Richard Bagnold

Incredibly difficult to get in to, a gorgeous setting, wonderful hospitality, extremely rich, French cuisine and officially the most expensive meal I have ever had in my life at just under $1,300 for dinner for two (this is with a very moderate wine selection). Those are my abiding memories of this visit to one of America’s cherished venues from arguably their most celebrated chef, Thomas Keller. I will elaborate on all in the full review as usual but essentially, I walked away having had a lovely time from some of the best people in the industry, but feeling overly bloated and out of pocket for a meal as a result.

As a summary I do now believe you are paying for where you are rather than the food as the primary and that the price tag was basically close to elitist and unnecessary in parts. Dishes wise I would put this just straying in to ‘true’ 2 Michelin starred meal territory for reasons at the expansion button (friendly warning: this is a lengthy review, please scroll to the 7th Para. if you want to bypass the history, booking process, scenery details and wine list and head straight to the menu run down). I would also say if you are wanting to propose to someone and want way better odds for a good result, no matter what the cost, this would be the perfect venue for you.

The French Laundry sits in the absolutely gorgeous and chocolate box setting of Yountville, one of Napa Valley’s 7 main towns and perhaps the most alluring. When Michelin first came to San Francisco and the Bay area in 2007 it awarded The French Laundry 3 Michelin stars and these have been retained ever since. The fact that Per Se (Thomas Keller’s New York based restaurant) was awarded 3 Michelin stars a year prior in 2006 will no doubt have turned Michelin’s attention very much to this restaurant having been owned by Thomas Keller since 1994.

The building is actually a stone cottage built in 1900 prior to being an actual steam laundry and residence, hence its name. In March 2018 it had a 10 million-dollar refurbishment for the kitchen, garden and private dining area and is undeniably beautiful. It always was one of the most difficult restaurants to gain access to and its new look has only made this process seemingly more difficult than ever. To explain, the online reservation calendars go live for fresh reservations at the start of each month up to a maximum of 2 months ahead (although this seems to have now changed to 4 months ahead). I needed a table on 1 Jul and could only book this at the stroke of 6pm (GMT) on 1 May 18 for which I had already created a Tock account (required), credit card details for the non-refundable payment in full already uploaded and made sure I was in an environment with a minimum of 60 MB per second internet strength (very fast). This is how that went:

17:59 and 58 seconds, 17:59 and 59 seconds and 18:00 precisely, I refreshed the booking page, selected lunch on 1 July within 3 seconds – no spaces. Dinner, same day (3 seconds later) – no spaces, all taken. SH******T!!! Ok, emergency measures, lunch on 2 Jul anytime (probably no more than 3 more seconds), one table remaining – “I will TAKE IT!!” was the overriding out-loud shout. Payment was made with pre-loaded details within seconds thereafter and $700 dollars was paid in full with the table for 2 booked. After refreshing and checking soon after for any other tables at random on any day in Jul, I could not find any other available. Hence, this is a very difficult place to get a space, let alone near when you want it, unless you live in the area and are a regular, according to our Uber driver.

So after all the hype and history, we arrived at a stunning location with a huge open garden area over the road from the French Laundry, owned by the restaurant. Each night, two well-dressed staff members from the restaurant lower the American flag and fold in an almost military and immaculate fashion. The interior has its customary stone walls and elegant décor, its carpets giving the feeling of someone’s home. An army of well drilled staff, pay close attention to not banging in to each other or any guests as they circle the floor, as the interior is in fact, quite cramped inside.

Very kindly, the establishment had provided two complimentary glasses of champagne as a congratulations for this particular celebration. This was not only welcome but actually a bit of a relief as the wine list, not only wholesome in choice (mainly from Napa understandably), is the first wine list I have actually been a little wary of. Champagnes by the glass are an average of $50, the cheapest wines by the glass being approximately $20-30 and whilst there are options starting at $40 and $60 for half bottles, these are the minority and the vast majority are held at $100-200 and it is obviously far more expensive for the full bottles. Therefore, unless you are teetotal, or wish a booze-free night (hard considering the surroundings) it is simply difficult to escape The French Laundry without spending a lot of money on drink here.

I had opted for the tasting menus of $350 each paid upfront however there are more expensive tasting menus at $450. Once there, you have the choice of which dishes on those menus that were pre-paid, but rather like ordering an expensive car and then being presented the upgrades available, this was a similar experience. Numerous dishes that we actually wished came with a supplement – $60 extra for the shrimp with caviar, $100 extra for the wagyu steak and $125 for the truffled parmesan mousse to name but a few. This was very heavy on the bill obviously and I actually thought wholly unnecessary in two cases at the end.

The meal began with mini cones with tuna tartare and lime creme Fraiche (perfectly fresh but also lacking any substantial tuna flavour) and much better cabot cheddar cheese bites with crispy shallots, and caramelised onion which went down as one of the greats for cheese bite flavours. ‘Oysters and Pearls’ is a Keller signature product served at Per Se and The French Laundry and this has a wonderful oyster and egg-based sabayon, tapioca pearls, poached oysters from Creek Island and Regiis Ova caviar – a quality dish no question.

Pink Hopper shrimp came with toasted sesame, celery branch salad and Royal Kaluga caviar which was a pleasant dish with just the right balance of vinegar within the sparse dressing although the dish was crying out for more shrimp and less caviar, (which ultimately dictated the upgrade price and made the shrimp hard to detect). More shrimp (as is the main aspect of the dish), less caviar, a touch more seasoning and less supplement I thought would be better here overall. The egg custard with truffle and wafer-thin potato crisp with line of chive running through is another signature interlude and was as seductive as it sounds with lovely texture but strangely did not have much truffle flavour – this was genuinely surprising.

The moulard duck foie gras terrine with almond cream and strawberry gel was a triumph. The whole wheat brioche was outstanding to go with it (multiple top ups of exquisite brioche perfectly timed), the foie gras itself utterly delicate and smooth and the gels acting perfectly to add their sweetness to the silk-like foie gras. This was actually the only dish I was perfectly happy with the supplement choice. A summer melon salad came with peach, coconut gel and shiso leaves (fresh but nothing very exciting) and the fillet of halibut came with a dill chilli sauce, pickled cucumbers and avocado mousse. All of these no doubt took an age to make but the avocado was simply too salty and was the dominant force on the place, pretty much shooting down the other flavours, not least the prized halibut itself.

The abalone was chewy and quite salty, with a purée that was mainly garlic as well, although the sweet from the corn helped a little with the artichoke to add a bit more balance. The melon and this dish for example I would say were no more than 1 Michelin star dishes if that. The dried tomato baguette and buffalo milk butter burrata interlude was fine but had no explosions. The rabbit was succulent with juicy morels, very good spinach gel, clever potato medley and a knock out sauce Périgourdine (laced with truffles from Périgord).

The soft-boiled hen egg dish was served with soft polenta, parmesan mousse and what I can only describe as a waterfall of shaved black truffles. I had two problems with this dish: 1) the truffles did not actually give off much of their fabled aroma as is their primary purpose (virtually no flavour as well) and 2) this seemed over the top for the size of the dish in the bowl. I’m sure the $125 supplement was probably fair to the amount given, but I would much rather have had far less of this truffle, at greater potency and for significantly less of the price as a result. Lavish, but hence this seemed unnecessary and frankly over the top.

