Foodess' Reviews

Faddy, no, but traditional yes in every way. Critics might defile this modus operandi, but I see nothing wrong with competently cooked Sunday lunch served in relaxed surroundings by accommodating staff – enjoyment doesn’t always have to encompass trendy, though I am the first to admit it can be such fun. This occasion was enhanced by the company of some good friends.

A little worn at the edges – as many are – this country house, set in pretty grounds pleasantly reflects the bucolic character of the region. A place for the VFM conscious, at under £20 per head for 3 courses which included a fine array of buffet style starters to satisfy the carnivore and those piscine inclined, although the veg lover may feel a tad deprived. Five main courses from which to choose could be followed by selecting from half a dozen puddings including unquestionably fresh fruits over which you could cast an eye before committing. Then to add to your decision process there was an adequate if slightly staid, help-yourself cheese board. One of the most sensibly priced wine lists to be seen [generally sub £100] plus a more modest and concise house list. Two bottles of Pomerol worked nicely for us.

I failed to find many reviews, but the few I did were ‘good’ and that just about fits. Could I have awarded 6.5 for F&D then I would have done…Not sure I am curious enough to find out whether the kitchen can successfully deliver the modern dishes that appear at other times, unless it proves to be a convenient bolt hole in future, then it would deserve fair consideration.

Staff here must be programmed to please. A heart-warming experience was had from the time I picked up the phone to reserve a table until the time we had lunched and were last to leave at 4.30p.m. I don’t know how to begin to describe the quirky décor of the dining area. To me it appeared that two or more people with contrasting styles compromised on the design – but not elsewhere. However, the ambience and service could not be bettered. Had the food not been so good, then we would still have relaxed and enjoyed the comfort of the room and the generosity of service. A very busy Wednesday lunch spoke volumes. If you don’t like detail, then give this place a miss because the food is intricate both in terms flavour and appearance. Oodles of style and substance is delivered from sweetbreads with candied walnuts to delicately spiced seafood. Having enjoyed starter so much I felt quite confident that my main would deliver – lamb is an unusual choice for me and even more so for the fact that it was billed as ‘Breast of lamb’ given that I have a big aversion to lamb fat, but it was the ‘crispy’ description that gave me the courage to go for it. Lamb done 3 ways (small canon slice included) was divine. Our Portuguese wine choice from a reasonable spectrum of internationals was another bonus. Desserts and petit-fours impressed too……what more need I say?

Superlatives suit this estate set in the New Forest and probably will even more so once the Spa is up and running. A visit to this part of the world is becoming an annual event for us, and as the ‘chief’ Poussin is now open [aka Limewood] in what was Parkhill as mentioned above, this is certainly a different scene from the now not so temporary Whitley Ridge site. Obviously designed to wow, the Georgian grandeur of the main building is off-set by a Court House (where we stayed) which almost has a Moorish look to it, then a set of buildings which wouldn’t be out of place in New England are to the rear providing more accommodation. Inside expense seemed not to be an issue either with the ‘piece de resistance’ being the opening glass roof over a delightful Courtyard for star gazing or semi-sheltered sunning where staff would oblige you with something to sup on. Apart from the grand, there was utilitarian, well not quite – a smart boot room housed almost entirely with pristine Wellies of all colours, patterns and sizes, a mantle piece decked with a selection of bicycle hats, to go with the wheels stored elsewhere, plus mini tri-cycles for the less stable and tinier proportioned folk.

Alex Aitken has now sold his share and stepped down to occupy consultant chef role. So how did the new man do? We ate in the Dining Room which is prissy and in-keeping with the rest of the building, where most people feel the need to dress for dinner.

We switched starters of Ravioli and Rabbit half-way through. (A creamy potato amuse bouche was unremarkable and too salty.) Rabbit was served with caramel carrot, but I didn’t get caramel at all and the thick raw strips of carrot did nothing for the bland and unsatisfying dish, so we were saved by the ravioli which satisfyingly oozed cheese. Bread kept rolling up no sooner than the last crumb had disappeared, which, given the lack of carbohydrate in 3 dishes, was a relief and worth taking. Sea-bass with fennel and crab awoke my palate which is where… More

Could Atul Kochhar match the subtle spicing of a lamb cutlet second time around, I wondered after booking a table at Benares? Most definitely….and not just spices were clever but textures too.

Softshell crab was a superb opening dish for me, as was rabbit which both I and my co-diner thought divine. Although lamb wasn’t chosen this time, Monkfish was recommended without falter and I was utterly pleased that it had been – the flavours lived on in my memory for longer than average. Steamed basmati rice separated like grains of sand running through fingers and was the best I had encountered. Duck main didn’t quite do it for me, but then that wasn’t my main course choice.

Décor was slightly suspect with plaster-of-paris panel design on walls, but otherwise a pleasant space, and with food this good, surroundings were of little consequence. Showing an interest in the food and the chef’s skill, we were asked if we would like to meet Mr Kochhar, which marked the occasion neatly. Compliments about his food were met with humble response and in that short encounter, he seemed like a pretty decent person who deserves the recognition he gets.

In 2010, considering we were in a Michelin starred Mayfair restaurant on a Tuesday evening, £120 (a la carte) for two people including a couple of glasses of wine, water and beer seemed pretty good value to me.

