned classics, 'wines of the moment' and Coravin glass selections.
Once the hunting lodge for Clan Macdonald's ancestral seat, this 17th-century house has, for the past half-century, been a hotel established by the doyenne of Scottish cookery, Lady Claire Macdonald – and now run by her daug… Read more
Once the hunting lodge for Clan Macdonald's ancestral seat, this 17th-century house has, for the past half-century, been a hotel established by the doyenne of Scottish cookery, Lady Claire Macdonald – and now run by her daughter, Isabella. Needless to say, the setting by the foot of a hill on the shores of dreamy Loch Na Dal, is magical. Chef Jordan Webb's daily changing, three-course dinner menu showcases contemporary Scottish cuisine, with regional ingredients firmly in the spotlight: cured Portree mackerel with scallop mousse, langoustine mayo and pickled vegetable salad is typical, while mains might bring Skye roe deer with turnip, leek and locally foraged bramble jus or ribeye and sweetbread of rose veal with pot-roast cauliflower, walnut crumble and Blue Murder cheese (handcrafted in Tain). Desserts also highlight Scottish specialities such as Perthshire strawberries. By contrast Sunday lunch is strictly old school – a mighty meat fest taking in everything from shoulder of Beauly lamb to aged sirloin of Highland beef: our haunch of venison was exquisitely cooked, slices of succulent meat with just a hint of pink, on a bed of sweet red cabbage plus a host of vegetables. For pudding, crème fraîche and yoghurt panna cotta with pepper meringue and raspberry sorbet was built for sharing, creamy comfort food rather than a refined dessert. The setting matches the food to a T, with gilt-framed ancestral portraits in the sage-green, wood-panelled dining room, the gentle hum of family chatter, soft jazz in the background and ever-welcoming Isabella whizzing around the room. To drink, you might opt for a stone-fruit and citrus-laced Albariño by the glass or a spicy Périgord Merlot from a wine list that is reassuringly lengthy, with a smattering of biodynamic labels adding interest; also check out the whisky bar, which boasts more than 120 Scottish beauties.
Simon Rogan was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List at the end of 2023, which is some measure of the influence he has had on contemporary British dining. The nerve centre of the whole operation is still here, in a stone-bu… Read more
Simon Rogan was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List at the end of 2023, which is some measure of the influence he has had on contemporary British dining. The nerve centre of the whole operation is still here, in a stone-built former smithy on a Cartmel road-bend, not far from its sibling Rogan & Co. The ambience has lost none of its rusticity, from the roughcast whitewashed walls and raftered ceilings to the anvil after which the place is named. The light, airy conservatory makes a fine spot for lunch. Smartly clad staff oversee a welcoming – and supremely professional – approach to hospitality, and the food does the rest. The kitchen mobilises a battalion of unexpected ingredients in surprising – even stunning – combinations, with textural notes to the fore as well as a clear focus on sustainability and regionalism. Among the appetisers is a fritter of Duroc pork and smoked eel on lovage emulsion with sweetcorn purée, an unimaginably delicious composition of flavours. There is also a pudding of Berkswell cheese coated in caramelised birch sap, tapped from a tree just a couple of miles away. A succession of plated dishes might include tiny pink fir potatoes cooked in chicken fat with pickled walnuts and an oil of burnt onion ash, while one of L'Enclume's signatures is the seaweed custard in beef broth and bone marrow, garnished with a house blend of caviar and Maldon oyster. Various vegetable-based specialties are always part of the menu, their seasonal freshness offset with powerful herbs and seasonings. As for animal protein, a pairing of John Dory and cuttlefish in pork fat with shrimp sauce, spinach and verbena might precede an outstanding dish of dry-aged Middle White pork in mead sauce with black garlic purée and pickled allium seeds, plus a pork-fat crumpet sitting on a hot stone to keep it warm. Textures go haywire in a serving of frozen Tunworth cheese topped with puffed buckwheat, lemon thyme crystals and gel, on a compôte of Champagne rhubarb. After strawberries and sweet cicely cream served in a ceramic pouch, followed by a miso-caramel mousse with apple (another L’Enclume signature), we concluded with an array of superlative petits fours – including a cornet of peach-stone ice cream with elderflower and white-chocolate ganache, and a tiny caramelised pear tart with a spot of herb oil. Wines by the glass are presented on an iPad, which you may want to keep by you as the menu progresses, but it's best to let the wine flights themselves take wing on a cosmopolitan journey around the globe.
It's a tribute to the serene longevity of the Champignon that reporters typically begin their accounts by reckoning up in decades, rather than years, how long they have been coming here. David and Helen Everitt-Matthias are well i… Read more
It's a tribute to the serene longevity of the Champignon that reporters typically begin their accounts by reckoning up in decades, rather than years, how long they have been coming here. David and Helen Everitt-Matthias are well into their fourth decade of operations in the Montpellier district of Regency Cheltenham, and their restaurant still radiates energy and commitment. In an understated dining room – its sandy and stony tones offset with splashes of contemporary art – a highly burnished Anglo-French culinary repertoire continues to dazzle, with all the extras one might expect, from extraordinarily creative nibbles to serried regiments of petits fours.
Prawn ravioli with wilted spinach in lemongrass bisque kicked things off in fine style at an August dinner, an outrider for Cotswold white chicken with charred aubergine and girolles, and a dish of plaice with celeriac purée and rocket. There is always a neat balance between flavours that come at you full-throttle straight off, and others that develop more slowly and subtly, but still land perfectly.
Combinations can be the last word in daring, as in a starter of pigeon with black pudding, chocolate ganache, cherries and radicchio, to the extent that one can only shudder at what would happen to them in a less assured kitchen. By contrast, other ideas work with the grain of ingredients and tradition, perhaps for a main course of miso-glazed monkfish with barley broth, cockles and samphire, or glorious chump of lamb with romaine lettuce, peas and sheep's curd. That August dinner ended with poached peach, yoghurt sorbet and honeycomb – at least for those whose heads were not turned by the two dozen or so fabulous cheeses – while others will hear of nothing but bitter chocolate and pistachio délice with positively luminous pistachio ice cream.
The fixed-price menus at both lunch and dinner are an amenity for which Cheltonians give thanks. As for wine, the list is a carefully curated and quality-conscious collection with house Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at £28 (or £8 a glass), and markups that city-dwellers might find surprisingly kind. An extensive listing of half-bottles has long been one of its attractions.
Le Manoir in late May is a picture. Wisteria drapes over its honeyed stone, and you can wander freely across graceful lawns to kitchen gardens, orchards and ponds that hum with the energy of the season. This has been Raymond Blanc… Read more
Le Manoir in late May is a picture. Wisteria drapes over its honeyed stone, and you can wander freely across graceful lawns to kitchen gardens, orchards and ponds that hum with the energy of the season. This has been Raymond Blanc’s domain for almost 40 years and while firmly rooted in that heritage, its gaze is now fixed firmly on the future. Clearly the brief for 30-something Luke Selby, executive head chef since January 2023, has been not to cause upheaval within these mellow walls, rather to lead things gently forward – his six-course menu feels light-footed and playful, youthful and fresh. Luxury here is defined not necessarily by a flash of langoustine or lobster, more by garden-fresh produce whose flavours are allowed to shine. Tiny peas gather with vivid sweetness on a ricotta-filled tartlet, one of the exquisite canapés. Beetroot demonstrates its peerless versatility in a beautiful opener of deftly cubed pieces, the tartare base for a dome of beetroot mousse glossed with a gel that’s dotted with pickled mooli ‘flowers’. It’s fun and palate-awakening, thanks to a horseradish sorbet that sears fierily through the sweetness. Later, a dainty potato basket of tiny carrots, ribboned asparagus and crimson-edged slivers of radish is a bouquet of garden offerings alongside roasted guinea fowl. A morel filled with the lightest chicken and mushroom mousse sits in the airy tickle of a Gewürztraminer foam like a giant thimble; underneath is just-poached white asparagus, on top a crisp toast for texture. It’s a Blanc classic, but updated to offer a single, showstopping mushroom rather than three small ones as on previous menus. Classic too is the confit chalk stream trout on pickled mooli with compressed cucumber, tiny cauliflower florets, horseradish, dill oil and oscietra caviar. Its summery flavours are beautifully balanced, and it’s dashingly attractive. Desserts are exquisite. Bitter chocolate with coconut sorbet refreshes, before rosy-red gariguette and wild strawberries arrive, announced by their fragrance. Scarlet pieces of fresh fruit and a bright strawberry sorbet top a feather-light mousse, a pistachio biscuit base tempering the fruit’s natural acidity. Be assured, this is special-occasion territory without a doubt. Service glides with easy professionalism. The conservatory dining room is comfortable. Sommeliers are attentive. This is helpful given the scope of the wine list, which proudly celebrates France before heading, for example, to Austria for Martin and Anna Arndorfer’s minerally Riesling or to cool-climate Patagonia for Bodega Noemia’s smooth biodynamic Malbec. The four-glass paired flight is £95 at lunch; for those with unfathomably deep pockets, the £999 ‘sélection exceptionelle’ (£799 at lunch) includes Burgundy winemaker Cecile Tremblay’s magnificent 2015 Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, Les Feusselottes.
