L'Enclume - Cartmel, Cumbria, England Visited Spring 2025…read more There are places in the world that don't just serve food -- they tell stories. L'Enclume is one of them. Tucked into the sleepy stone village of Cartmel, this restaurant doesn't announce itself with grandeur or flash. No need to. The experience unfolds slowly and deliberately, like the first warm day of spring back home in Georgia -- quiet, confident, full of promise. I came with my daughter and my father, a three-generation table on a grey and rainy English afternoon. What we found inside was something close to sacred. Every ingredient -- and I do mean every leaf, sprig, blossom, and shaving -- is grown just up the road on their farm. It's not farm-to-table because that phrase gets thrown around too easily. This is farm-as-table. Soil to plate, with nothing lost in between. Frankly I'd eat the dirt! The food isn't flashy. It's not even trying to impress you. What it's doing is whispering to you, reminding you how a carrot should really taste, how a beet can surprise you, how even the garnish -- a single flower petal, a delicate frond of dill -- has a place, a purpose, and a story of its own. Every element on the plate has been handled with the kind of care I've only ever seen in kitchens where respect runs deeper than ego. It's the same kind of care you see in a chef who's shelling peas from their grandmother's garden, barefoot and sun-warmed. Do yourself a favor and get the cheese trolley. I don't care how full you are. This isn't a board. It's a full rolling altar of British dairy. We ate our way through it like pilgrims. The wine pairing? Thoughtful and subtle. Not a single pour felt showy or out of place. Just another thread in a tapestry that had already been so patiently woven. And if you have favourites, as my father does, they will expertly deliver what your palet craves. And let me say this plainly: the service is beyond reproach. It's the best I've encountered anywhere. Period. There's grace in the way they move, in the way they speak, in the way they listen. You're not being served. You're being cared for. And there's a difference. They knew the dishes, yes, but they also seemed to know us -- when to engage, when to leave space, when to laugh, when to refill. It's a rhythm, and they've mastered it. Chef Simon... you have done well! I won't attempt to describe each dish. That would be like trying to summarize a novel by reading off the chapter titles. You'll have your own experience -- as you should. I've eaten all over the world. Some places show off, some feed your belly, and a few, like this one, feed your soul. L'Enclume is England's high temple of ultra-seasonal cooking. It's a restaurant that respects the land, the hands that work it, and the guests lucky enough to sit at the table. And if I'm ever blessed enough to return, I won't hesitate. I'll go in hungry, and I'll leave humbled and happy.

First of all the restaurant is amazing great food the food just melted in her mouth so flavorful…read more And whenever you got up to go to the restroom, they fold your napkin again and make it look brand new. Glorious variety of wines. The staff was amazing being so nice and presented dishes expertly. Also with the fancy food you can add an additional cheeseboard at the end and it's the best restaurant I've ever been to. If I could. /10!

My first thought towards this dining experience over a week ago was I wouldn't even wade into the…read moreenthusiastic mostly 5-star rating of a French styled restaurant in a fairly small town in Northern rural England. Just let it go. So here's what is bothering me, and I have strong feelings about this: the beef bourguignon. It's not rocket science to make this dish, and its base is a rich, savory beef broth mingled with things like onions, carrots, shallots, herbs like thyme and rosemary and possibly other spices to the chef's liking. Happen to know a bit about the dish because I've been making it for years. It's all about the broth to this diner. And to be fair, I once had a sadder version of the dish in Paris long ago. So how hard is it to make? Well, apparently the chefs in pubs and similar dining spots along the way are able to craft outstanding versions of their steak and ale pie that are simply outstanding in their robust beef taste. If those chefs can make that dish so well, so savory, why can't something similar be applied to beef bourguignon? I maintain the broth in starting the cooking process was simply not up to par. Lacking in richness, the beef was over-dried, suggesting it had been sitting too long or just wasn't prepared correctly. Instead of baby potatoes, a side of mashed potatoes sat off to the side of the beef and broth. Sorely lacking in the amount of butter needed and low on salt, it was an unpleasant and uninspiring addition that added nothing to the dish. The salad that proceeded the meal was listed as shrimp and mango. Out came baby shrimp with the rubbery taste of just thawed, mixed with mango, then a massive amount of Thousand Island like dressing drenching it all with a few chives atop. Not a great effort. Kudos for offering a true French Malbec from the Southwest corner of the country, the black wine, but this one was pedestrian and was served in the kind of wine glass that screams cheapest serving ware possible with its thick rim around the top. I can commend the staff which was professional and on top of it on a busy Friday night. Beyond that, this is a pass for me. Should have stuck to a local pub serving traditional countryside pies as the ones I've had along the Coast to Coast walk, my reason for being here, have all been outstanding.

Thanks to Emily B's brilliant local knowledge we ended up here early-ish on a Saturday night to…read morebenefit from their pre-1830 set menu which at £15 for 2 courses and £18 for 3 is great value for the quality of the food. I had a nice crab cake to start and only had slight food envy of my bf's delicious deep fried brie (yeah would def get that next time). For mains I had a fantastic rich and beautiful cooked duck leg and then a classic creme brulee to finish. Bf had the beef bourguignon which he loved and was still commenting on days later. On the sides front I would recommend the creamed leeks and green beans (in garlic butter), only thing I wasn't so keen on was the ratatouille. Service was very good and I love the design of the restaurant which involves a fake outdoor pavement seating area!