The lamb held good flavour but along with a cassoulet of beans, squash and aubergine béchamel and olive oil and red wine jus, it also came with some inedible gristle (overall it was simply a touch too salty as a dish). The wagyu main was one of the richest courses I have had and that was after what seemed a truck load of calories already. I was puzzled why there were so many components of such richness on one plate including crab, mustard gel, fried onion, fried frankfurter among others and an intense reduction poured all over an already extremely fatty meat (one of the richest you can get). On its own this dish was probably enough for a meal but sadly, within this meal it only demonstrated how out of balance it made the menu, grandiose as it was.

Dessert came in the guise of a mass army of petit fours dishes including cappuccino ice cream, mango macaroons, vanilla ice cream with corn bread and whipped honey, chocolate crémeux with olive oil and delectably light mini doughnuts to name but a few. These were superbly crafted with the cappuccino ice cream with soft foam being a real treat, but by this stage eating was becoming a hardship, meaning we couldn’t enjoy them as much as we would have liked to.

This is a very long review for which I apologise, but because this is such a fabled restaurant and so hard to get in to, with so much accoladed, I wanted to explain fully what I saw as the reality and the grade. The dishes ranged from very skilfully designed to surprisingly simple however, the main take away thought was the excessive amount of expensive and rich ingredients that were simply too much at times (and overall) and in the case of the shrimp and the hen egg dish, showed this to an overarching negative effect. Had it not been for such a heavy menu and some dishes actually backfiring, I obviously would have graded higher. I can only think that my suggestions of how some dishes could be improved will no doubt only endanger the restaurant not making as much profit as it could do.

I absolutely enjoyed the occasion and we were extremely well looked after, but I honestly don’t have an urge to rush back in a hurry (especially based on the measures needed to getting in). By way of a conclusion, go here certainly for a lifetime special occasion and if you can easily miss £1000 at the very least for dinner for two people, but you can get better levels of cooking at 3 star level in some equally picturesque locations in Germany or Italy for example, for significantly less charge and this is the simple truth at the end of this visit.

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Hide is the culmination of Hedonism wines, a vast investment from the Russian owner and Exec chef Ollie Dabbou all coming together. The exec chef had previously owned Dabbous which, was for a time one of the most difficult to reserve venues in London. Hide has three levels serving breakfast and snacks in the bar at the ‘Below’ basement, casual breakfasts, lunch and dinners at ‘Ground’ and the ‘Above’ area on the first floor. The set lunch menu was £42 (which is what we had) and £95 for the tasting menu. Ultimately this was a skilled and aesthetic meal, in wonderful surroundings and with a superb wine list. Author’s note: this has now risen to £48 for the set and £115 for the tasting barely a year later. Oh dear, how the influence of a star can specifically do what its original award promotes not doing – more on this in my ‘below’ at the expansion button.

A quick note on this restaurant in general: it is lovely and serious investment has been pumped into it to make it as such. The fact that the owner also owns Hedonism wines (the shop for which is a stone throw away in Davies St, Mayfair) allows the restaurant to sell its wine by a huge discount and in some cases at just above shop price level owing to an arrangement that they have been able to craft. The net result is you are given an iPad at the table and can get some seriously good wine at far lower costs than you would at other restaurants and if you ever wanted to go for a big hitter, then here is the venue to do just that.

A quick note on this restaurant in general: it is lovely and serious investment has been pumped into it to make it as such. The fact that the owner also owns Hedonism wines (the shop for which is a stone throw away in Davies St, Mayfair) allows the restaurant to sell its wine by a huge discount and in some cases at just above shop price level owing to an arrangement that they have been able to craft. The net result is you are given an iPad at the table and can get some seriously good wine at far lower costs than you would at other restaurants and if you ever wanted to go for a big hitter, then here is the venue to do just that.

The meal itself started with crudites which were a fresh way to start served with a cucumber dressing and honey & chamomile dressing which were all fine. Geese charcuterie came on the end of feathers for striking presentation but of all of the nibbles and for all their design, I thought the focaccia bread was the gem with its particularly light and crispy crust which was a pleasure.

Tartare of beetroot was served underneath large flakes of beetroot forming the rough shape of one whole, and this was served with blueberry vinegar, rose petals, crushed pistachios and horseradish cream. This was very good – not only technically impressive but also the blend of the vinegar and horseradish kick being calmed by the good beetroot. Asparagus from Wye Valley came with asparagus juice, toasted hazelnuts and the daily made ricotta from Hide’s kitchen. Fantastic effort, but simply was a bit bland overall for me.

Pasta parcels of king crab came with warm, garlic buttermilk and chervil and were pleasant as were (nothing to leap with joy about) as was the veal rillette served with mushroom shavings and pickled garlic buds. Strawberries came in many different forms from wild, to white, to strassberries (a cross between raspberries and strawberries) and traditional red, served with a concentrated strawberry jus. This was an artistically lovely presentation but sadly it will never reach the heights of the white and pink strawberries I have had in Tokyo for example. A dish that was more pleasing on the eye. Petit fours included a liquorice stem with star anise marshmallow and chocolate leaves with caramelised hazelnut which was a good finish.

All in the bill came to £367 for two but that was with a Puligny Montrachet and other offerings so it is possible to walk away with a lesser bill. Overall, this is a quality meal and worthy of its new accolade and its style suiting the surroundings a great deal. It is a more expensive set menu for London, but the overheads here would explain why. For those that are related to Tony Stark, you can also drive into a back street entrance and the lift will bring your car to the level of Hide Above and you can exit straight out of the lift, into the private dining area. A good place for celebrations and entertaining people that you would like to have something to talk about.

Author’s note: following this review, Hide gained its Michelin star, and 8 months later (Jun 19) the prices of the set menu have increased to £48 from £42 and the tasting menu increased to £115 from £95. One of the factors of awarding a Michelin star is value for money and Gordon Ramsay himself at the Michelin awards for GB & Ire for the 2019 guide openly stated for restaurants to not focus on raising prices on being awarded Michelin stars, something I happen to agree with when done blatantly. In terms of this advice, it would seem that Hide does not wish to heed.

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Cowabunga! I have been meaning to get back here since discovering Ynyshir Restaurant & Rooms on my travels around the country last year and this time, the no holds bar dinner version was undertaken, and with eminent company this time to also serve as a witness. Both were agreed at the end that the conveyer belt of prized items through this full evening of service was wonderful and the summary is that I simply have no doubts that Ynyshir Restaurant & Rooms is clearly operating above its current accolade and I would actually come here far more quickly than several UK establishments already in the two Michelin starred category for all the reasons that I highlight in the full review at the expansion button below. Bravo Exec Chef Gareth Ward for a superb experience all round.

First things first, you must accept various things regarding a visit to Ynyshir Restaurant & Rooms: 1) The rooms are available for one night only to serve as a resting place for diners rather than a hotel for random hikers; 2) Do not get off at Dovey Junction if you are going by train even though is closer to Ynyshir as this involves a 20 min walk to get to the main road – Machynlleth is your baby(!) and 3) Prepare yourself during the day that this will not be a short dinner (or lunch). For that reason I have to say the value for money is still exceedingly good here. The 20+ courses for dinner with wines we had and the stay came to £225 per head with an additional £125 for the matching wines and additions totalling just over £350 for the marathon meal, stay and breakfast. This is tremendous value comparative to the rest of the country’s high end notable eateries as a huge bonus (and comparative to other establishments across the world cooking at this level).