Long-known locally as an absolute banker for food, wine and hospitality, Melton's is synonymous with the idea of a treat. Inside, the Art Deco detailing, wood panelling and giant mural endure – even as surrounding Bishy Road… Read more
Long-known locally as an absolute banker for food, wine and hospitality, Melton's is synonymous with the idea of a treat. Inside, the Art Deco detailing, wood panelling and giant mural endure – even as surrounding Bishy Road thrusts forward, trendier than ever. Michael Hjort's head chef Calvin Miller is no stick-in-the-mud, however. Fresh as well as classic flavours make up generous set menus – witness dashi vinegar paired with smoked eel and Granny Smith's apple or Japanese milk bread added to a plate of Yorkshire lamb. Likeable bits and bobs show off a skill with baking (treacle and sesame bread with wild garlic butter, and tiny Cheddar shortbread sandwiches, for example), while starters might see a seasonal rally of charred asparagus, fluffed-up brown-butter hollandaise and bijou onion petals in a delicate tartlet. Pearly East Coast cod is matched with the restrained, vegetal flavours of maitake mushroom (aka hen of the woods), celery oil and bundled ribbons of celeriac, with a whey sauce pitched perfectly to bring it all together. Puddings such as caramelised pear soufflé with candied pecans and brown-butter ice cream are more straightforwardly luxurious. A short wine list covers most bases but the Melton's cellar has hidden depths, to which co-owner Lucy Hjort is an affable and enthusiastic guide.
It’s astonishing how Galton Blackiston has managed to keep Morston Hall at the top of its game for so long. Norfolk-born and self-taught, Blackiston refurbished and opened this 18th-century mansion as a hotel-restaurant in 1… Read more
It’s astonishing how Galton Blackiston has managed to keep Morston Hall at the top of its game for so long. Norfolk-born and self-taught, Blackiston refurbished and opened this 18th-century mansion as a hotel-restaurant in 1991 (while still in his 20s), and his exquisitely balanced take on haute cuisine continues to impress after more than 30 years. Despite a starry procession of head chefs by his side, things here are very much on Blackiston's terms: apart from Sunday lunch, you must come at 6.45pm (for canapés before a 7.30pm start) and dine from a no-choice, daily changing tasting menu of seven courses. Ingredient-dislikes and intolerances are catered for (let them know in advance), but if you follow a dairy-free or vegan diet head elsewhere. That said, some of the dishes at an inspection dinner were sublime. Tempura-battered hake (part of a trio of perfectly formed morsels to kick off the meal) displayed the most fragile of translucent batters around succulent fish; to follow, tomato consommé was a stunningly beautiful distillation of summer, including a little scoop of tomato sorbet, pellets of fresh courgette and globules of basil oil. Elsewhere, a supremely refreshing pre-dessert ‘soup’ of Champagne, elderflower and cucumber also hit the seasonal heights, although not everything scored a bullseye. Whether barbecued Brancaster lobster is ideally accompanied by a sweetish curry sauce and golden sultanas is questionable, but the peerless quality of the bread (there's no extra charge if you ask for more), and the profoundly flavourful gravy (in a dish of mouthwateringly pink Yorkshire lamb, with sweetbread, violet artichoke, local asparagus and black olive caramel) prove that the chefs take care – and show abundant skill – with the basics. See them at their meticulous work through a window in an anteroom. The dining area stretches over four rooms: three serene spaces within the main building and an even lighter conservatory where views of the glorious garden compete for attention with a portrait of Blackiston himself. Wine pairings are offered from from a suitably well-chosen list, and the waiting staff, though exhibiting differing levels of experience, are invariably polite and attentive.
* 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.
Bijou Fitzrovia grandee noted for its modern French-accented cuisine
*Alberto Cavaliere (ex-Marcus, Robuchon and Sabor) has taken over the kitchen, replacing Phil Kearsey.*
Phil Kearsey arrived from Corrigan's Mayfair early in 2024 to take over the kitchen but the unifying presence of owner D… Read more
*Alberto Cavaliere (ex-Marcus, Robuchon and Sabor) has taken over the kitchen, replacing Phil Kearsey.*
Phil Kearsey arrived from Corrigan's Mayfair early in 2024 to take over the kitchen but the unifying presence of owner David Moore is what keeps this bijou dining room – now in its third decade – purring along. Lushly decorated, with elegant, well-spaced tables, it is run by ‘extremely professional and interactive’ staff, a ‘knowledgeable and enthusiastic’ sommelier, and pleases everyone for its essential sense of hospitality.
The cooking takes its cue from what might be seen as the house style, a modernish amalgam of French and British, and reveals an intuitive understanding of flavours: note the very good canapés – especially a morsel of scallop-stuffed chicken wing, and a truffled egg (in its shell) with aged Parmesan. These provided a tantalising prelude to our prettily presented starter of glazed lamb's sweetbreads tangled with peas, mint, girolles, shiitake mushrooms, edible flowers and pea shoots.
Ingredients are impeccable across the board, from a perfectly timed fillet of John Dory accompanied by courgettes, datterini tomatoes, crayfish panisse and brown butter to a just-pink slice of dry-aged duck breast teamed with a barbecued peach, tiny young turnips, violet mustard and a glossy amaretto sauce, plus a duck liver brioche on the side.
To finish, a light-as-air strawberry soufflé with olive-oil shortbread and vanilla ice cream was a textbook example of the genre. A patrician list of truly wonderful wines is handled with great insight by the sommelier, whether you are drinking by the flight, glass or bottle.
The edge-of-Leeds location isn't glamorous but Prashad continues to draw fans from all over Yorkshire; there are some very smart cars in the car park. Minal Patel's cooking style and creativity have grown steadily over the years; … Read more
The edge-of-Leeds location isn't glamorous but Prashad continues to draw fans from all over Yorkshire; there are some very smart cars in the car park. Minal Patel's cooking style and creativity have grown steadily over the years; her food has always been fragrant, with vivid aromatics the dominant feature, but today the most significant difference is in the presentation. What was once a fairly rustic offering is now a masterclass in creative plating without being outright dots-and-dribbles cheffy. The notion of an amuse-bouche was once a stretch, but now it’s likely you’ll get a spoon of slow-roasted dhal with gram-flour vermicelli and beetroot chutney. Sweet and earthy, it’s the perfect way to kick-start a meal. Among the classics are kopra pethis (fresh coconut dough balls, precisely spherical, zesty and moist) and mausmi ghota (essentially a crunchy-on-the-outside/soft-on-the-inside ball of spiky root ginger and herby mint with mashed Jerusalem artichokes), while sanku (a deeply traditional dosa) is presented as dinky ice-cream cones. Kofta (spiced lentil dough balls revved up with caraway-infused tomato rasam) hit all the senses, while the paneer and cauliflower biryani is a salty-sweet-heat firework. The setting is a cavernous former pub but there's no doubt you're in an Indian restaurant (complete with flashes of pink bling); there's also a subtle, sophisticated vibe, emphasised by the seven-course tasting menu, a delicate distillation of regular dishes and a great introduction to the depth and complexity of Minal Patel's cooking. Excellent craft beer pairings match the food, Cobra is on tap, and there’s an all-vegan and organic wine list – in addition to cocktails and mocktails.