Spoilt from the second we walked in, to the time we were coat-clad and ready to leave. Not bad considering this was only the 5th day after reopening. Greeted by charming people, we entered a room set out in curved theme, neutral and metallically laden, apart from a wall of rich red. The circular glass wine store was a dramatic focal point around which tables had been very well arranged.

Within this comfortable atmosphere, the pace of service proved excellent. Staff gave the impression that they were happy and relaxed as they went about their duties discreetly, knew exactly what they should be doing, and also managed to appear – as if by telepathy – just at the moment of need.

Two cones of pleasant pop corn, one smoked paprika and the other with notes of lemon and black pepper, made me unsure quite where this culinary journey might lead. I needn’t have pondered. Detailed preparation and presentation were impressive. Most of all so much attention had been allotted to flavour, such as in richly concentrated onion soup, bright watercress soup with a flavour depth to match langoustine tails, and a comforting side dish of thyme scented potato boulangere. Chefs (I think there were at least a dozen) knew how to make the individual flavours sing out harmoniously and with heavenly intensity. For a main course I considered the risk of ordering Lobster with cider? A succulent crustacean sitting very happily on pork belly with claw meat nestling within gem lettuce was the reward, making me realise just how wonderfully versatile this sea creature could be. Gressingham duck ‘billed’ as crisp-skinned was not, but other than that was perfectly cooked to order with a zingy beetroot and ginger accompaniment. Puds, though they sounded enticing, are hardly ever ordered by us and thank goodness we didn’t, as the treats just kept coming one after another.

Staff were pleased to let us step inside the wine store to marvel at the stock, and we were treated to a tour of the basement kitchen… More

When you make one of those last minute bookings there’s little time to ponder expectations, so the fact that is was a beige encounter didn’t come as a huge disappointment. We found an urban style brasserie alongside a spacious bar area which was bucolically reminiscent of a pleasant barn conversion. The menu which seemingly offered so much promise didn’t quite accomplish. It also stays with you on the table during the meal here, aka a place mat.

A South American wine suited both our choices : A Rib-eye with fries and Cod with chorizo and chickpea broth laced with saffron aioli. This proved a powerful fish dish where chickpeas made a rare appearance – a relatively cheap component out-weighed by an abundance of chorizo – not so good for a fan of the chickpea, like me. Saffron was slightly overpowering too, so some tuning was required here and the fish was just of reasonable quality. A good steak with dressed watercress were joined with anaemic looking French fries which were passable matchsticks surprisingly both texturally and flavour-wise.

Standard was broadly equivalent to a Hotel du Vin. Sunday lunchtime may prove rather enjoyable with live Jazz, otherwise, I wouldn’t mind exploring the slightly less-ambitious sounding breakfast and brunch menus. Oh and service deserves mention turning out to be all it ought to be, and delivered with a smile.

Set at a high point in the Chiltern Hills this charming country pub has an inviting exterior with pretty gardens. The olde worlde beamed interior is similarly charming at first glance, where the fine line between characterful and tired is now being breached. However, the artefact connection is worthy of mention both in sculptural and painted form. I would normally describe the food as mediocre plus, but the odd flash of delight does occasionally pop up. One such example was Saturday night : my starter of smoked haddock and cheese soufflé sat proudly in a delicate pool of creamy sauce flecked with spring onion and dotted with delicate pieces of fish – a texturally dreamy experience contrasting with powerful cheese and smoky flavours. Bread, wines and a heavily truffled risotto (it did come with a warning) were also very good. Mains of venison and halibut is where the dip occurred, and maybe the problem lay with over complicating in both cases. Sir CN is busy whenever we go and the menu always reads for wide appeal which probably helps keep ‘bums on seats’.

We keep returning just to check whether lady luck has evaded us on our previous visits. I was led here this time by comments from a regular diner who thinks River Cafe is a place that “always delivers”.
Not having visited since the fire, I never did quite get this place in terms of food standards –v- price/enjoyment, preferring places such as Zafferano and Locanda Locatelli where consistency is pretty much guaranteed.
Together with the riverside setting and buzzy atmosphere, the industrial look to this property has always appealed to me. It reminded me of an aircraft hangar with character and warmth, and still does; little seems to have changed with décor except for the enormous, white, wood burning stove.

Food………
Being wary of previous pasta experiences I concentrated on fish and seafood which was not a difficult choice given the array of offerings for the day. Fabulous huge plate of crabmeat atop seakale, all lifted by finely grated bortaga (price tag justified) – I’d defy anywhere to better this. A shared, delicately gamey ‘primi ‘of papardelle with rabbit, pigeon and pheasant scored high for both of us – it would be so easy to overindulge on such a moreish dish. A superb specimen of dover sole laced with anchovy, served with lentils and greens was very satisfying and ‘king of the sea’ in my opinion. (Meat dishes I was told were good, though uninspiring).

Wine…….
Always good, and should be for the mark-ups.

Service…….
Eager and boastful of the cuisine they are serving.

Nothing fancy here and one can’t object to the rustic style of presentation because all the pleasure is intended to be in the eating, and tonight for me it certainly was. But, one can object to the turnaround times and the unforgivably naff paper table cloths.

Was it worth one more whirl? Most definitely – purity and quality of ingredients almost justify the lofty figures.