Rogan and Company

Following the trend pioneered by Heston Blumenthal at Bray & Rick Stein in Padstow, Simon Rogan is turning his own little corner of England into a self-styled foodie destination. The chocolate box village of Cartmel is his chosen home patch, & Rogan & Company sets out to complement L'Enclume, which has developed a lofty reputation for fashionably scientific, experimental cooking. Instead of innovation, this new venture offers accomplished modern European food in a pleasant first-floor setting of beams & neutral fabrics. A salad of herring & brown shrimps was a fresh-tasting starter, while blanquette of veal with root vegetables & pilau rice convinced as a rich, Sunday lunch-style plateful. Other successes included dressed crab with rocket salad & celeriac remoulade, grilled plaice fillets with saffron mash, chorizo & balsamic, & white chocolate & mascarpone mousse with raspberries. The entertainingly annotated wine list offers good choice from around the globe.