Highly distinctive, high-end cuisine in an unlikely setting
An oasis off Nottingham’s thundering A52 ring road, Sat and Amanda Bains’ singular restaurant with rooms reminded one inspector of a smart Burgundian auberge (despite the electricity pylons and industrial estate nearby… Read more
An oasis off Nottingham’s thundering A52 ring road, Sat and Amanda Bains’ singular restaurant with rooms reminded one inspector of a smart Burgundian auberge (despite the electricity pylons and industrial estate nearby). The couple have invested much time and effort here, while a major refurb in 2022 saw the reception area expanded and the number of covers in the earthy-toned dining room reduced – allowing space for a new sommelier’s station; in addition, a kitchen bench and chef's table offer the chance to sit closer to the chefs at work. Above all, the ambience is more relaxed and less reverential than at some of Bains’ fine-dining peers – thanks to a dedicated team of professional staff who go the extra mile to ensure diners get the maximum enjoyment from their visit.
In the kitchen, meanwhile, Bains continues to steer his own highly distinctive course. From the introductory ‘interplay of five tastes’ to the rose-scented geranium ice cream covered with candy floss on a stick, his cooking references the defining motifs of modern cuisine, taking in everything from Escoffier’s rich dark saucing to on-trend pickling, foraging and smoking. Occasionally a dish seems ill-conceived, or its impact gets lost in translation, but a recent visit proved that head chef John Freeman and his team can deliver seriously insightful food with real confidence and panache.
Standouts ranged from an utterly moreish new potato, charred over hot embers and topped with a creamy whey sauce, pickled onions, a dusting of Périgord truffle, a dollop of N25 caviar and some crispy potatoes to a superb, light tart of aged venison with an umami hit from ceps, lichen and pine. A clever cheese course involving a choux bun filled with Baron Bigod, thinly sliced Granny Smith apple, pear gel and shaved black truffle added yet more excitement, while a brilliant ‘crossover’ from savoury to sweet pitched the pungent heat of a silky horseradish panna cotta against the texture and iciness of a Granny Smith granita. Best of all, a layering of chocolate ‘soil’, dark chocolate sponge and various riffs on parsnip (sponge, crisp, ice cream), all finished with white chocolate, amaretto cherry and droplets of aged balsamic, showcased the exceptional skills required to bring a host of disparate components together.
Like everything else here, the wine list is the result of careful thinking, foresight and hard work: the full line-up is packed with interesting bottles from across the globe, easily accessible by price or region. At £45, a LDN Cru 'Baker Street' Bacchus 2021 represents the bottom line, and there are more than 40 by the glass.
The titular Russell was Sir George, one of the premier British furniture designers of the Arts & Crafts movement, who opened a workshop in Broadway in the 1920s. A Georgian house of Cotswold stone, with guest rooms too, it mak… Read more
The titular Russell was Sir George, one of the premier British furniture designers of the Arts & Crafts movement, who opened a workshop in Broadway in the 1920s. A Georgian house of Cotswold stone, with guest rooms too, it makes an alluring retreat – as well as a prime Sunday lunch destination for out-of-towners. There are some novel ideas on the main carte, which might open the bidding with blue-cheese panna cotta, shaved celery, glazed figs and granola – all cream and crunch – or perhaps a pairing of scallops and devils on horseback alongside a purée of caramelised cauliflower. Main courses luxuriate in the likes of truffled chicken breast and smoked mash, or a properly aged Scotch beef fillet with roasted Roscoff onion, but those in search of more shock-of-the-new combinations might look to char siu monkfish with banana ketchup, roasted sweetcorn and pineapple-chilli salsa. Finish with a Paris-Brest and chocolate ice. Those among the Sunday lunch crowd who are not into roasted loins and sirloins might contemplate stone bass with Parmesan gnocchi. A useful selection of wines at uniform prices, in two glass sizes, takes in Sicilian Catarratto and Romanian Pinot Noir. The owners also run Russell's Fish & Chips takeaway nearby.
A Leeds landmark since 1976, family-owned Salvo’s has lost none of its legendary pulling power as it heads towards its 50th year. Flame-blistered, creatively topped Neapolitan-style pizzas and an impressive choice of pastas … Read more
A Leeds landmark since 1976, family-owned Salvo’s has lost none of its legendary pulling power as it heads towards its 50th year. Flame-blistered, creatively topped Neapolitan-style pizzas and an impressive choice of pastas are the kitchen’s calling cards, but don’t ignore the remainder of the regular menu or the specials board – perhaps chickpea and tomato fritters, pastrami-style salmon ‘crudo’ or grilled chicken with cauliflower purée, spinach and ‘nduja jus. Desserts are time-honoured trattoria staples (tiramisu, panna cotta, lemon and polenta cake), and drinks stay with the patriotic theme – from zesty aperitifs to regional wines.Great fun and great value for families, kids, students and everyone in between.
Fashions come and go, but the personal charm of Mark and Felicity Seager’s intimate 15th-century cottage restaurant endures – the couple celebrate their 32nd year in 2023. What’s on offer is a set-price dinner me… Read more
Fashions come and go, but the personal charm of Mark and Felicity Seager’s intimate 15th-century cottage restaurant endures – the couple celebrate their 32nd year in 2023. What’s on offer is a set-price dinner menu of tried-and-tested favourites, such as roast rack of Welsh lamb with Dijon and herb crust or fillet steak with brandy, peppercorn and cream sauce, both served with homely roasted potato wedges and steamed vegetables. Treacle tart, with its crunchy breadcrumbed topping, continues to delight, while Felicity’s cheerful service and a value-for-money wine list (from £20) explain the venue's popularity.
*Chef-proprietor Andreas Antona has announced that he is retiring and has put Simpsons up for sale. He will continue to oversee the menu at the Cross at Kenilworth.*
There was a time, though it seems scarcely credible now, when E… Read more
*Chef-proprietor Andreas Antona has announced that he is retiring and has put Simpsons up for sale. He will continue to oversee the menu at the Cross at Kenilworth.*
There was a time, though it seems scarcely credible now, when England's second city was rather bereft of ambitious, upscale dining. That such an era is firmly in the rapidly receding past is due in no small measure to the influence of Simpsons, which reached its 30th year in 2024, no less. It remains the model of an oasis in the city, a Georgian mansion with a dining room and a series of private spaces that anticipated the vogue for eco-decor by a generation. Unfaced stone, unclothed wooden tables and picture-window views on to the garden and gazebo make a counter-intuitively rustic impression, one that the faintly over-dressed staff belie.
Luke Tipping continues to run an industrious and highly qualified kitchen brigade, an impression encapsulated by the serving of two breads with wild garlic butter and taramasalata. Among the highlights on a set menu at inspection was Newlyn plaice with Jersey Royals, asparagus, monk's beard and basil in citrus beurre blanc – the fish lightly floured and fried to a golden crust with a just-cooked interior, the grapefruit-tinged sauce given welcome body with chia seeds.
Elsewhere, a generous pavé of sirloin with roast, pickled and puréed carrots, plus softly buttery maitake mushrooms and a classical red wine sauce proved that textbook ideas can be achieved with genuine flair. Where dishes fall short of these heights, however, they can seem muddled in conception: an arrangement of beetroot variations, for example, lacked a unifying element and was dominated by copious buttermilk sauce and dill oil.
