Bybrook Restaurant at Manor House Hotel

My girlfriend and I stayed over for Valentines weekend. The Manor House has an absolutely beautiful setting with the local village, Castle Coombe, regularly featuring as the prettiest in England. Can highly recomment staying and lovely walks in the surrounds.

Anyhow, we dined at the restaurant last Sunday and enjoyed the Menu Gourmand, a five course feast, lasting a couple of hours. We both simply could not fault the food. The highlights being the game terrine (course 2) and the smoked salmon (course 3) which would cause me to return just to heat them both again. I have never been a huge fan of big multi-course meals but they at least allow the chef to demonstrate what he can do and boy did he do it. Certainly one meal I will recall for some time to come and rates up there with offerings enjoyed at Chez Bruce and The Berkeley over the past few months.

Like the previous reviewer in hindsight I would have sent the pianist a drink and asked him to go and enjoy it in the bar whilst we ate. Service was OK but fell well short of what I would expect from a Michelin establishment – the staff seemed terrified and smile would have been pleasant. The dining room is big and lacks atmosphere but given this was Valentines maybe everybody was just focussing on whispering sweet nothings to their better halves. The bill nearly cused a heart attack and given that we did not really go nuts on the wine front left a bitter taste in the mouth.

However in summary I would go back but only after bonus time!

One Sunday in early Feb we reached a beautiful country manor house in a scenic Wiltshire village made all the more so by the snowy conditions. A well preserved, generously proportioned interior of dark heavy wood panelling greeted us until we were taken through to a light contemporary styled spacious dining room where a pianist was playing at a grand in one corner. The tone seemed set for an enjoyable lunch with friends despite the piano (depending upon your perspective) a little intrusive for me, but one in our party liked it enough to buy the pianist a drink.

Food could have been noteworthy except for : soggy bhaji in an otherwise very good spicy parsnip soup, disappointing fondant potato x 3 and a cool main of chicken with potato puree. 3 starters were completely demolished without comment. My main was served before the beef had been carved but I don’t know whether a hotter meal would have elevated it to impressive. My three co-diners relished most of their roast beef dishes. Desserts were faultless as were petit fours – divine Turkish delight not at all reminiscent of the disgusting stuff my gran used to buy. The wine list be-fitted such a venue and two bottles were effortlessly drained. Service whilst efficient was regimented to the extent that the waiting staff seemed afraid to smile. Had they appeared less stern then I am sure this would have lifted the occasion. Despite recent Michelin star attainment I don’t know that our experience matched up. Would I return? Yes if in the area, but I’d check first to see if the pianist was on duty.