First things first, you must accept various things regarding a visit to Ynyshir Restaurant & Rooms: 1) The rooms are available for one night only to serve as a resting place for diners rather than a hotel for random hikers; 2) Do not get off at Dovey Junction if you are going by train even though is closer to Ynyshir as this involves a 20 min walk to get to the main road – Machynlleth is your baby(!) and 3) Prepare yourself during the day that this will not be a short dinner (or lunch). For that reason I have to say the value for money is still exceedingly good here. The 20+ courses for dinner with wines we had and the stay came to £225 per head with an additional £125 for the matching wines and additions totalling just over £350 for the marathon meal, stay and breakfast. This is tremendous value comparative to the rest of the country’s high end notable eateries as a huge bonus (and comparative to other establishments across the world cooking at this level).

And so, on to the good stuff. The meal began with something I had had before entitled ‘Not Onion Soup’ which is a small soup made with miso onion, tofu, sea vegetables, onion oil, dashi and croutons. I actually forgot how insanely good this was and made no bones about this in the summary of my first trip last year and is one of the stronger openings to any meal I have on record it is that good and worth the attention here. Leg of Aylesbury duck with black bean glaze with spring onion & toasted sesame came next which, in spite of being a fraction dry had a wonderful crunch and glaze of the orient.

It’s always lovely to have wonderful dips and for the bread course here, you are in for a treat. Although this particular sour dough is not my absolute favourite in being a tad bitter, it is carefully made and proved over 7 days and the wagyu fat and miso butter are things of beauty to dunk this in to. The miso butter in particular, which is in fact pure gold in the butter world. Another previously enjoyed dish of mackerel, dried in kombu and brushed with miso butter with Yorkshire rhubarb ketchup, soy and back fat was very good, with all accompanying oils and fats working well with each other and the mackerel which was prepared very well.

Crab claw with soy sauce with curry ketchup, coriander and puffed rice was sheer knock out, plain and simple. The crab worked excellently with the fresh curry and I honestly haven’t had a creative curry dish like that since the pork and banana curry at 3 Michelin starred Alinea and this frankly at a similar quality line. The pork belly char su was marinated for 4 days and barbecued, proving to be very succulent and with pleasing flavour. The breast of duck with hoi sin, pickled cucumber had perfect breast meat with wonderfully subtle hoi sin but also had just the right ‘hit’ of how sin at the same time, perfectly balanced with the pickled cucumber; a great dish.

Duck liver was next with spelt crisp, grated smoked eel and birch syrup grade creating a smokey, silky liver mousse collection. This really was destroyed in a matter or seconds it was that good having such a smooth texture and decent flavour. Yellow & red tomatos came next in dehydrated form and also pickled with back fat, sour dough and smoked cream cheese. All these components went well together and really nothing to not like on this.

Garlic prawn from Isle of Skye (wild garlic in the UK becomes abundant between Apr-May) was served with oil made with garlic and also frozen with stems pickled and vacuum packed. The sweetness of the langoustine was lovely and the garlic oil with pickled wild garlic stems on top was a cracking combination. St George mushroom with mushroom cream was a luscious mini-celebration of mushroom, the flavour being enjoyable. Asparagus was the next dish with garlic, miso butter and mussels with fermented grains. This was quite vinegary as the main element and it seemed the asparagus’ main job was providing the necessary texture.

On to the meats! The short rib wagyu was 72-hour slow cooked at 60 degrees producing all fat to be rendered down nicely. It was then barbecued and served with pickled lettuce, puffed rice with shiitake ketchup and soy which was joy in the mouth altogether. The same can be said of the Wagyu ‘burger’ with fermented lettuce sour dough mayo, charred gherkin pickled shallot sesame seeds – a superb biteful collection. Then finally was the prize of upgraded Wagyu which was aged 250 days encased in wagyu fat (to stop the air drying it out too much) then given a dose of ultra violet light at 2 degrees Celsius for final entrapment of flavour. The fermented lettuce with Hampshire-grown wasabi came with beef dressing. Initially I thought there was a danger of too much fat, but it’s job was to kill the harshness of the wasabi which it did brilliantly and the overall effect was a deep and flavoursome umami sensation and a lovely addition.

Sour dough pieces with wagyu fat and onion came as almost a miniature soup and texturally was a nice change and the onions gave the fat the slight relief it needed. Next came the sour dough crumpet with Tunworth (and camambert from Hampshire), ‘minus 8’ vinegar (grapes picked at 8 degrees and turned in to iced wine and then in to vinegar) with maple syrup blended with Italian biancito truffles which was just heavenly. Yes, this was as good as it sounds and another great dish from a genuine composer.

The Yuzu shlush was a lovely mouthwash to have in the crossover to sweet dishes (I happen to adore the freshness of yuzu as a citrus fruit), followed by white chocolate and tofu mousse black bean syrup black bean biscuit. The latter I have had before and was very pleased to show to my associate at the table who concurred that it was as quality as I had recalled it to be. Next came a lovely little compote of Yorkshire rhubarb with raw slices on top. The custard here was made the old fashioned way: cornflower, eggs, milk and sugar and was utterly first rate custard, there is no question here. I was especially pleased how well the raw rhubarb had been toned down as was not the acidic slaughter house it often can be and was balanced really well.

Sticky toffee pudding had dates with no stones, vanilla ice creamed with Tahitian vanilla and a lovely, sticky toffee sauce. No issues with this at all and another pleasing dish to add to the proceedings. Nettle granita with nettle oil and nettle biscuit, goats curd pannacota granola and fresh lemon had a visual and lovely scent across the whole table and I was pleasantly surprised at this dish as well – I have had some poor experiences of nettle being attempted but this was actually quite refreshing. Finally, the old favourite of tiramasui coffee and cake purée, vanilla mayonnaise, sweet masala wine gel, frozen madcapane and masala wine sprayed on top with 100% Madagascan chocolate grated on top. There is not much that can be faulted on this except if you have a problem with deconstructed dishes – which I don’t in anyway if it produces the flavour goods and this most certainly does. It was a wonderful finish to the meal, with all parts of this dish coming together well and in a fun and innovative way.

To sum up, there were very few moments of this meal that didn’t strike a memorable chord and the bottom line here is that right now, I simply can’t see any other appropriate tier for this restaurant to sit in other than 2 Michelin star level based on the handling of the ingredients, creative combinations and balance. Price is also an interesting factor which, is interesting to see – this was an absolute steal for this level of quality when comparing to the $1,200 price tag I had for just one dinner (for 2) with very modest wine at The French Laundry…and the £350 here will give an abundance of good wines on top of the tasting menu and a lovely room at Ynyshir as well! Powys is a little easier to get to than you might think – if you’re coming from London, a quick change in Birmingham, a bottle of fizz and a laptop or tablet with a film loaded on and you are there, so this was actually better than driving as I did last time.

I was fairly sure this was a great venue within the UK when I visited last year; I’m now convinced and know it is above that from this second visit and rarely does a menu with so many courses have so many genuinely decent moments – very difficult to pull this off which proved to be possible here. A lovely food & weekend escape in all ways – thank you, Ynyshir for another belter!