To finish, a dessert of poached Evesham rhubarb with a matching sorbet arrived with a fetching green woodruff custard and a scattering of roasted marzipan. A group of enterprising wines by the glass, including Greek, Uruguayan and Alto Adige selections, heralds a quality list that gets into its stride in the classic French regions.
Three decades on, St John appears to have changed not one jot. Still the same whitewashed walls, the same squat wine glasses, the same commitment to ‘nose-to-tail’ cookery. When we visited, there was a dish on the… Read more
Three decades on, St John appears to have changed not one jot. Still the same whitewashed walls, the same squat wine glasses, the same commitment to ‘nose-to-tail’ cookery. When we visited, there was a dish on the daily menu from the restaurant's second cookbook (published 2007): called simply ‘kohlrabi’, it is simply kohlrabi – albeit mandolined and lavished with olive oil, lemon, capers and chervil. An excellent use of a maligned vegetable, but the £11 price tag speaks of 2025.
There's no doubt that eating at St John can sometimes test your faith. Our beef broth was straightforward enough, but the vegetables looked like they had been chopped by someone’s granny in a rush to get tea on the table (but, oh boy, can granny cook). Likewise, a serving of sea bass was no looker: battle-scarred from a hot pan, it came with slow-cooked fennel in a state of near-collapse and a Pernod-splashed liquor into which some anchovies had long since disappeared. A food stylist would shudder but, again, such flavour!
While some dishes such as the signature bone marrow and parsley salad still resemble exhibits in an edgy east London gallery, others look like they’ve emerged from the kitchen of an old Parisian bistro, where the chef no longer gives a fig about wooing Le Figaro. If they have a pair of tweezers in the cupboard, they’ll be for plucking bristles from pig's trotters, not garnishing quail's eggs with micro herbs. However, a serving of wild boar terrine (with cornichons and excellent sourdough) and a plate of mallard (with parsnips and pickled walnut) both successfully combine sharp looks and keen flavour.
‘Are paper tablecloths and one wine glass for all wines and water taking lack of pretension too far?’ asks one fan. We might say the same about a dessert plate that arrives with a chip in it the size of your thumbnail. That said, puddings are terrific and there are no fewer than 10 to choose from: our lemon pie had sticky, jammy citrus sandwiched between crisp, sugared pie crust, while chocolate mousse was made from first-rate confectionery. The wine list is the type you'd find in a Parisian bistro, with a tip-top house pour, St John Rouge, ushering in a glorious selection from the French regions.
Now into its eighth decade, this family-run riverside restaurant is still a much-loved local asset. Well-heeled guests come for a picture-perfect setting by the Stour, and to mark all manner of occasions in a centuries-old buildin… Read more
Now into its eighth decade, this family-run riverside restaurant is still a much-loved local asset. Well-heeled guests come for a picture-perfect setting by the Stour, and to mark all manner of occasions in a centuries-old building of beams, mullioned windows and white-clothed tables. The menu bows to classical French style. A summer meal might start with chilled lobster consommé, or ham hock and duck liver terrine, or slices of delicate tuna doused tableside in a light dashi broth and served with snappy sesame crisps. Vegetarian diners (there’s a separate menu for vegan guests too) might begin with truffle and Manchego cheese ravioli, but with takes on pasta and suchlike dominating the main-course options, cauliflower velouté might be preferable. Meat is expertly cooked. A Suffolk pork chop, laced with paprika, is beautifully juicy under its blanket of mustard cream sauce, the acidic counterpart delivered by a sharp cider vinegar gel and punchy bacon jam. Saddle of lamb is blush pink and tucked up tenderly next to the smoothest pomme purée and shiniest Madeira jus. Desserts are a triumph. A lemon soufflé towers fluffily above sweet-sharp blueberry ice cream and hint-of-lavender Chantilly, while a frangipane tartlet comes with a pretty tumble of strawberries; true tradition-seekers will also applaud the inclusion of peach Melba and a Welsh rarebit savoury. The wine list rewards the deep of pocket, although a Coravin system means that gems such as a 2012 Les Forts de Latour, Pauillac, can be poured by the glass.
* The in-house Otley microbrewery is back in business, the pub has its own craft beer shop and an on-site bakery is in the pipeline. Watch this space.*
The cottagey feel of this stone-built pub in a quiet street in Pontypridd mak… Read more
* The in-house Otley microbrewery is back in business, the pub has its own craft beer shop and an on-site bakery is in the pipeline. Watch this space.*
The cottagey feel of this stone-built pub in a quiet street in Pontypridd makes it equally appealing to locals out for a pint or two of premium cask or keg beer (from Wales and beyond), or those from further afield in search of cutting-edge modern Welsh cooking. A warmly hospitable feel prevails throughout, and canine guests are welcome in the bar. The kitchen makes the best of prime Welsh materials for fried cockles, leeks, laverbread and pancetta on sourdough, or perhaps filling ravioli with Pantysgawn goat's cheese and chipotle on roasted squash velouté. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are so full of galvanising flavour, you might look no further – smoked cauliflower is lathered in green harissa and black garlic, and served on a 'cassoulet' of chickpeas, leek and burnt onion. Confirmed meatheads will gravitate towards an unabashed pairing of slow-cooked ox shank and roasted black pudding with buttered mash and charred greens in a sticky jus. If you're stuck on stickiness, there's toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream to finish, or perhaps a Welsh cheese selection with chorizo jam and Earl Grey crackers.
Part country restaurant, part local pub with its own brewery
Ambleside is well served by the Drunken Duck. It is not one of those pubs that has left its drinking side behind (not with that name); instead, it throws a welcoming arm around locals in an atmosphere of free-and-easy conviviality… Read more
Ambleside is well served by the Drunken Duck. It is not one of those pubs that has left its drinking side behind (not with that name); instead, it throws a welcoming arm around locals in an atmosphere of free-and-easy conviviality. That said, an appreciable attempt has been made to give the dining area its own identity with some framed art prints of flowers, a festooning of dried hops, and an open-to-view kitchen. Last booking for food is 8pm.
Staff are expertly clued-up, not least with knowledge of the Barngates beers brewed on site. The food is distinguished by nutritious heartiness, seen to impressive effect in a vegetarian main course of roasted cabbage and mushrooms topped with capers and horseradish, served with potato cakes, which might be preceded by a fricassée of Jerusalem artichokes with apple, black garlic and sunflower seeds.
Homely main dishes make great cold-weather sustenance, even when the cold weather comes round in late June: a bowl of fortifying marjoram-scented rabbit stew arrives with chunky veg, potent gravy and a cloud of lovely mash. Sides of perfectly textured chips and aïoli will help fill any holes.
In the context, the afters seem pleasantly light: yoghurt mousse and rhubarb sorbet team up for a refreshing finish, under a summery dusting of dried raspberries, or there may be a raspberry and fig version of Bakewell pudding. Gluggable wines by the glass head up a no-nonsense list.
Torquay's finest is barely more than a rope-throw from the Marina, a double-fronted, expansive space run with serene efficiency. Simon Hulstone oversees a long-established, venturesome kitchen that reliably brims with good ideas, … Read more
Torquay's finest is barely more than a rope-throw from the Marina, a double-fronted, expansive space run with serene efficiency. Simon Hulstone oversees a long-established, venturesome kitchen that reliably brims with good ideas, against a backbone of mainstay classic dishes that ensure the locals keep coming back. The base price shifted sharply upwards with the transition to a prix-fixe format, but there is no doubting the integrity and class of the cooking. A favoured pairing of gently poached scallop and savoury chicken wing in bone-marrow dressing with sea buckthorn is a masterful exercise in counterpointing flavours and textures. In its spring season, Wye Valley asparagus might be smartly accoutred with barbecued pineapple, a hash brown and macadamias, while the same imaginative energy is on dazzling display in a main dish of poached cod with pink grapefruit and carrot in a coconut curry sauce. That said, confirmed traditionalists will find nothing lacking in a serving of heritage pork with its glazed cheek and black pudding, alongside grelot onion and pearl barley. The voguish savoury approach to desserts sees apricot parfait served with toasted rice and chai foam or gariguette strawberries fragranced with bay leaf flan and peppered caramel. The wine offering doesn't change much with the passing years, other than for the initial offering headed 'seasonal wines we like', which are always worth a flutter – perhaps a Sardinian Vermentino or Rhône-style red from Cucugnan in the Aude.