We used to love eating here but it is no longer open.read more

Visited here for Father's day in a group of four. We had booked and we're seated immediately. The…read morerestaurant was very busy. Russ the owner for the past 23 years was also working and greeted us all warmly . We all picked three courses for £14 each Excellent value for the quality of food served. The cuisine is English with a Mediterranean twist . All fresh and appetising to look at. You can also choose a Sunday roast . Definitely worth a visit if your in Southport as very reasonable for the ambiance and food quality.

Ah, Auberge. This is one of those places I've visited every now and again when I've been in the…read morebrunette's hometown of Southport, and the standard does shift frequently. Sometimes this French style place is somewhere you want to shout about, other times it's somewhere you want to shout AT. What keeps me coming back is the fact that when it's good, it's really good. The atmosphere is great, very ambient, and the menu always looks very classy but doesn't always live up to its description. The one quality that's never varied however is that of the moules marinier, mussels which are surely to die for. Or at least, make a special journey for. Sometimes accompaniments can be a little undercooked, and depending on your mood the jovial, jokey and bantering staff can either be the perfect tonic or your worst enemy. It's not the most efficient of service but most of the times I've stopped by I've felt well looked after. Despite its troubled past (problems with chefs scarpering with a great deal of moolah), Auberge does come up trumps when it wants to. A frequently changing menu keeps things really fresh, and the staff do have a lot of advice to offer about the menu. While the wine list can be a little pricey you can often get special offers if you look in the right places, so you might be able to get your money's worth. All in all a bit of a Gemini of a restaurant, but can be worth the risk...

Excellent service, tasty food, delicious drinks & great prices…read more We highly recommend. We

Prebook in advance to avoid disappointment!…read more I booked this for our anniversary meal. Despite turning up on time we had to queue outside for at least 25 minutes with several others waiting for people to finish their meals. Once inside the waiter was super apologetic, and you could tell he needed a drink himself. The restaurant was very cosy with interesting pieces of art on the walls. A nice very traditional feel about the place. Anyway the starters consisted of various seafood and meat dishes to which you can size up as a main on average pricing of £7 to £15. I had the pork cheeks and himself the clam spaghetti. While we waited we were presented with canapés consisting of cheese and carmalised onions..the other truffle oil on crackers. These were a very tasty treat. The spaghetti was well made and the sauce light smothering the tiny clams. My pork cheek was super tender, and it lay perched on perfect mash, panchetta, black pudding, pickled onions in a tomato broth. Various bits of bread was also served to mop up this juice. Only criticism clam meat is sooo small in this country so not worth the battle against the shells for such a tiny reward. For mains I had the seafood special which was a bowl filled with mussels, clams, scallop, king prawns and longuistines swimming in a broth and fresh pasta. This was super tasty, cooked to perfection and presented nicely. My only gripe was I only had one at most two scallops. My other half chose the lamb which again was super tender, in a homely bed of mash, sauce and root vegetables. Super simple dish but everything was cooked perfectly. I was feeling quite full but the orange panacotta with orange sorbet was too tasty to miss. It didn't disappoint. Overall despite the disappointing beginning the service was impeccable and food really tasty. However I did expect a bit more in terms of creativity considering this was a Michelin star restaurant. Definitely worth a visit if you enjoy your seafood especially.

In my opinion one of the finest french restaurant in the north.Taking inspiration from some of…read moregreat dishes of La Gavroche. Had a fantastic evening in November 2011, the team provided the perfect festive lunch, the monkfish thermidor was fantastic. Strongly recommend potted shrimp starter. If you enjoy great French food, then Chez La Vie could not be recommended more highly. The wines available on the wine list are truly fantastic from the house wines to the finest red & white wines, there is something for every budget.

I remember from my youth that this site used to be home to a little Chinese restaurant that always…read morelooked quite dark and dingy, even when it was open, as if there was something going on inside that they didn't want you to know about (maybe some Yakuza bosses were having a meeting inside, who knows). Thankfully, the Chinese there has now been replaced by a lovely little French restaurant called Bistrot Verite (who'd have thought bistro in French was bistrot, hey?) Named after it's owner (a highly reputable chef in the area, I'm told), this cosy little restaurant is placed not far from Birkdale station, making it perfect to hop off a train and venture in for a good meal and a bottle of wine or two before hopping on the last train back home. Their reliance on fresh local produce means the dishes change from time to time depending on what is in season but this makes for an excellent variety of food ranging from lamb to tuna steak and salmon and asparagus pasta. The staff there are friendly and engaging, contributing to the warm and pleasant atmosphere making for a great dining experience. C'est bon (GCSE French in practice, there).