As a welcome to the table, a Birch tree had been ‘tapped’, enabling sap to pour out and be collected. This was allowed to ferment slightly, kicked off by adding a dash of sugar and then with rasins added resulting in a refreshing and sweet, fractionally carbonated welcome drink – a very nice touch an opener.

Miso onion and dashi with local sea vegetables from the beach two miles away were then brought in a bowl and I had an automatic love with the buttery feel of the dish (pretty impressive when no butter was used) and refreshing fragrances of the sea but without being too pungent. I seriously wanted more and more of this dish. The sour dough was made over 7 days of proving to increase the sour flavour, with fermented grains was deliberately charred on the crust but carefully made not to taste burnt. This had a lovely texture but in retrospect I personally would have opted for a crust that stretches more as opposed to being brittle, but the effort was plain to see. The cultured miso butter (made by adding yoghurt and putting in water bath for 4 days) then churning (beating to separate fats to gain consistency) was more the pleasure as was the wagyu dripping butter; the miso butter was itself on way to being cheese and had a complimentary sourness to the bread – overall a clever and a good combination.

The mackerel turned out to be wrapped in seaweed for 24 hours with rhubarb ketchup and pork fat shavings. This had sweetness from the ketchup with richness of fat and the crunch of the slices and was a very good dish. It was fresh, fatty and tangy all at the same time – utterly well done, with all components serving their function absolutely. Then came the duck liver with apple syrup and woodsorrell with spelt biscuit and smoked eel shavings on top – this was beautifully smooth, had the earthy overtone of woodsorrell, glorious crunch from the spelt and v good combo of the eel and liver.

Then came the Lamb rib: treated and rested for four days in total with shizo onion in vinegar with soy glaze and mint. This was undeniably a lovely play of sweet and acid with the most tender of lamb had in a LONG time. I could have have practically eaten the fat on its own and this was perhaps the nicest piece of lamb I think I have ever had, it was that good. Next time I come here I am going to simply destroy this rib in about 6 seconds.

Then another absolute belter of a lamb dish came(!) – mint kombucha (Asian tea left for a month which turns in to a vinegar) with roasted lamb and soy sauce. The lamb itself, prior to cooking, had been brushed with lamb fat for 2 days in order to lock in the moisture and the combination of the soy and the mint was frankly an outstanding combination. This was also a perfect example of using good fat and moisture with Asian influences without the need for dairy / butter.

The truffle and cultured butter tunworth cheese with maple and sour crumpet made me instantly happy. I usually find cheese on its own on a board with grapes or chutney a little boring frankly, so having a cheese course like this I thought put this in the same league as The Square when I visited there a few years ago – cheese to be made ultra interesting and wonderful to the taste as well. This was another corker – light vinegar was sprayed on for the final effect producing an absolutely instantaneous, lovely squidgy, rich, smokey combination. I literally couldn’t have been happier.

Beer was poured over lime gel with grated lime on top for the next course. The lime gel I found quite sour and with a hard crunch; it was nice to have balanced with yoghurt at the bottom but overall I found this a little too sour for my palate. Next up, white chocolate with black bean which was beautifully sweet, rich and with a savoury blend. Too much of any one of the components of this dish would have been a train wreck but together and in the portions they were, this was absolute harmony.

The nitro rhubarb with rhubarb gel was wonderfully sweet with a sharp twist and an enjoyable, light crunch in the mix as well. This was followed by a deconstructed tiramisu which was very nicely balanced, with good textures but the only aspect being a bit of a shock for the roof of ther mouth being so many nitro-frozen elements dominating the sesnations in the mouth. Flavour wise this was very nicely balanced for the coffee as well. Finally, a Fat Duck style nitro-poached white chocolate mousse with injected fennel emulsion was provided in the kitchen for a lovely finish.

This really was a superb meal and I instantly regretted having to do lunch as opposed to dinner (my other restaurant that day did not do lunch and meant having to do it this way round). As this ‘glimpse’ of a lunch was so impresssive in its own right, in my mind this is one of the discoveries of the past 12 months for me and of all the Michelin starred retaurants (1-3) in the UK, I haven’t been this keener to get back to one so much, since the likes of doing Midsummer House for the first time. This is an incredibly strong 1 Michelin starred restaurant which, based on the flavours alone, I would go back to before I would to at least eight of the 2 Michelin starred restaurants in the UK. I honestly cannot wait to get back here for the full, nine yards; it was a great meal and living proof why this is so enjyoyable to do. Thank you, the team at Ynyshir for making this what it was.

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This was a long-overdue visit and Wiltons seems to stand as strong now as it did when it first opened in 1742 as its banner proudly informs. If one takes this declaration as well as that purported by Rules (from 1798), then Wiltons is arguably the oldest eatery in London (sorry to say it Rules) although, this can be debated as Wiltons was originally a seafood store at inception and did not manifest as a restaurant until the 19th Century. Seafood and oysters in particular are therefore the staple at Wiltons (as opposed to game at Rules) and I was impressed by how good the dishes were in terms of flavour and untampered treatment. The restaurant itself is welcoming and with a definite upmarket feel; on my visit I noticed affluent looking senior diners who seemingly enjoy Wiltons as their regular. This is probably the only draw back in that you will need to not mind spending a princely sum for each visit or, be extremely disciplined in order to walk away with only roughly £50 per head of damage (our meal was just over £230 for two with moderate wines). However, this is a wonderful slice of heritage with simple dishes done well in a an equally traditional part of London.

From the moment you enter Wiltons you are in good hands. There are several areas to choose from to eat and the acoustics are fine (soft furniture, decor and carpet throughout the restaurant). There is a formality to Wiltons which is not intimidating and I enjoy experiencing this when this happens (in these types of venues) as they dispel the myth that many have, for these types of establishments.

From the moment you enter Wiltons you are in good hands. There are several areas to choose from to eat and the acoustics are fine (soft furniture, decor and carpet throughout the restaurant). There is a formality to Wiltons which is not intimidating and I enjoy experiencing this when this happens (in these types of venues) as they dispel the myth that many have, for these types of establishments.

However, this does all come with a price tag and Wiltons’ is expensive even for the seasonal (set) menu starting at £35 for 2 courses and £43 for 3 courses (at time of writing). As it is not very often I go, we decided to have exactly what we wanted from the a la carte. Favourites included the steak tartare which, apart from being a touch too peppery, was very pleasant and nicely done with its well done quail’s egg.

The cheese soufflé was another must and this was pleasant to have. Of course there are lighter and more skilful versions at Le Gavroche and Martin Wishart, but this was competently delivered with a lovely undercurrent of stilton and brie all the way through. Additionally, there are examples of how a salmon starter can be a little more imaginatively presented other than just thinly sliced on its own with lemon (one thinks of Number One at The Balmoral immediately) but the quality of this Scottish salmon was strikingly good being so well smoked (this is done locally at Secret Smokehouse in East London, who also provide for Fortnum & Mason, Claude Bosi’s Bibendum, Elory and other Michelin starred restaurants) with a clean and rich flavour.

The lobster bisque kept the meal well going well with a deepness that was noticeably better than a recent version had in Le Fou Frog (Dallas) for example and this was a genuine pleasure – intense and well reduced. Welsh rarebit is another absolute favourite and each restaurant will have its own take, but I have to say this version was excellent – the bread nicely thin to the ratio of béchamel with a pleasant sense of cheese and mustard and not too spicy.