Relaxed village local with a long-standing reputation
A ‘tip-top’ local asset since 2004, James and Bianca Rix’s relaxed, unstuffy pub a few miles from Ware combines its roles with great panache. The casual bar serves as a dedicated drinkers’ den (real ales bu… Read more
A ‘tip-top’ local asset since 2004, James and Bianca Rix’s relaxed, unstuffy pub a few miles from Ware combines its roles with great panache. The casual bar serves as a dedicated drinkers’ den (real ales but no food), while the restaurant is airy, spacious and lit by an ornate gold chandelier – although most plaudits are reserved for the ‘fabulous’ ever-attentive staff. Outside is a pretty garden for all seasons, and the kitchen is also noted for its calendar-driven approach.
Contemporary, ingredients-led Anglo-European cooking is the style, with springtime menus delivering everything from whole Cornish plaice with Jersey Royals and salty fingers (aka ‘jellybeans’, a cousin of marsh samphire) to perfectly pink, crisp-skinned French duck breast with gratin dauphinois and green peppercorn sauce. To start, readers have praised the three-cheese and hazelnut soufflé with spinach, and a dish of sautéed rabbit livers with fairy-ring mushrooms, peas and wild garlic on toast. To finish, a 'beautiful' saffron-poached pear and an almond tart with crème fraîche have gone down a treat. Roast rib of dry-aged Hereford beef with Yorkshire pud and all the trimmings is the highlight on Sundays, when lunch meanders on until 5pm.
The kindly priced wine list favours France, with a decent smattering of organic bottles and by-the-glass selections. Also check out the owners' pop-up shop, a handy spot for coffee, pastries and deli produce.
This is where it all began for chef and entrepreneur Ben McKellar. Since 1998, The Gingerman has gently evolved and is now part of group that has grown to include a country pub, an urban pub with rooms, and the trendy Flint House … Read more
This is where it all began for chef and entrepreneur Ben McKellar. Since 1998, The Gingerman has gently evolved and is now part of group that has grown to include a country pub, an urban pub with rooms, and the trendy Flint House with it's 'sharing plate' ethos. Gingerman still has that neighbourhood feel, with buttoned leather banquettes along one wall, exposed brick walls and a menu that always seem to punch above its weight. How about roasted veal sweetbread with mint and dashi consommé? The fixed-price carte (two or three courses) makes good use of regional ingredients and has moved with the times. Heritage tomatoes might go into a gazpacho with Devon crab and crumbly, sharp Sussex Medita cheese, while Loch Duart salmon is given the confit treatment with a fragrant hit of elderflower. Among main courses, seafood gets a good showing (pan-roasted stone bass with coco beans and tempura oyster, maybe), and Southdown lamb is a regular (loin and confit belly with almonds and olives). Dark chocolate stars in a creative dessert with Kahlua and espresso, alongside a morello cherry sorbet. There's also a tasting menu with optional (and good-value) wine pairings, and the veggie version is no afterthought. Bottle prices kick off at £29 for a Languedoc-Roussillon, although the list covers the globe and also delivers appealing options by the glass and carafe.
Since opening in 2000, this rustic but comfortable restaurant tucked within a farmers' market in a large, characterful converted railway shed next to Canterbury West station has made a big impression. Even after all these years, l… Read more
Since opening in 2000, this rustic but comfortable restaurant tucked within a farmers' market in a large, characterful converted railway shed next to Canterbury West station has made a big impression. Even after all these years, locals seem well aware of what a gem they have on their doorstep: ‘It has been our "go to" restaurant for the last 20 years and, hand on heart, I have never been disappointed,' noted one regular. Huge arched windows and mismatched wooden furniture help to create a relaxed, cosy and rustic atmosphere, and ‘when the lights are dimmed and the candles come out in the evening, it makes for a very intimate dining experience’. Jackson Berg (ex Barletta, Margate) has taken over the kitchen and delivers a short menu that’s an exciting mix of good, seasonal ingredients (many sourced from the market stalls) overlaid with flashes of Mediterranean vibrancy. Start with pork rillettes, cornichons and toast or cured sea bass with citrus, shallots and capers, ahead of lemon sole with fried potatoes and hollandaise or roasted pork loin with celeriac parmentier, anchovy and peppercorns. Readers have also praised the ‘little touches... delicious breads, proper linen napkins’, the ‘charming’ staff, and ‘the excellent value for money’. In addition, there’s a brief, efficient list of European (and English) wines.
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.
It's neither cutting-edge cool nor nostalgically retro, but the Lime Tree sure is popular: every year, readers tell us that they 'keep coming back'. Two dining rooms – a light-filled conservatory and cosier parlour, which ha… Read more
It's neither cutting-edge cool nor nostalgically retro, but the Lime Tree sure is popular: every year, readers tell us that they 'keep coming back'. Two dining rooms – a light-filled conservatory and cosier parlour, which has a wood-stacked fireplace and opens onto the enclosed terrace – give regulars options, as does a bistro menu that reads simply and well, hitting the right comfort-spots. Straight-down-the-line classics such as mussels marinière or 21-day dry-aged sirloin steak au poivre, appear alongside the likes of roast beetroot salad with goat’s cheese mousse, bonbons, candied walnuts and balsamic, or a ragoût of monkfish, king prawns and sweet potato with Thai spices and coconut rice. There’s a good-value set menu too, perhaps offering the likes of chicken liver parfait, slow-cooked duck ragoût with rigatoni pasta, and a simple chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream. Service is warm and willing, while wines are pitched accessibly in a list that's skewed towards Europe.
During lockdown, the green acres surrounding this enchanting converted vicarage were given a serious makeover, with the chefs mucking in alongside the horticulturists and landscaping experts. A new herb garden was laid out, rare f… Read more
During lockdown, the green acres surrounding this enchanting converted vicarage were given a serious makeover, with the chefs mucking in alongside the horticulturists and landscaping experts. A new herb garden was laid out, rare fruit varieties were introduced into the orchard and a ‘wild meadow’ was created to increase biodiversity, with banks of herbs and decorative plants destined for the kitchen. And in case you needed reminding, this captivating prospect is just eight miles from Sheffield’s sprawling conurbations. Tessa Bramley has been the inspirational guiding spirit here for more than three decades; her cooking was properly grounded in nature long before it became the fashion, and her appetite for meticulously sourced seasonal produce has never waned. For its many fans, eating in the decorous surrounds of the Old Vicarage is ‘just about the perfect dining experience’, particularly if you opt for the ‘prestige’ tasting menu (a daily ‘short menu’ is also available, with dishes recited at the table). ‘Beautifully matched flavours and textures’ are a given, and there’s an instinctive feel for what is right and natural on the plate – be it a dish of English asparagus and wild garlic (from the garden) with caramelised pumpkin seeds, confit egg yolk and herb oil or a sturdy helping of dry-aged Derbyshire beef (from Ashover), roasted with bone marrow and accompanied by braised fennel, mint cream and caraway-scented spring cabbage. Herbal flourishes are everywhere: a tarragon emulsion with marinated salmon; notes of lavender in a dish of spring lamb and baby turnips; lemon-thyme ice cream served alongside bittersweet orange curd and orange gel; sweet cicely sorbet accompanying a confection of bitter chocolate and hazelnut shortbread. The whole experience is perfectly orchestrated and ably executed by ‘well-trained, knowledgeable staff’, who also know their way around the restaurant’s intelligently chosen wine list. Big-name European estates and boutique New World growers share the spoils, but there is value too – if you are prepared to delve (bottles start at £25).
