Foodess' Reviews

Z was pretty busy before and after we left on Sunday evening which speaks volumes. Not enamoured by the menu at first glance and disappointed that lobster wasn’t available, I didn’t expect great things. Oh, did my mood lift as we went for 3 savoury courses plus a shared pud which had been prepped & cooked to perfection throughout. Not a revolutionary experience but just scrummy yummy. Impressed by Maitre d’hôtel’s recommendation for my main plus a Sicilian wine – the name I’m still trying to recall. Naturally an Italian leaning was expected but with astounding choice and some reasonably priced bottles exactly as SqM states et al. Venue was chosen on the basis of easy walk from hotel and my partner fancying Italian fare that evening – glad he did as we’d return without hesitation.

Sedate does not quite describe Cliveden; ornate, majestic do depict the building with its austere entrance hall resembling that of a museum. The venue may be intimidating, but the dining experience in Waldo’s is thankfully not, as Horridge brings a sense of frivolity to the table whilst creating exacting dishes. Considering the superb grounds we could have viewed, it was a shame to be lead down into the basement where the dining area is split into two so as to form an intimate tone. A brick wall was the view through the only window, otherwise we could admire the faded glory of a room in need of refreshment. (A different menu is available at the Terrace from where there is presumably a view.) An almost hushed atmosphere was broken only by the distant sounds of distorted muzac and another diner having unluckily selected the Reggie Perrin chair…….a loud creak with each mouthful required me to stifle my schoolgirl humour – thank goodness I arrived totally sober.

Amuse bouche was a playful dish of olives, a creamy ball of cod liver oil & basil with a fizzing tomato essence (bubbles from white wine I guess). What followed was worthwhile especially duck of divine flavours and textures. Horrified at the prospect of blancmange as a pre-dessert, my pre-conception was immediately smashed when served here with summer berries. It was a menu option I wish I’d chosen being better than the Lime Burnt Cream which we both thought needed some real dairy to counteract the cloying pud.

Service was as it should be and the Wine List was not outlandishly priced as I thought it might have been. The Sommelier listened to what style we were after and surprisingly delivered a good Gigondas sub £50. £100/head all in seemed OK for all we’d eaten.

Being two of only six diners that evening we had the privilege of meeting Chris H who was very approachable and open enough to enlighten us about his experience here so far. I’d love to sample his food again, but Cliveden is not for us.

My partner and I had been fancying a spicy number for a while, and with little to choose from locally, we plumped for a spot as far West as we could and according to SqM that = Zing. Mid-week, a mixed clientele had just about filled the place by 7.45p.m. and those that left before us were soon replaced.
Shared mixed platter did more than just whet the appetite and soon began to satiate the tum. Worried that I’d eaten too much before five dishes were about to arrive, the waitress reassuringly suggested we relax and take our time. However, even in summer I don’t find sitting in a draught relaxing and we’d already moved once, so I didn’t quite appreciate their welcoming open door policy, but I would know where to sit next time. A lamb dish intended to be very spicy was by no means overpowered by the sauce, though I preferred the aromatics of a milder chicken stew. I’d also recommend the smoky aubergine and corn dish.
Overall an attractive menu offering a good selection of rice, breads and side dishes + drinks. I love the food at Amaya but here I much prefer the atmosphere. Service was saved by several of the staff being very pleasant and helpful, but a few were in need of further training with some emphasis placed on the smile perhaps.

We were struggling to find new (for us) local and potentially good dining spots and came across Frederick's, which as SqM describes aptly is quite shiny. We weren't alone, as they seemed to be struggling too, and unfortunately it was on the culinary front. We were one of two couples dining in hushly traditional and fussy surrounds. Service was efficient and unobtrusive but the whole experience was one of anachronism. The chef seemed to be striving to do fine dining but not quite achieving, and with little else to entice, I don't think we will re-visit.

A small hotel with restaurant worthy of a gastronomic country jaunt. One would expect décor to be classic in a building dating back to 1400’s, but don’t expect dishes to be served in straight classic style. Fresh flavours are produced with a fair portion of imagination. Start with langoustine & crispy pork belly or tomato consommé with seasonal veg & soft herbaceous gnocchi (best gnocchi I’d had, but could have been better balanced overall), or asparagus with confit salmon. Assiette of pork (accurately described by SqM) & turbot with langoustine sauce pleased both sides of our table with taste exchanges going on throughout the meal.
Dishes are not ground-breaking in design & nor do you get whacked with lots of big flavours, but much of the menu seems to be aimed to gently tantalise, though some dishes certainly don’t lack power – a good summery balance. A great deal of thought & care had gone into what we ate, from the pork rillette canapé, rich cheesy potato & bacon amuse bouche, right through to the desserts such as cherry & almond clafoutis with deep, tart red wine sauce or caramelised white chocolate profiteroles. We enjoyed efficient & friendly service too.
As for the wallet damage, don’t expect to get much change from £80/head for 3 courses including wine.
I note a SqM reviewer complained of portion size at sister hotel, Bailiff’s court (run by the same Executive chef), and we had no problem managing 3 courses without sharing dessert which for us is a rarity. Upon arrival of the petit fours we began to struggle. It’s easy to see why this could – as I’ve read – be leader in a pack of a group of 3.

