Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons

Reputedly the busiest Michelin stared restaurant in the UK and of course being a keen fan of Raymond Blanc and his TV shows excitement was running high for our dinner and stay at Le Manoir.

Right from the start service was impeccable, a chap came over to our car and relived us of our bags, directing us to reception who he also clearly forewarned as as soon as we entered we were greeted by name. After a quick tour of the house we were taken to our room. We were in the snow queen room, absolutely stunning in design, very spacious and very comfortable. Flowers, chocolate (very yummy Manoir made), fruit (all perfectly ripe) and champagne all there to greet us as part of our overnight package.

Dinner which was preceded by a lovely walk around the garden, essentially an allotment but immaculately kept and full of beautiful bronze sculptures, then aperitifs and canapés on the lawn as we perused the menu.

We opted for the Découverte tasting menu with matching wines. Far too many courses to list, but all came sublimely cooked and all clearly using ingredients from the garden. Despite the ten or so courses the portion sizes were pitched exactly right leaving you full but not stuffed at the end.

Service was once again impeccable, food arrived together and was properly introduced, napkins done properly, on your first visit to the lavatories they showed the way rather than leaving you to search yourself, if food arrived when one of you was not at the table it was served with cloches on and a promise that if it was cold it would be cooked again. All made for a very seamless and fluid service.

If one was to compare it to the Waterside in you would wonder why it only has 2 stars and not 3, as it surpassed it in everyway both the food and the hotel, but albeit at double the cost!

My only critic and maybe why Le Manoir is missing its third star, is that what you pay for is very much what you get, there are no ‘compliments from the chef’ amuse… More

I would place money on Robert B. enjoying splendid food’n drink in stately style at Le Manoir because staff will inevitably be aware that the critique to follow will generate a degree of interest.

Early 2007, I wrote about Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saison having dined there many times, happening to live quite close since 2003 :

Never, out of about six visits, have I had a completely satisfactory meal despite undoubted flashes of brilliance. My first experience was when I travelled 150 miles purely for what I had hoped would be an impressive gastronomic event, only to discover that I'd had better suckling pig in both Wales (Walnut Tree – then in the adroit hands of Franco T) and Madrid. A trio of desserts was such an ornately concocted sight, elegantly crafted to nautical proportions that it should have been majestically set to sail on a pond, rather than put on a table. Had it been a culinary triumph, then I couldn't complain, but each pud’ fell short. Last time (Dec 06) the kick-off was promising with an excellent pumpkin risotto of mushrooms and chestnuts. Then the grouse – bitter in places (definitely not gamey) was a let down. When I raised a query about it, the waiter returned stating that the chef had tried to remove most of the dried blood which was the source of the unpleasant flavour. Surely at this supposedly acclaimed level, shouldn’t the chef get fundamentals right? To ‘add insult to injury’, scant jus made the dish too dry. There was no offer to redress – not even coffee. My partner got the better deal, but shouldn’t nearly all aspects be ‘spot on’ ?

Not just for reasons of LMaQS’s formal setting and starchy atmosphere, I’d much rather spend my money, or preferably someone else’s, at the Fat Duck, where superb food can tantalise the taste buds from start to finish in more cosy surroundings. Obviously presentation is never an issue here and nor at LMaQS, but surely in venues like these, don’t most people expect stunningly… More