Gordon Jones started his career in top-end Michelin-starred restaurants and hotels, but when it came to opening his own debut restaurant in Bath, he opted to go down a more experimental route. Blind tasting menus may be par for the course now, but back when Menu Gordon Jones opened, the idea of a no-choice menu (or, as Jones puts it, a ‘surprise tasting menu’) created quite a buzz.
Open Tuesday-Saturday, Menu Gordon Jones offers a six-course surprise lunch menu (£55) and a seven-course surprise dinner menu (£60), which change each day depending on the market. There is one thing you can be sure of though: everything on your plate will be made or prepared fresh, in-house, by Jones and his team. And while you can never predict the dishes that will be placed in front of you by the chatty staff, you can bet on contrasting tastes, textures and temperatures inspired by English and Asian flavours.
The action begins with an intriguing brown paper bag and some test tubes before continuing into the unknown. Dishes are impossible to predict, but innovative creations that have tantalised local palates before now include a ‘cappuccino’ of wild mushroom mousse with smoked milk foam, cream of sweetcorn sorbet with peppered strawberry and wheatgrass juice, and assiette of lamb with spinach, roast purple carrot, baby onion, cauliflower purée and enoki mushrooms.
Diners can also relinquish control on which wine(s) to go for, thanks to the wine flight option. All wines are organic and biodynamic, and are chosen to complement each course, allowing guests to sit back and enjoy the experience without having to open a menu at all. With only ten tables, covers are limited so it’s best to book well in advance for Friday and Saturday evenings.