Celebrated Rutland hostelry famed for its locally sourced produce
A pubby success story if ever there was one, this handsome stone hostelry was gifted to Clipsham by a local squire in 1890 and rescued from extinction by three friends in 1999. Since then, it has become a shining star on the Rutla… Read more
A pubby success story if ever there was one, this handsome stone hostelry was gifted to Clipsham by a local squire in 1890 and rescued from extinction by three friends in 1999. Since then, it has become a shining star on the Rutland scene with its open-minded community spirit and forward-thinking approach to food and drink. The Olive Branch was an early adopter of local sourcing and still name-checks its ever-growing list of suppliers, as well as topping up its larder with home-grown produce from an increasingly productive ‘pub paddock’.
The kitchen caters for all appetites and predilections – whether your preference is for haddock and chips, courgette and sage tagliatelle or venison haunch with braised onion, roast beetroot and chocolate tortellini. Starters are equally creative, ranging from cockle-warming leek velouté bolstered by Westcomb Cheddar dumplings, miso leeks and croûtons to trendy cured salmon with nori, yuzu, pickled tapioca and buttermilk sauce, while dessert might bring tonka-bean panna cotta, mulled poached figs or an Eccles cake with Barkham Blue cheese.
Sunday lunch also ‘delivers on every level’, with locally sourced beef sirloin or roast pork loin supplemented by a ‘full house of veggies’ and rich, dark gravy. On the drinks front, top-notch regional ales and an ever-changing list of good-value wines receive equal billing, with Coravin selections signalling the owners’ serious intent in this field. Readers are also keen to praise the pub's relaxing, homely vibe and the top-drawer service from polite, attentive staff who are happy to ‘go that extra mile’. Accommodation is available at Beech House, across the road.
* A casual offshoot called the River Café Café (with its own terrace) is now open, adjacent to the main restaurant. Walk-ins only. Watch for more details coming soon. *
Only a handful of London restaurants can genui… Read more
* A casual offshoot called the River Café Café (with its own terrace) is now open, adjacent to the main restaurant. Walk-ins only. Watch for more details coming soon. *
Only a handful of London restaurants can genuinely claim to be ‘iconic’, and this glamorous spot on a Hammersmith backstreet is one of them. Launched by Ruth Rogers and the late Rose Gray in 1987, the River Café’s mission was to bring the seasonal pleasures of artisan Italian cuisine to the capital. It may be approaching middle age, but this is still ‘one cool restaurant’, frequented by a well-heeled, fashion-conscious crowd who love to eat (and be seen) here. The dining space is filled with light and luminous colours (sea blue, bright yellow), there’s cafeteria-style seating and an open-plan kitchen with a wood-fired oven, while a shiny zinc bar brings you close to the action. Topping it off, an outdoor terrace with a view of the Thames is the perfect summery spot. As for the food itself, everything depends on impeccable supplies from Italy and nearer home, all attuned to the calendar. The culinary approach may be understated but ingredients are treated with the utmost respect, as in a plate of fabulously sweet, split and wood-roasted Scottish langoustines paired with garlic and parsley. Some once-thrilling ideas now seem commonplace (chargrilled squid with red chilli and rocket, for example), but others still create a special magic: a dish of hearty softened cannellini beans with summer girolles, parsley and a slice of crostino could have come straight from a Tuscan farmhouse, while properly gamey wood-roasted Yorkshire grouse (bang in season) with crispy Tuscan-style roast potatoes and a jus laced with a generous splash of Brunello di Montalcino is rustic yet sophisticated. No corners are cut here – even the wine used for cooking comes from renowned estates. For dessert, there are classics aplenty, from the sumptuous and much-copied chocolate nemesis to a citrussy Amalfi lemon tart. Service is charming to a fault, although all this fame and legacy can cost a small fortune: depending on your financial status, it can seem ‘reassuringly expensive’ or downright pricey. And you will need to nurse your bank balance if you plan to indulge in the wine list – a mighty tome packed with Italian gems (including some stunning Super Tuscans) as well as classy Champagnes. Thankfully, around 25 by-the-glass selections (from £13) help to ease the burden.
Small wonder the Rose & Crown attracts comments such as ‘our go-to pub’. Under the same ownership for nearly 30 years, this venerable hostelry with rooms is a reliable stalwart that's equally popular with thirsty v… Read more
Small wonder the Rose & Crown attracts comments such as ‘our go-to pub’. Under the same ownership for nearly 30 years, this venerable hostelry with rooms is a reliable stalwart that's equally popular with thirsty villagers, second-home owners and holidaymakers sneaking inland from the coast. It’s near Snettisham’s church and was built about the same time, a 14th-century whitewashed beauty with two gorgeous old bars (all beams, open fires, real ales and general cosiness) and a large, light dining room extension – its beachside vibe helped by part-panelled walls and wooden rafters hung with fairy lights. Outside in the enclosed garden, the theme continues with new beach-hut bars joining the established children’s play area. The seasonal menu of modern pub food also has a seaside accent (Brancaster mussels is a ‘signature’ in cooler months), boosted by specials and ‘classics’ such as burgers, curries and steaks. There are plenty of high points – from pea, mint and Norfolk Mardler (cheese) risotto to precision-cooked whole plaice paired with perfect in-season purple sprouting broccoli. Best of all during our visit was an expertly wrought combo of passion fruit gâteau, passion fruit parfait and lemon tart with raspberry coulis, which could have graced any haute cuisine establishment. Less heart-gladdening was a lacklustre Thai sauce in an otherwise praiseworthy dish of linguine with plump prawns and tender squid, while our chocolate and hazelnut tart has thick, dryish pastry. Service dwindled as the afternoon wore on, yet it was hard to blame the cheery young waitresses. Drinkers supping pints of Woodforde’s Wherry populate the bars, while vinophiles can choose from a serviceable list that includes a trio of Norfolk wines.
Sitting majestically at one end of Padstow, Rick Stein's family-run flagship is truly one of the heritage addresses of British gastronomy. In business continuously since 1975, it has played a major role in overcoming what was the … Read more
Sitting majestically at one end of Padstow, Rick Stein's family-run flagship is truly one of the heritage addresses of British gastronomy. In business continuously since 1975, it has played a major role in overcoming what was the national ambivalence about seafood. Those who always claimed they liked fish but didn't know what to do with it have been inspired by a range of dishes that has never shied away from stepping off the straight and narrow – witness the likes of Indonesian fish curry with green bean and coconut salad, or vigorously spiced monkfish with roasted butternut squash and crispy chicken skin.
At heart, though, it's sterling tradition that is celebrated most fulsomely here, producing hearty Provençal-style fish soup with rouille and croûtons, platters of cold or hot fruits de mer, and main courses such as casseroled hake, chargrilled sea bass with tomato, butter and vanilla vinaigrette, or the show-stopping lobster thermidor in cream and Noilly Prat, served with skinny chips. People appreciate the bright, relaxing atmosphere and the first-class service, and even if the cost of it all can mount up formidably, it is usually felt to be worth the outlay.
Bistro-style desserts round things off with classics such as lemon tart, chocolate fondant or passion-fruit pavlova. Wines by the glass open with a quality Muscadet Sur Lie, the kind of seafood-friendly white that has all but disappeared from other lists. The quality throughout is highly commendable, but markups may well be found too hot to handle.
