The Pass at South Lodge Hotel

In addition to the long-running Camellia Restaurant, visitors to this lavishly refurbished Victorian mansion can now enjoy a novel new experience at The Pass. This takes the chef’s table concept a stage further by putting a comfortable 22-seater dining area right at the heart of the kitchen, so that everyone gets to witness the action – with LCD screens beaming footage of the team going about their work. Head chef Matt Gillan is inspired by the surrounding area, using locally sourced seasonal produce for a series of multi-course tasting menus. Typical dishes might include terrine of braised blade of beef & duck liver with pickled pears, wild garlic purée & coriander oil, saddle of roe deer served with purple sprouting broccoli, baby onions, morels & tonka bean jus, & vanilla pannacotta with ginger crumb & popcorn broth. Wine flights provide an enticing introduction to the wide-ranging list.