This popular Bath eatery has an impressive pedigree. Chef-patron Robert Clayton has overseen the operation since its inception in 2012, and he previously garnered a Michelin star at an impressively young age while he was head chef at Huntsrete House Hotel (now the Bath outpost of The Pig) and he was also the head chef of Bath Priory in the city itself.
These days, Clayton can be found at this rustic-chic space, which features soft colour tones, exposed brick, and wooden tables and chairs.
The menu here changes seasonally, but is always inspired by Mediterranean and modern French cuisine. Following a pre-dinner tipple of an Old Fashioned or Dark and Stormy, guests can tuck in to a run of deceptively simple, ingredient-led dishes.
Starters (which can also be ordered in main-course portions if you really like the sound of them) might include Pembrokeshire crab with asparagus, lemon mayonnaise, toasted almonds and sesame biscuits, or slow-cooked pork ballotine with pickled and roasted beets and toasted sourdough.
Follow that with honey-roasted Creedy Carver free-range duck breast, grilled market fish, pan-roasted fillet of beef or roasted cannon of lamb, all with classically made sauces and thoughtful accompaniments such as celeriac puree, truffle fondant potatoes, or ewes’ curd crushed potatoes.
Finish up with classic desserts such as vanilla panna cotta, sticky toffee pudding or lemon meringue pie, while there’s a cheese board for more savoury-toothed diners.
Further draws include a well-priced set lunch menu (two/three course £20/£25), dedicated vegan and Sunday lunch menus, as well as an impressively sophisticated children’s offering (mini fillet steak with chips and greens etc.), but there’s also a diverting wine list if you’d rather keep the kiddies at home.
If you like what you try here and you find yourself near Romsey, give Clayton’s Kitchen Hampshire at The Potted Heron hotel a whirl.