Truffle mash was pleasant and actually served with truffle to my surprise (as opposed to being made with truffle oil which is actually a synthetic compound containing no truffle) and which made me accept the £14 price tag for the side dish a little more. My Father had the Scotch Woodcock dish (creamy scrambled eggs on toast with anchovy) roughly 30 years ago in Wiltons and it was gratifying to see that this dish was still on the menu to the same degree which the staff confirmed. Needless to say it was had again and to the pleasure of both at the table.

Glasses of wine ranged from £12 with the Sancere to £35 at the upper end with Puligny Montrachet, courtesy of a coravin. Thus, it is possible to have a meal at Wiltons with wine to a reasonable level (see picture of the bill) but, as stated, you have to be selective.

Personally, I’m glad that restaurants with unashamed stubbornness, like Wiltons, exist in the UK. I like the fact that they are unapologetic for keeping themselves as they are and are not striving for modernity and accolades. I say this as they are simply doing what they do really well. Although it is quite expensive and easy to notch up a bill if enjoying oneself, I think the best thing to do if visiting Wiltons is set aside more of a budget than usual and then do precisely that for a proper experience to properly there enjoy – it will be more worthwhile.

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Indian Accent has three branches only – one in New Dehli, one in New York and now (2017) in London. Having been steered to come to its London branch, I was bowled over by the quality of Indian cooking here from going in and was even more surprised to see that some of these superb dishes are available on the lunch menu at the same time. The skill is obvious to see from afar and certain moments like the smoked bacon kulcha bread and keema with quail egg are – no joke – absolute stunners and strong enough to make a booking on these alone and with other things being a possible bonus. There are multiple menu options (something that the best Indian restaurants, particularly in London seem to excel in) including set lunch, pre-theatre, brunch on weekends and tasting menus. By way of a summary I thought this was actually stronger than any of the Michelin starred restaurants in London and think if ever there was an Indian restaurant that deserves the same accolade, it is here.

I have been to Indian Accent twice and each time, the amuse bouche of coconut and pumpkin mini soup at the start has been utterly superb and with a surprisingly good blue cheese naan bite as well. It is unusual for me to think so much of an amuse bouche, but this really did succeed. The vegetable naan with supporting pau dip was pleasing whereas the smoked bacon and butter chicken kulfas were utterly beautiful. Each kulfa has their superb filling and the sheer kick of flavour from the excellent bacon filling in particular is frankly marvellous.

I have been to Indian Accent twice and each time, the amuse bouche of coconut and pumpkin mini soup at the start has been utterly superb and with a surprisingly good blue cheese naan bite as well. It is unusual for me to think so much of an amuse bouche, but this really did succeed. The vegetable naan with supporting pau dip was pleasing whereas the smoked bacon and butter chicken kulfas were utterly beautiful. Each kulfa has their superb filling and the sheer kick of flavour from the excellent bacon filling in particular is frankly marvellous.

The dahl was reassuringly smooth and creamy and the shredded and spiced lamb with mini pancakes is another quality dish. As the lamb is spiced so well, I didn’t think it actually needed the overly powerful supporting chutneys, however the lamb was gorgeously tender with the fun of packing and wrapping your own pancake to taste. Chicken kofta with its vegetable fritters and and sour yoghurt sauce was nicely done but the other main star of the show was soy keema dish with quail’s egg. The indulgent egg gives the already wonderful keema dish another level of decadence and to eat it, you would not have any idea that a soy dish could taste this good – it is a reason to come to Indian Accent on its own.

The lentil cereal was light and crispy as another play on the conventional use of lentils and its side of cauliflower transformed in to wafer thin crisps producing a pleasing but on the dryer side of a dish. Already approaching full, the thought of a dessert was not at the uppermost on the mind, however we were assured that the Makhan Malai would not be heavy. Thankfully this turned out to be 100% correct as was essentially a very airy mousse made from saffron and milk with just a few almonds for texture and rose petals for presentation. Saffron can be quite pungent, but this was done to a remarkably good balance and skilful level in a dessert not seen very often and which was another success of the meal.

All in, the bill came to just under £50 per head for additional snacks, three courses, tea, beers and service which, for this standard of cooking was entirely fair and I was more than ok with this price as a result. In my view it actually out-classes the 5 Michelin starred Indian restaurants in the UK (all of which happen to be in London). Although these are good, I would sooner return to Indian Accent in a heartbeat before hand.

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Sabor is the solo venture of Nieves Barragan Mohacho who was formerly of Barrafina which also had a Michelin star under her lead. Sabor (meaning flavour in Spanish) represents food from the south, north and north-west of Spain and can easily be dropped in for tapas style dishes. I have a lot of affection for Spanish cuisine, in fact it is one of my favourites, as is the magic of San Sebastian, but sadly my experience here was that it didn’t produce levels of happiness anywhere near those had when actually in Spain. A couple of elements were pleasing, but the hype of this opening did not feel to be supported by the produce.

Clearly the meal needed to begin with the croquettes (or croquetas in Spanish) which were two kinds: prawn and piquillo pepper. Both were pleasant as fried bechemel in breadcrumbs always is, but fairly ordinary at the same time. The price tag of £6 is quite hefty considering, so I am reliably informed, that ingredients wise, these cost a matter of pence to make, depending on the filling.

Clearly the meal needed to begin with the croquettes (or croquetas in Spanish) which were two kinds: prawn and piquillo pepper. Both were pleasant as fried bechemel in breadcrumbs always is, but fairly ordinary at the same time. The price tag of £6 is quite hefty considering, so I am reliably informed, that ingredients wise, these cost a matter of pence to make, depending on the filling.

One of the things I was most looking forward to was the goat’s cheese and truffle pieces of toast and whilst this may have pleased most diners for its elegant look I was actually startled by how bland this was. There was almost a non-existent level of truffle aroma from the gratings provided (truffle is mainly used for the aroma rather than the actual flavour of chewing into it) and the goat’s cheese was very flat in itself as well. Sorry to say that this was a huge disappointment.

Iberica ham came from Cinco Jotas and was the top grade of Iberica ham one can have whereby the pigs are fed acorns and allowed to roam in free environments and gorge as opposed to being kept in cages on a conveyer belt of wheat and grain. Salmonette (actually red mullet) came with rice whose main forte was the sauce or stock that it was served with and the pig’s trotters were an indulgent fried snack but both were agreed they were far too peppery. Langoustines were treated with respect and just a drizzle of citrus but I have had significantly better quality specimens in my time (one example is at a nearby Japanese restaurant in Mayfair called Umu).

The oxtail was cooked well with a deep enough sauce but was overall a bit heavy on the starch with such a large amount of mash. For a more refined quantity example, you can always look at the quail and truffled mash dish at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon). Unusually, it was the dessert that was probably the most pleasing dish with excellent pastry and rhubarb that was toned down in acidity and actually pleasing to have in itself. This was joined by honey and saffron ice cream which was an original ice cream flavour for me and worked well.

Overall, this was a very mixed series of dishes that and whilst it was good to be at the counter with so many chefs in front of you, the space to get around people at the bar to your seat or if you need to go to the loo is actually ridiculous. I do not need to be carted around by four chair-bearers, but it is such a squeeze at the side of the counter that you are literally pressing shoulders with the diners to your left and right – communal and may even be what some people like, but discomfort whilst eating? Nah, sorry, not a fan. I may pop into Sabor again in a year or two to see if anything has changed, but something tells me this may be wishful thinking.