2 Jun 09
Glumly I have to report that the foregoing was short-lived, failing to sustain standard of 5 months. Last night, only one course out of four was very good, added to which service had slipped (not waiting staff, but kitchen seemed slow). A salad of preserved lemons was new so I ordered it having asked what went with the lemons. As promised, it arrived with pea-shoots – such a poorly balanced tasting starter which cried out for a nice blob of crab or something. Best was my partner’s pheasant terrine.

Tonight 29 Apr 09 :-

Venue/Atmosphere – as before good pub (Upstairs good for them as they could accommodate a bus load. and good for diners at ground level, saved from being subjected to large party noise.

Service – exceedingly obliging – no hesitation or bother upon a special request/need

Food – Not quite so good as before, but in terms of taste almost every bit as. Fell short at texture; puff pastry was softly yielding without a flake in sight. Flavour : Prawn and crab starter less than perfect, partly because it was so difficult to extract a balanced spoonful from the whisky style glass it was served in, plus partly owing to very cool temperature and may be the avocado content diluted the flavour a tad.

Wine – Boringly good – sadly we chose the same despite an interesting list.

Conclusiong – For a last minute booking when we required immediate sustenance with minimum fuss……near faultless.

Jan/Feb 2009 :

Traditional food is given a 21st century makeover in real style at this pub of historic setting. No ordinary pub grub served here now compared two or so years ago, when we were somewhat disappointed more than once, sufficiently so to make us go absent for a big gap. This week terrifically fresh ingredients were emphasised by deft execution.

Good nutty bread and creamy French style butter was followed by :
A warm goat’s cheese and jammy onion tart not quite perfect, but so enjoyable as to make me overlook the fact that only the slimmest edge of the flaky… More

The prospect of being able to walk to a decent riverside restaurant from home gave me high hopes that at least Henley could now boast a good modern Indian, if little else. Refreshing sassy place for a town so steeped in tradition. Spice Merchant (as Square Meal describes) in its early days was much better than the type of place that doles out dishes of luminously oily curry.

Following many impressive meals bordering on exotic, we invited friends along. Having highly recommended it, we were dismayed to be presented with embarrassingly measly offerings, tough meat which either hadn’t been marinated properly or cooked slowly enough. They had retreated from big portions to strict rations, even the rice.

The last straw was a takeaway, so bad that I daren’t wonder what it comprised. I sent feedback – obviously starting with praise – to which I never had a response; most recently I got an e-mail marketing their restaurant – needless to say I have chosen to unsubscribe.

A calm evening early April 2009 enabled us to enjoy the river view before dusk. I doubt anyone could deny the setting is partly responsible for placing this restaurant on the foodie map. Since re-vamp, diners sit amongst a restful mix of contemp/trad décor with natural light permeating the conservatory area.

Flashes of high culinary skill appear, but like many places not consistently enough. I wish I could say I recall eating something outstanding rather than remembering the delightful setting, because they try so very hard to please.

The menu sounds quite adventuresome, but occasionally chef seems rather timid, and dishes lack the impact of flavour that some main ingredients demand. Conversely, she cleverly balances those requiring a more delicate touch. Her husband/sommelier was keen to ensure we were absolutely satisfied with the wine we’d selected, insisting if not, we should switch to the other we were considering. We were, so we didn’t.

Good canapés; amuse bouche very acceptable; bread v.good; halloumi starters flavoursome, colourful and all components used to good effect. Use of herbs in hot dishes can be questionable (sprig of rosemary highly pungent, but otherwise undetected in the pork dish). A small chervil sprig adorning my Guinea Fowl would have lifted it, had it been larger, chopped and distributed through. I like herbs to be used for flavour rather than just for visual garnish. Generally my main did not disappoint except for a greyish unidentifiable puree, which wasn't really needed given the other accoutrements. Quality of ingredients is undeniable as is careful presentation, however, my partner – less pleased than I – will be reluctant to go back soon – cinnamon flavoured pork became tiresome as he worked his way through his main. We will return probably in summer, as on balance there are sufficient positives, plus outdoor eating alongside the riverbank is a joy.