Absolutely amazing seasonally oriented Award winning restaurant situated in the old area of Saffron Walden. One of the best meals I ate while in the UK. I still think of the pasta and my mouth waters! No wonder they receive praise from all the gourmet foodies:
"There's no doubt, this is an exceptional place to eat."
-- The Good Food Guide
Exceptional indeed.....our lunch was delicious and we left replete and in a haze of culinary happiness, burping lightly with a smile :) What did we eat you ask? Let me indulge you as we indulged.
First we decided to share everything so we started with a number of small plate STARTERS:
Focaccia with cultured butter - butter was sooooo creamy and focaccia so fresh. Always a good sign when even the basics are thoughtfully and precisely prepared
Cured trout with horseradish - trout was excellent and the cream is sits in had a bite
Brocolli Caio e Pepe - this was one of our favourite dishes, incredible sauce and the brocolli was al dente, definitely order this!
Crumpet with whipped cod's roe - light and moreish
Then we chose a follow up PASTA course (small plates but powerful) :
Fettucine - Burro e Salvia - wow, so much butter that was enhanced with sage, rich yet fresh and velvety at the same time!
Spaghetti - Tomato, Anchovy, Chilli Canestrini - this was hands down my favourite dish and the one I dream of...lol. The melange of strong flavors morphs into a mouthwatering fragrant and zingy sauce that I have tried to recreate at home but failed miserably. Definitely order this dish! 20/10!
Pork Shoulder + Cime de rapa - slow cooked pork with brocolli rabe greens, melt in the mouth, savory and unctuous
Third course MAINS were substantial and we were still sharing:
Sea Bream, borlotti beans, raddichio - Tender fillets of sea bream served on a bed of umami, perfectly seasoned and slightly creamy bed of borlotti beans. Bream still slightly sticky on your first bite then it melts in your mouth. So tasty! Raddichio is a dressed slightly bitter side salad and the perfect foil to cut the richness of the rest of the dish.
Confit of Duck leg Cassoulet - cassoulet bean stew with a large sized duck leg cooked to succulent perfection, a classic, skilfully prepared
Buttered potatoes - seasonal, locally produced with a powerful new potato taste and lashings of butter, basic done right
After all these delectable delights we were too full for dessert, which was a pity as I had already picked out the white pana cotta with rhubarb as my choice. Another day hopefully, after I have eaten 4 plates of the tomato, anchovy and chilli pasta ;)
We had a few glasses of an Italian white wine to accompany our meal, and it complemented everything beautifully. Plus the chef, Max Chater, came out to make sure we had enjoyed our meal and explained where some of the ingredients were sourced and chatted for a while which was a lovely way end our slap up lunch.
Decor is minimalist yet cosy, with the menu projected onto the back wall so easy to read, and a few items of select gourmet merchandise to purchase.
If you are looking for outstanding local cuisine I would suggest visiting Chaters, the food is excellent and so is the service. read more