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Loch Bay is the only restaurant in Scotland to have gained a Michelin star in the 2018 guide whilst there were two, other deletions at the same time (Isle of Erika and Kinloch Lodge) and this is the solo venture of Michael Smith, formerly of The Three Chimneys, where he earned that venue a Michelin star in 2014. Having left and opened this new restaurant in 2016, he has now gained himself a first Michelin star for Loch Bay, serving rustic and simple cooking from ingredients sourced literally metres away in Loch Bay and the neighbouring Loch Dunvegan. The small restaurant has only Michael and a supporting commis chef / kitchen porter looking after the (approx) 16 covers I counted and accounts for the homely style of food it needs to be for the size of the kitchen. Headline wise, simplicity is great, but it needs to be explosive if in this style for me and there was a lapse moment or two during my meal and sadly only generally pleasing dishes as opposed to fireworks. No question that the ingredients are as fresh as they come, but for the details below at the expansion button, I have a gentle feeling at the overall memory of the food. Service and value for money are both excellent and the setting wonderful though.

I hope the quickest way to reach Loch Bay from London is the route I took which was a flight from Heathrow to Inverness, pick up a pre-booked hire car (do this in advance to avoid absolutely horrendous on the day booking prices) and then drive roughly three and a half hours Westwards towards the coast. Eventually, you come to the small hamlet of Waternish where Air B & B and Booking.com options are few and scarce and you are far better off booking through the official Visit and B & B website of Waternish as was recommended to me. All accommodation options are within an approximate 15 minute walk of each other and I booked one close to the Loch – I didn’t know where it was in relation to the target venue, but turned out when I got there that it was actually 30 metres away(!), as the Stein Inn is literally that close and where I was holed up for the night.

I hope the quickest way to reach Loch Bay from London is the route I took which was a flight from Heathrow to Inverness, pick up a pre-booked hire car (do this in advance to avoid absolutely horrendous on the day booking prices) and then drive roughly three and a half hours Westwards towards the coast. Eventually, you come to the small hamlet of Waternish where Air B & B and Booking.com options are few and scarce and you are far better off booking through the official Visit and B & B website of Waternish as was recommended to me. All accommodation options are within an approximate 15 minute walk of each other and I booked one close to the Loch – I didn’t know where it was in relation to the target venue, but turned out when I got there that it was actually 30 metres away(!), as the Stein Inn is literally that close and where I was holed up for the night.

A very warm welcome was extended by the two, knowledgeable and friendly front of house and floor staff. Champagne with sloe gin was a fairy hard-hitting start to the proceedings, but was also entirely welcome after the journey and in the beautiful setting at night that is was. Nibbles arrived in the form of mackerel and crowdie paté (nicely seasoned) with fried herring and mussels with oat coating served with lemon mayonnaise (the mussels were particularly good) which was a good way to start. The white French crusty (dense) bread and oatmeal scone (also quite heavy) was what I used for the mackerel and crowdie paté and all in, this was enjoyable. I opted for the 5 course tasting menu which, for £65 showed very good value for money. Moreover, it was very good of the kitchen and staff to oblige a couple of preference changes on request.

The soup and a sandwich came as a squid & shell fish broth white crab & almode cheddar in sandwich. The fish broth itself had a satisfying flavour, but I was surprised that the toastie was burnt and served; the latter didn’t make for enjoyable eating at the end, but the main part was a pleasant addition for the broth. I’ve had intolerances to shell fish and molluscs in the past which is why most times I either avoid or do small doses, but whilst here, next to the very Loch the shell fish have come from (in most cases the same day), it would have been a crime not to have had this. I was glad I did as the shell fish broth had a satisfyingly flavour.

The prawns and monkfish with apple and mace butter & potato scone was probably the highlight of the meal. The Mace butter and citrus from the apple complimented each other well. Although monkfish isn’t my favourite white fish as has a tough texture, the prawns were absolutely sweet and succulent and the fat from the potato scone along with soft crunch of the diced apples made this all come together nicely. A good dish I thought.

Pot roast partridge with confit leg choucroute and spiced bacon sour croate had a satisfying pickled feel of the partridge and whilst it was a shame to get some bone in amongst the meat, the spiced bacon remoulade was delicious and worked well. Sadly, I couldn’t enjoy it as a whole as I was continuing to be on bone watch and inspect every forkful after the second mouthful with a small element of bone.

Next up was hake and prawn with fennel, local cress & Bay shrimp sauce which, whilst the hake was well done, it is was not my favourite dish as it simply didn’t create many emotions as a whole. Thankfully, it did have a pleasantly deep fish sauce to accompany the main component as a result. So, I’m a fan of simplicity and ingredients that have been sourced very well, but even with the constraints of the kitchen being the size it is, I was genuinely hoping for a little more from this dish.

The soufflé was spiced and an original take using a Clootie dumpling flavour as the foundation and was a lovely touch for Christmas being around the corner. Clootie is a traditional Scottish variant of Christmas pudding using a wet cloth to aid squeezing out the essence of dried fruits and spices. This soufflé was perfectly cooked, akin to a sponge cake soufflé in texture and served with a custard ice cream tantamount to clotted vanilla cream. The cinnamon and apple flavours throughout were lovely and this was extremely good to have. Petit fours likewise had a festive twist and the spices in the mini mince pies were soft and very pleasant.

I definitely enjoyed my visit to Loch Bay, not least to chat with the fishermen sorting out their creels from the Bay itself the next morning and eating in the charming setting that it was. However, it’s likewise hard for me to place it in the Michelin starred category based on the meal I had, but I understand the constraints of the size of the kitchen and the staff couldn’t have been more accommodating. Whereas some things did not go the way I would have liked on my meal, I would be surprised if this was the norm and one cannot argue with the a la carte price for £39 in the evening. If I am nearby in the future, I will book again as I have a feeling there is more here than meets the first eye.

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This is my first experience of The Latymer with Matt Worswick at the helm since he stepped in to the large shoes left behind by Michael Wignall, after the latter left Penny Hill Park and took over the fort at Gidleigh Park in 2016. The headline for this visit is that I genuinely enjoyed the control of the flavours throughout all the dishes and it was also a very nice bonus to see somewhere newly awarded with a star that definitely deserves it and with gusto from my lens. Full details of this 7 course tasting menu (£95) are at the expansion button as always (there’s an alternate evening five course version for £75 and a set £35 three course option for lunch) and the bottom line is it was obvious I was in good hands here, from both the kitchen and the floor staff – very often it can be only one or the other. Definitely worthy of a romantic occasion or celebration.

The meal started with delicate nibbles, the first being a mini cone of smoked baba ghanoush, cardamom yoghurt and Bombay mix which was very smooth but with good spice in a pleasingly light pastry. A parmesan and truffle beignet had a lovely, warm truffle flavour (not too strong) and a pig’s trotter coquette with piccalilli gel was also satisfying. Home-made sour dough was similar in style to previous visits, but this version came with an enhanced, brittle crust (resulting in an amusing cascade of debris on the table). Salted butter was joined by a Wagyu dripping dip with onion powder and whilst I thought this was straying close to the limit of saltiness, it was luxurious and good to have at the same time.