Given its location in a Chilterns hamlet, this comely old pub-turned-restaurant needs to attract custom from afar – and it has long been successful, establishing a covetable reputation for high-quality food. Chef Andrew Lewi… Read more
Given its location in a Chilterns hamlet, this comely old pub-turned-restaurant needs to attract custom from afar – and it has long been successful, establishing a covetable reputation for high-quality food. Chef Andrew Lewis is keeping the kitchen on track, nudging the operation forward with a range of concise menus suffused with eclectic Anglo-European flavours. Appetisers – perhaps a delicate, creamy broccoli and Stilton tart – are served to guests seated on sofas in the venerable beamed bar. Beyond, is a choice of smart dining areas furnished with unclothed tables and upholstered wooden chairs, plus a leafy terrace and capacious lawned beer garden. Even early in the evening, there’s a romantic feel to the place: art on the walls, candles on tables, smoochy jazz on the sound-system and curvaceous sculptures of wildlife dotted around. Beautifully presented dishes add to the allure: a large piece of sherry-glazed pork neck arrives with thinly sliced peach and dabs of peach ‘ketchup’, the ensemble boosted substantially by a little mound of pâté-like pesto. An inspection meal continued with a compendium of piscine flavours: a large chunk of accurately cooked monkfish sharing a plate with a dolma (the vine leaf stuffed with cuttlefish and flavoured with thyme), a dollop of mustard and dulse relish, half a preserved lemon, hazelnut pâté and a creamy smoked-eel sauce. Puddings, too, show technical skill, with a perfectly risen blackberry soufflé complemented by a tangy blackberry sorbet; only a thin crème anglaise missed the mark. The voluminous wine list seems old-fashioned by comparison, with the Old World dominating an unannotated line-up arranged by region. Service, from the kindly proprietress and her young staff, is obliging and swift.
Restaurant Of The Year
More than 24 years on and still as popular as ever, The Sportsman is by far the most relaxed of all the Guide’s top-rated restaurants. ‘The food is probably the best I've eaten – on pretty… Read more
More than 24 years on and still as popular as ever, The Sportsman is by far the most relaxed of all the Guide’s top-rated restaurants. ‘The food is probably the best I've eaten – on pretty much all of the 20 odd times I've been there,’ confided a supporter, who lists the ‘amazing’ staff and a wine list that ‘is unusually fairly priced for so fine a restaurant’ among its attributes. Add the appeal of a scrubbed, rustic interior designed to make people feel at ease, open fires, a dash of comfort and, on the night we spotted a McLaren in the car park, a sprinkling of glamour, and it’s easy to see how it can get booked up for months ahead. Not bad for a shabby old Kent pub tucked under a sea defence wall, two miles west of Whitstable. A famous take-us-as-we-are attitude puts the emphasis on exceptional hospitality and on turning out food of rare quality – courtesy of head chef Dan Flavell, who interprets co-owner Steve Harris’s ingredients-led, seasonally aware approach brilliantly. Everything is produced with great assurance, as can be appreciated from the five-course tasting menu – which includes snacks and plenty of choice at each stage. There’s no shortage of luxury ingredients – creamily poached oysters in the lightest, just-warm beurre blanc with pickled cucumber and salty, soft Avruga caviar, or exquisite native lobster with hollandaise and black truffle – but one sign of a good kitchen is what can be done with humbler raw materials. The Sportsman's emblematic answer is a slip sole grilled in seaweed butter – widely copied, yet you will never eat a better one elsewhere. Even a simple-looking plate of braised halibut fillet with a rich, intensely satisfying cep and lemon verbena sauce hides great technical skill and requires pinpoint judgement to get it as right as this. Meat dishes are handled as well as any: charred maple-cured pork (of fabulous flavour) is transformed into something very special by virtue of excellent ingredients – wholegrain mustard tartare, cabbage salad and gooseberries; needless to say, execution and delivery are faultless. This is not hearty, gutsy food, nor is it showy. It is the marriage of ingredients and balance that so often impresses, as well as the remarkable lightness of touch. Although the kitchen keeps abreast of the times, the food never seems to fall for the clichés that sustain others, preferring to maintain steady interest – as in a fabulous vegetarian dish of intensely flavoured roast beetroot with raspberries and raw crème fraîche. Desserts pay huge dividends by virtue of their simplicity and are no less appealing for having a conventional air about them – as in our faultless raspberry soufflé with raspberry ripple ice cream. This is cooking that leaves you wanting more and sends you home with a smile, especially when prices for both food and wine represent such good value.
Back on form as one of the finest hostelries in the country, the Star is somewhere to come for a slap-up restaurant-style supper or a simple bar lunch. For all its fame – the walls are plastered with awards as well as photos… Read more
Back on form as one of the finest hostelries in the country, the Star is somewhere to come for a slap-up restaurant-style supper or a simple bar lunch. For all its fame – the walls are plastered with awards as well as photos of chef-owner Andrew Pern with celeb-chefs and King Charles – this reborn 14th-century inn is still Harome's village watering hole with strong local credentials on the food front. On the plate, Whitby lobster and organic salmon ravioli are just as worthy of attention as maple-glazed mallard. To begin, a snack of Yorkshire custard tart laced with honey from the pub’s hives and matched for sweetness by the golden raisins embedded in its savoury cream is an unabashedly rich introduction to the unusual flavour combinations to come. Pern’s signature starter is a slice of pan-fried foie gras sandwiched between two patties of grilled black pudding; to follow, there might be herb-roasted crown of red-legged partridge with haggis and a peat-whisky bread pudding, in which the metallic tang of the game is echoed by the iodine of the spirit. Banoffee pie, meanwhile, is successfully reinvented as a sort of chocolate gâteau flavoured with Blue Mountain coffee and Madagascan vanilla: a sugar-rush of sophistication. None of this comes cheap: the 10-course tasting menu costs £125, while three courses clock in at around £60. But the skill of the cooking is matched by the professionalism of a friendly team of Yorkshire youngsters out front, who are not only well-drilled on the finer points of the menu but are able to offer impressively knowledgeable wine advice. The surroundings are charming too, from the beamed warren of rooms filled with oak furniture crafted by Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson to the new lounge bar in the medieval eaves of the building where an engraving marks ‘The great fire of Harome’. If budget is an issue, a weekday menu offers two courses for £25: slow-roasted pumpkin soup followed by a steamed suet pudding of local venison, say. It’s served in the bar, which is where you’ll find the locals, pleased as punch to have their pub back at the centre of village life.
A fixture of touristy Dedham (this is Constable country, after all), Piers Baker’s sunny-yellow inn opposite the village church is a proper pub success story. Culinary aspirations are high, but there’s still room for a… Read more
A fixture of touristy Dedham (this is Constable country, after all), Piers Baker’s sunny-yellow inn opposite the village church is a proper pub success story. Culinary aspirations are high, but there’s still room for ale-supping locals at the elm bar, while the split-level beamed restaurant has a relaxed, congenial vibe. East Anglia meets Italy on the seasonal menu and there are plenty of colourful, incisively flavoured treats in store, all fashioned from impeccably sourced ingredients. Vegetarians might fancy the bruschetta of Suffolk oyster mushrooms, artichoke, truffle and egg, while fish fans could plump for gurnard served with fennel, fregola and a shellfish and tomato broth. Pasta is always a strong suit (linguine with cockles and 'nduja, say), and British rare-breed steaks get the full treatment. If something ‘casual’ is required, order a cheese sourdough toastie with greengage jam before rounding off with an espresso custard tart, chocolate and amaretto mascarpone. Real ales from East Anglian breweries and elsewhere please the locals, but the Sun’s brightest draw is its wine list – an intelligent, well-spread collection complete with quirky categories (‘anything but Italian’, for example), lesser-known producers and helpful notes on food and wine matching. Around 20 gently priced selections are available by the glass or carafe.