Quite what the difference between a 'bistrot' and a bistro is I have no idea, but if anyone out…read morethere is far more cultured than me, answers on a postcard please. What we do know it does is successfully bring a taste of France to the wealthy suburbs of Birkdale, and what better to put these affluent types in the mood for their next jaunt to gay Paree? (I did phonetics there, I'm sorry. Oh, I mean... ferneticks.) With a reputable chef at the helm and a flair for innovation stamped all over the menu, you can't go wrong with this place, and its location in such a well-to-do area between Southport and Liverpool means that going wrong in the land of Birkdale isn't really an option, and the restaurants follow suit. The mussels are absolutely staggering; the French do throw them together very well and I was most impressed with the almost slurp-worthy white wine sauce. The seasonal dishes are cooked to perfection and presented very prettily, and the accompanying wine list is most impressive too. The service can't be faulted either, and for staff who must be starstruck on a daily basis by sporting heroes and actors, they're extremely down to earth and most of all, friendly, accommodating and helpfully informative with the menu, and to be honest, the prices aren't all that bad for the generous portions you get given Salut, as they say on the continent.

Much like the language used in alot of my reviews the menu here is a Anglo-French fusion. True fine…read moredining options are actually not as common as you think. Majority of restaurants that claim to be fine dining are anythjing but. While I have never been a big fan of "fine dining" in the first place I have dined at enough decent fine dining restaurants to know the difference. I like the fact that they are spreading their wings and pushing the boundries a little bit by having a gourmet night with different cuisines once a month every month. French gourmet evening in August, Thai is spetember, British in October and Indian in November. Good stuff Trufflets. I purposefully skipped past majority of the options on the menu and went for the home-made char-grilled beef burger, cheddar, salad and gherkin in ciabatta, with string fries and coleslaw. To test the menu in my opinion you have to try out something from the menu that you know best and have tried in copious amounts in other restaurants. This way you start to build a portfolio of dishes in your mind. I am here to report then that their Beef burger was not bad indeed. The gherkins was a surprisingly nice touch.

High quality food that won't disappoint. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. The only downfall is…read morethe expensive price.

Disappointing and mediocre food. Excellent service and nice ambiance in restaurant. I had the…read moretasting menu and each dish was just okay. Lobster salad was a bit fishy and not much flavor. Mushroom soup was nothing special. Fish was very tender but the sauce that it sat in was not very appealing. Duck was a bit chewy and did not have enough flavor. The sweet potato purée did not have any additional flavor which was made dish flat in flavors and texture. Crème brûlée had food flavor and a fun presentation with flame lit up at the table but lacking some fresh tart fruit to balance the sweetness of the custard. Every dish has the same garnish which was rather boring.

I had been wanting to try 63 Degrees for a long time, i just needed a reason to splash out on what…read morei knew was going to be a fantastic meal. So, the boyfriends birthday seemed like an excellent opportunity to try it. We ordered 2 glasses of champagne on arrival and cosied up in the corner of this small, intimate and romantic restaurant. There was plenty to choose from on the menu but in the end i opted for a salmon and avocado tartar for starter and the beef fillet for main course. Both were delicious, with a special mention to the dauphinoise potatoes that came as a side-order! For desert i opted for a crepe soufle - this too was magnificent. Overall, the meal came in at £150.00 with a bottle of Sancere and was well worth it in my opinion. I just need another special reason to visit again!!

Excellent food and wine selection, great service, nice and romantic ambiance, the best French food…read morein town!

Divine. Sublime. Delicious. I could conjure up a couple of hundred adjectives to describe this…read moreFrench restaurant but none would do it justice. Mention French cuisine, and images of a piece of mangetout in a dot of "jus" on a plate spring to mind. This is SO not the case at La Boheme, but before I go into details about the food, let me describe the whole experience. This restaurant is owned by Olivier and Adele Troalen who have created an absolute treasure. Firstly and most importantly, you HAVE to book here. No matter what night of the week or what time you go, I will say it again;" YOU HAVE TO BOOK". This is everybody's favourite place and can be booked up a couple weeks on advance so if Valentines Day is approaching, fellas I would book before Christmas! Secondly, as you walk in, you are seated in the pleasant bar area, and sometimes given complimentary canapes as you peruse the menu. Good idea this as it cuts down the time you sit at your table, deliberating over the Steak or the Sea bass. Decor is muted greys and jade greens and is the epitome of class. Once seated, food is served quickly by lovely staff. The Maitre 'D is almost a caricature, small, round and a bundle of energy he is totally lovely and makes every customer feel special. Now for the food! I always take advantage of "Le Menu Fixe" which is 3 courses for £22.50 and £8.95 for children under 10 years old. For this miniscule sum, you have a choice from 10 different starters and 12 different mains. I must recommend the scallops for starter, they are the best I have ever tasted, and the fillet of beef and the Gressingham duck is too die for. Everything is served with beautifully cooked seasonal veg in light and lovely sauces. When the desserts arrive they are like pieces of art work on the plates and I get all greedy and have the "Assiette Gourmande" which is 5 perfect puddings on a plate. Seriously, who can resist a mini apple crumble next to a mini creme brulee? When you leave La Boheme you are so full you think you won't eat for a week. This is incredible food for incredible value and I can't say a bad word about it.