The meal started with delicate nibbles, the first being a mini cone of smoked baba ghanoush, cardamom yoghurt and Bombay mix which was very smooth but with good spice in a pleasingly light pastry. A parmesan and truffle beignet had a lovely, warm truffle flavour (not too strong) and a pig’s trotter coquette with piccalilli gel was also satisfying. Home-made sour dough was similar in style to previous visits, but this version came with an enhanced, brittle crust (resulting in an amusing cascade of debris on the table). Salted butter was joined by a Wagyu dripping dip with onion powder and whilst I thought this was straying close to the limit of saltiness, it was luxurious and good to have at the same time.

Galician octopus to start came with pickled kohlrabi and sesame and had absolutely beautifully handled miso gel. The handling of the aromats was lovely in support and was a very pleasant way to begin. The salt-baked celeriac, remoulade, lovage & nasturtium leaves with truffle sorbet (made from French perigord truffles) and shavings of winter truffles from Australia was utterly fresh. The truffle sorbet I thought was superb here and this was a lovely way to have an otherwise, underused vegetable (celeriac) and actually represented very high levels of how to make a salad dish imaginative and enjoyable, on par with the greatest salad I have had at 2 Michelin starred The Ledbury.

Eel brushed with apple came with pickled turnip, lemon grass and Japanese stock from pork and chicken using dashi mushrooms and this was another corker. The eel was perfectly soft and sweet with the apple glaze (eel can be unbearably salty at times). The fragrant stock with an almost lemongrass quality from the dashi mushrooms was a light dish and again, all very enjoyable.

Risotto with wild mushrooms, parmesan crisp and chestnut shavings was another example of making something quite simple of greater interest than normal. There was good depth to the mushrooms with an interesting take on the chestnut looking like cheese shavings (albeit with the same sort of texture to coconut which is not my personal favourite) but the Parmesan crisp was a lovely add on with its light crunch and good cheese flavour in addition to make a warming dish.

The Goosnargh duck was superb, plain and simple. The quality of the duck was extremely good, perfectly cooked and with a decent amount of rendered fat (but not too much at the same time). The roasted duck breast came with sautéed duck liver, salt-baked beetroot, roasted raspberries, beetroot gel and a gorgeously soft dauphinoise potato which all worked well together. The red wine jus was very well done red wine jus, clever crunch of granola and the sweet of the raspberries had been toned down very well.

A mini doughnut with cox apples and Douglas fir was a warm, comforting mini doughnut with lovely combination and pop in the mouth interlude for a pre-dessert. Dessert itself came in the form of salted chocolate délice, with milk crumble and yoghurt sorbet. This was straightforward and restrained, with lovely crunch from the milk crumble and very dense chocolate offset nicely by the slightly sour yoghurt sorbet and resembled a competent dessert. Canelés happen to be among my favourite petit fours and these were done very well with the customary crunchy and slightly sticky exterior with soft, moist interior and with vanilla.

Overall, this was an extremely enjoyable meal and it was refreshing that the staff balanced the line between topping up and being unobtrusive as well during service. Bar only one or two brief moments, I enjoyed every element of this meal and that is an impressive level of consistency. The higher ends of this meal were frankly brushing in to the 2 Michelin starred swimming lane and I’m looking forward to plotting the excuse to return already.

Put simply was a truly sublime meal where the skill and technical design were second to none and I was delighted that the flavours really were hitting all the pleasure valves they can throughout. The lowest point this meal simmered at very pleasant and did not dip beneath this at any point through the whole journey, which makes for exceedingly consistent cooking. Every course was exquisite and there were moments where I was lost in another world of happiness. From the moment the linseed crisp with trout caviar and taramasalata amuse bouche washed away the other, highly wonderful bites, I was entirely and utterly happy. I adored the trout with burnt butter, following an already impressive and fresh langoustine starter.

All dishes were a total pleasure but the wigeon dish and horlicks dessert deserve a special mention as the former was one of the nicest dishes I have ever had and this dish joins a special folder in my head where the mere mention of a restaurant evokes the memory of that dish immediately and for the long term. The horlicks dessert simply took me back to childhood happiness which was another very pleasant trip to go on – I was always the boy at school that no one understood why I liked the skin on top of the semolina (for example) and now, years later with the good fortune to be able to enjoy this sort of thing in this fashion, I still love these oddities and was truly happy with the fabulous Jersey milk skin, chocolate caramel, malt and yeast dessert which was frankly a knock out finish.

You are in utterly professional hands here, by staff who are entirely attentive and caring for the guest experience without searching for self-glory and I loved the understated and warm hospitality that shone through the staff. I was especially grateful to meet the man himself afterwards who kindly gave the time for a quick hello and, as usual, was a treat to meet the man behind the creations and actually be able to say how much certain ones at the ozone layer of delight. Tea in front of the fire with the paper afterwards topped the occasion in a beautiful and homely way.

This is a quality venue and my sincere thanks to all the staff at the Latymer for their hospitality yesterday, a far cry from my average, working day. I very much look forward to the next opportunity to enjoy this restaurant again in a group for a bigger occasion. Michael Wignall leaves a superb legacy for The Latymer at Penny Hill Park and I am very pleased it gained its much deserved second Michelin star. Congratulations to the team and onward wishes to Mr Wignall at Gidleigh Park in the New Year where I know he will also be very much at home.

The menu was varied and the flavours were definitely pleasing. It is a shame I have not been able to get back and it is very high on the hit list to retry and see the difference between 2011 with 1 star and now with its promotion. I’m tempted to do their set menu again as that will be a true comparison and the show whether the mark of quality creator is there by making the normal spectacular again.

At the time of visiting the set menu was £29 for three courses which was on a half price promotion and we enjoyed an amazing set meal for £15 each! Now that it has gained its second Michelin star, I see that there has been an corresponding rise to £38 per person. I will need to and indeed look forward to another visit as soon as I can to assess the increase, but I can easily believe that it will still be good value for money for what is received.

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Gilpin Spice is the second restaurant of The Gilpin Hotel which has a Michelin star at their primary hotel restaurant. The head chef here is Hrishikesh Desai who opened his ode to Pan-Asian cooking as an Annex building metres away from the main hotel. The three different dining areas within Gilpin Spice are styled from the principle areas of Asia with the main dining room called ‘Malaysia’, the smaller red room labelled ‘China’ and the third, darker room (immediately on the left as you walk in) designated ‘India’. We ate in ‘Malaysia’ although the menu is exactly the same for all rooms. Perhaps my expectations were raised somewhat, thinking that the Michelin starred Mr Desai was trying to replicate this trend in his second restaurant, but it was evident Gilpin Spice was not on the same level as his principle (British) restaurant. The £50 per head for the dishes and small beers somehow felt a little steep for what it was.

The building itself has an alluring feel in its Lake District, dry stoned style and it is noticeable how pleasant this is on approach. The two outer dining rooms struck me as being spill over areas rather than places that are specifically requested and unless you wish a dark room or a tiny dining area in close proximity to another 6 diners, my recommendation to gain a table within ‘Malaysia’ which has the open kitchen and more atmospheric feel to it.

