First of all, places as good as this are not plentiful enough. Second, if I could give it 8 stars I…read morewould.
This place came recommended, but with a codicil I hear from time to time - the portions are small. I don't really mind this, provided the quality is there, and the tastes are wonderful. For the most part the tastes and the quality here are wonderful.
So four of us, all first time diners here, arrived with anticipation. Last time we four dined together was in Disney's Boathouse Orlando and I've separately reviewed this below average place.
It was a cold evening about 6c as we arrived. I think we got the last car parking space; it doesn't have extensive parking.
The greeting was warm and it felt like we were going into an old barn, the impressive brick walls are feet thick and lots of exposed old wood. Cosy enough.
My starter was seared scallop with confit chicken wing, crisp chicken skin, chicken sauce and wild mushrooms. It was delicious and hard to discern the best bit. It was all very good with a moreish sauce.
Two companions has the citrus cured salmon, with cucumber relish, salad cream and granary crisp bread. They raved about it. The salmon was a cured chunk, mostly raw within and perhaps blow torched to magnificence on the outside.
One of our hungry bunch had celeriac soup which she found divine together served with tasty, chunky wheaten bread and butter.
So let's pause. I read somewhere that this is a British restaurant. Ok. If you say so, but with the stocks, gels, purées and reductions it more than nods to Escoffier and French haute cuisine cooking techniques.
My main was salmon based, with deep fried rissoles stuffed with fine chopped mushrooms, puy lentils, steamed sprouting greens and some of the greens lightly battered and fried tempura style. Again everything on the plate was tasty.
Desserts were glorious bar one. My wife and I shared the dark chocolate, cherry and honeycomb and wow. Chocolate heaven enhanced with the whole cherry and honeycomb piece.
The peanut butter based pie too was light, delicate and very tasty but a tad more salt would lift it much more.
After these two big hitters the rhubarb and custard trifle was disappointing. It is a vegetable treated like a fruit. It didn't wow, it had no sharpness, it was more like a gel and it was not the thump of taste that rhubarb can easily deliver. Even the custard was meh. I doubt I'd go for it again.
Staff were delightful; the (£5) beers were tasty, the wine a generous pour (£5.25) but the (£7) gin of the week was weak, overly ice cubed, watery and generally diluted way out of balance.
So next time we must double the gin measure and reduce the quantity of ice and mixer.
Their cappuccino (£3) was very tasty too. I hope it's not too long before we return here. It was 4c as we left under the bright moon and as we were out in the country side the stars were noticeable.