Chef/owner Toby Fletcher first opened a restaurant in this quaint 15th-century building on Ombersley’s equally picturesque Main Road in 1998, and the venue is now back on song following various disruptions. Over the years, i… Read more
Chef/owner Toby Fletcher first opened a restaurant in this quaint 15th-century building on Ombersley’s equally picturesque Main Road in 1998, and the venue is now back on song following various disruptions. Over the years, it has garnered firm local support, so expect regular full houses in the two conjoined dining rooms where ancient beams, mustard-hued walls and a tartan-style carpet create a suitably elegant setting. Readers note the ‘real community friendly feel’ of the restaurant, adding that ‘this is the best place to eat for very many miles around’. The set menu offers ample choice of classically influenced dishes characterised by rich sauces, robust flavours and classy touches such as home-smoked specialities and homemade beef-dripping butter (hard to resist). Additional specials are recited by the amenable staff at table. Our visit began well with a deft little assembly of smoked salmon topped with horseradish and cream cheese on a miniature cheese scone. Starters kept up the standard, from tender sweetbreads in an intense gravy with peas and grated potato to ‘seafood hors d’oeuvres’ consisting of refreshing gazpacho with prawns, feather-light monkfish tempura on punchy romesco sauce, and melt-in-the-mouth beetroot-cured gravadlax. Main courses can seem overly rich, but there was no doubting the wonderfully smoky flavours of the juicy duck breast with crisp potato gnocchi or the quality of succulent roast halibut (a special) accompanied by tomato beurre blanc and a pot of orzo pasta and wild garlic gratin. Vegetables are served separately, while puddings such as a moist honey, pistachio and lemon cake will please the sweet-toothed and ensure that no one leaves feeling hungry. A well-balanced wine list includes plenty of bottles under £40, plus various by-the-glass options.
* The Waterside Inn now has two head chefs. Fabrice Uhryn has been joined by Adam Wright, who spent the last six years working under Guy Savoy and César Troisgros in France. Watch for a new review coming soon.*
A landmark … Read more
* The Waterside Inn now has two head chefs. Fabrice Uhryn has been joined by Adam Wright, who spent the last six years working under Guy Savoy and César Troisgros in France. Watch for a new review coming soon.*
A landmark destination for 50 years and counting, this ‘citadel of classic gastronomy’ still has the power to captivate, not least with its Thames-side location – a willow-shrouded riverbank with birds twittering in the sunlight and boats swaying by their moorings. An English idyll you might think, yet this corner of a Berkshire village is forever France, suffused with unshakeable Gallic civility – although all that studied politesse can feel rather dated, especially since the departure of charismatic maître d’ Diego Masciaga back in 2018. From the very beginning, this ‘restaurant avec chambres’ has had Roux family blood coursing through its veins, with Alain (Michel’s son) currently upholding its deep-rooted traditions. He oversees a repertoire of exalted haute cuisine designed to please but never offend – respectful cooking with a proper sense of occasion, promising rich rewards for those who are prepared to forget about their bank balances for a while. Penny-pinching is not an option here. Fashions come and go, but the Waterside’s masterly rendition of quenelles de brochet (pike) with langoustines is a hardy perennial, likewise pan-fried foie gras with a thoroughly appropriate Gewürztraminer sauce – or even a boozy cocotte of oxtail and beef cheek braised to unctuous richness in Beaujolais. It may be entrenched in the grand old ways, but the kitchen also steps gingerly into the modern world – poached halibut dressed with strips of mooli and a piquant lime and vodka sauce or a gâteau of grilled aubergines with roasted quinoa, prunes and orange vinaigrette. Alain Roux is a master patissier by trade and the flurry of intricately fashioned desserts shows off his true vocation: don’t miss his soufflés (warm William pear with persimmon coulis, for example). ‘Wine suggestions’ start at £45 – the bottom line on a voluminous, scarily priced list that delves deep into the annals of French viticulture.
Graham Garrett’s delightfully laid-back restaurant with rooms certainly has formidable staying power – it celebrated its 20th birthday in 2022. The 16th-century weaver’s cottage is fittingly discreet from the out… Read more
Graham Garrett’s delightfully laid-back restaurant with rooms certainly has formidable staying power – it celebrated its 20th birthday in 2022. The 16th-century weaver’s cottage is fittingly discreet from the outside, warm, understated and beautifully timbered within, with affable service and a choice of fixed-price menus: diners can go ‘short’ at lunchtime (four courses) or ‘full' in the evening (five courses, plus cheese as an extra). Either way, the kitchen sets high standards with seasonally aware dishes demonstrating a solid understanding of classic techniques and enlivened by vibrant contemporary flavours.
Garrett’s fish supplies are spot-on for freshness and his timing is true – as in crisp-skinned wild sea bass offset by bittersweet caramelised endive and a ‘really savoury’ chicken sauce or skrei cod fillet with grilled baby gem and brown shrimp butter. As for meat, acorn-fed Ibérico pork ‘presa’ (a shoulder cut) is a favourite with the kitchen, perhaps served with celeriac purée and a slice of pickled quince. Following a palate cleanser, dessert proper might be baked rhubarb cheesecake with rhubarb sorbet and gingerbread crisp, although Garrett’s take on Bakewell tart is a ‘knockout’, with the thinnest, crispest pastry and a fig/almond filling.
The serious-minded wine list packs in a host of dependable producers, with plenty for the traditionalists while lifting the lid on a smattering of off-piste labels. Two dozen choices by the glass or carafe offer a tempting way in.
Edinburgh’s Italian gastro-scene owes a great deal to members of the Contini dynasty, in fact their original deli and wine store remains ‘numero uno’ in the city with its treasure-trove of artisan provisions. Thr… Read more
Edinburgh’s Italian gastro-scene owes a great deal to members of the Contini dynasty, in fact their original deli and wine store remains ‘numero uno’ in the city with its treasure-trove of artisan provisions. Thread your way past the shelves of comestibles and regional wines to reach the jam-packed caffè bar at the back of the premises. Informal, all-day eating is the name of the game, and everything hinges on top-notch ingredients – including plenty of seasonal Scottish produce.
Drop by for breakfast (perhaps a signature ‘panetella’ sandwich with proper kick-start coffee) or call in later for some handmade pasta – spaghettini with palourde clams or orecchiette with cime di rape, anchovies and extra-virgin olive oil. Otherwise, share an antipasti platter or graze on a salad of fennel, orange and goat’s cheese. After that, move on to a ‘primi’ plate of, say, fritto misto or pistachio-crumbed lamb rump, before rounding off with V&C’s bombolone doughnuts, a delectable cake or some gelati.
The owners are wine merchants par excellence, and you can access their authoritative cellar by choosing a bottle from the shop; just add £8 to the retail price, and you're good to go. Alternatively, browse the short caffè list from your table; bottles start at £17, and everything is available by the glass.
The candyfloss-pink frontage and walls crowded with maritime pictures announce one of Whitstable's most cherishable assets, a seafood haven since the mid-Victorian era, still serving sparkling-fresh fish and shellfish from the loc… Read more
The candyfloss-pink frontage and walls crowded with maritime pictures announce one of Whitstable's most cherishable assets, a seafood haven since the mid-Victorian era, still serving sparkling-fresh fish and shellfish from the local boats to a discerning clientele. A roaring takeaway trade might send you off with a prawn and crab tartlet to treasure. Otherwise, the venue offers everything from daytime sustenance to a eight-course tasting menu on Friday and Saturday evenings. Mark Stubbs embraces a dazzling range of culinary styles, turning his hand to anything from chargrilled scallops with buttered Kentish asparagus, polonaise crumble and crab mimosa to sticky Korean prawns with kachumber salad and gochujang sauce. And that's just for starters. The choice of mains also covers a lot of ground: roast sea bass with spring-green colcannon, fermented wild garlic stalks and a tartare sauce flecked with coastal herbs; pistachio- and citrus-crusted halibut with scallop and horseradish velouté; crispy-fried buttermilk monkfish with red cabbage coleslaw, griddled sweetcorn kerrnels and BBQ sauce. The lightest option for dessert could be a raspberry soufflé with raspberry-ripple ice cream. Unlicensed – so nip into the 'Offy' across the road for a bottle of wine or one of the specially selected craft beers.
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