The building itself has an alluring feel in its Lake District, dry stoned style and it is noticeable how pleasant this is on approach. The two outer dining rooms struck me as being spill over areas rather than places that are specifically requested and unless you wish a dark room or a tiny dining area in close proximity to another 6 diners, my recommendation to gain a table within ‘Malaysia’ which has the open kitchen and more atmospheric feel to it.

Gilpin showcases spice, naturally as its purpose and whilst there are some interesting things about spice on the menu, sadly it did not feel as show-cased in the mouth in comparison. Flat bread duck was essentially a form of pizza with duck, mozzarella and Asian spiced BBQ sauce which was fine but really nothing more than that. The turkey, chopped finely and fried in a buttermilk and rice flour batter was crispy enough, supported by a spicy tomato and onion gravy that was warming but unremarkable at the same time. Khadi Patta beef was pleasantly sweet having been marinated in pineapple and paw paw and served with a mint chutney that was nicely balanced. Although this was the case, one cannot escape from the fact that this was spiced sirloin with a dip.

The pork belly itself was well done and probably the most prized part of the meal in terms of flavour but personally I felt the fat was not rendered enough as the thick layer did make the dish somewhat overly gelatinous.

Sweatcorn soup was harmless as well as the egg noodles in garlic oil – these are hard dishes to make stand out but satisfied for what they were. Five spice basmati rice was a little difficult to get a real sense of the spices involved however, the satay selection was good to see all three (pork, chicken and beef) on one dish with a satay sauce that was not too oily as is very often the case. The dessert was a play on Nastar, a Chinese pineapple jam tart which was added to an apple and vanilla crumble with cardamom, fennel and sesame. This was pleasant enough but simply lacked the wow factor that other simple crumbles that are out there.

The menu serves tapas dishes and these were priced between £5-12 and the larger ‘sharing’ dishes (such as the butter milk turkey) priced between £12-17.50. Although these seem like reasonable prices, they still go pretty quickly and tend to add up as a result. The bill came to £94.75 for two with 3 beers and tea which, at just under £50 per head does seem quite a lot for a lunch and for what was served. Had it been a more refined meal, this would have been easier to fathom. Service was a little aloof and not at the highest levels one can expect, but the restaurant itself is nicely designed and has a welcoming feel. Asian restaurants are not in abundant supply in Cumbria, so this is another addition and relatively up market (price and location wise) version to this small group.

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You know you may be in for something well above average if the chefs are happy to direct you to one of their peers and this was the case with Moor Hall having had two Michelin starred chefs directing me there when chatting post meals. Exec Head chef Mark Birchall gained his Michelin star here for the 2018 guide and of all the new entrants for this year, I couldn’t be more in applaud at this award. I have put all the aspects of the meal below as usual in as much detail as I can, but for those that want the headline, this was intricate cooking that held some superb dishes within the journey that hardly ever strayed in flavour and as a whole, was straying very much in to 2 Michelin starred level territory. I don’t want to give the place the kiss of death for mentioning that, but it really was excellent through and through and I have no hesitation nominating this as the top new 1 star entry in the UK for 2018 and high in its field. The £172 all in for the top tasting menu and continuous drinks was a fair price and there is a Barn serving more causal food as well. I would recommend the main restaurant for virtually any occasion and a must for those needing a dose of prowess.

After being made very welcome in the bar, the meal started with a black pudding parcel with pickled gooseberry which was sweet, gooey and in light casing. The inside was gorgeously soft and well done. Smoked eel with potato, fermented garlic and flowers was pleasantly smokey and light at the same time. The raw mackerel tartare with radish, purslane and nasturtium emulsion had lovely elements but the mackerel was quite subtle and more difficult to gauge, but supplemented very well by the nasturtium emulsion.

After being made very welcome in the bar, the meal started with a black pudding parcel with pickled gooseberry which was sweet, gooey and in light casing. The inside was gorgeously soft and well done. Smoked eel with potato, fermented garlic and flowers was pleasantly smokey and light at the same time. The raw mackerel tartare with radish, purslane and nasturtium emulsion had lovely elements but the mackerel was quite subtle and more difficult to gauge, but supplemented very well by the nasturtium emulsion.

Beetroot, parsley, horseradish snow and quinoa came next with very well balanced sharp from the beetroot and bitter from horseradish making a lovely combination. One of the stars of this meal was unquestionably the baked carrots with Doddington snow cheese. This was absolutely superb complimented well by the sea buckthorn as the latter can very easily overtake everything else. The carrots themselves were fresh and powerful whilst cold. A truly grand dish.

Home made bread was worthy of a course in itself as it was some of the best, spongiest bread had in a long time, perfectly done with cultured and garden herb butters. The turnip broth, turnip and crab two ways was fresh, light, powerful and a basic success. The Caper ham, onion ash charcoal with turnip, shallots and mustard mayonnaise was gloriously rich as well as having large chunks. This was beautifully complimented altogether and another hit.

The cauliflower was in the form of a super smooth purée, with luxury of truffle and fan of the buckwheat & barley grains cooked in chicken jus and truffle at the same time, which was perfectly balanced by the Chardonnay that I hadn’t had before & softened the tangy apple gel. If you’re going to have cauliflower, that’s the way to do it! The onion bread itself was exceedingly light as well as brittle on the outside and perhaps the best onion bread I have had since The Ledbury.

Monkfish was cooked on the bone with mussel and squash stew. A perfect squash purée lifted this dish for the meaty monkfish – whilst mussel is not my favourite ingredient (simply don’t enjoy the rock pool quality of the flavour), but I could see its seasoning purpose which gave the dish just that.

The pre-main came in the form of duck ragu, made from duck leg, mushrooms and duck skin. I can’t see anyone not enjoying this and it held a lovely, sweet base from compote at bottom. It was an entirely rich ragu with a warm and pleasing cranberry gel to balance richness with a smidgen or acid – wonderfully done. The main of Goosnargh duck itself came with beetroot, kale and hen of the woods mushroom. 3 week aged duck, kale cooked in ham fat was wonderful quality and with a deep and pure beetroot and mushroom sauce. This was a stunning duck dish, with wonderful warmth of sauces and supporting components, the mushrooms working well together forming really earthy, lovely flavours.

The gingerbread, roots and pine was a delightful light pre-dessert and the perfect crossover. Gingerbread ice cream candies parsnpps, pine powder & brown sugar crisps all had lightness of crisps and I loved the whole take on gingerbread done in an original way with just the right amount of kick. Another lovely addition was the lemon verbena, preserved blackberry and pear, buttermilk cream with verbena sorbet, pear compote. Again, I couldn’t find any issues with this and the gorgeous pear and verbena combination, delicate meringue shards produced a wonderful combination all round – lovely stuff.

These preludes were finished by the wonderful main dessert of Worcester Permain (Apple), woodruff, almond and whey caramel which was a true delight. The hot drinks list was extensive and it was good to see so many options – for originality and the fact my visit was in the build up to Christmas, I opted for a light variant of hot chocolate which turned out to be a very nice change and amazingly not too heavy. Petit fours of camomile pastry was light and were equally good.

In any tasting menu, it’s very usual for a good few dishes to be not on point, but there was hardly any fault throughout this meal and that is a notable thumbs up. The skill was absolutely evident throughout and the balance of flavours was overall lovely. There were peaks during this meal where simple ingredients were brought to life brilliantly and it is a place that I must go back to when I can.

https://major-foodie.com/moor-hall-ormskirk/
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