A property has stood on this site since the 13th century, with much of the present building being built in the late 1580s. It came into the possession of the Earls of Lonsdale in the 1830s and was the home of the 7th Earl until his death in 2006. It remained in the ownership of his widow who oversaw its conversion to boutique hotel and restaurant. I mention the history only because the whole ambiance of the public space shouts it at you – from the heraldic symbols on the walls to the shabby (not “shabby chic”) condition of the furnishings in the lounge. You would never be in any doubt that you were having dinner in a stately home., even though the restaurant space feels quite modern, with a large window between kitchen and dining room. That means you can watch the chefs at work when conversation flags (as it almost certainly will over the coming hours).
Unsurprisingly for a Michelin starred restaurant, food is by way of a no choice, six course, tasting menu. Be prepared for this to take a good three hours, with aperitifs and coffee – there can be long gaps between courses. The three front of house staff were very much on the ball. In particular the young female sommelier, starting out on her career, was first rate – knowledgeable and engaging.
There were a couple of single bite canapes, served with the aperitif but, to be honest, I can’t recall what they were. Once in the dining room, bread was served quickly. A housemade sourdough pain de campagne, with organic butter. It was delicious and not a crumb was left – not least because it was all we got to eat for quite a while.
The first course may, possibly, have been the best thing I ate all evening. It was their take on lobster thermidor. Bits of lobster, soft leeks, dice of crisp apple, the freshness of lovage and a cheese topping using Montgomery cheddar. You might have thought that using such a mature cheese would overpower the more delicate flavours but it stayed just about on the right side.
The restaurant makes a great play on the provenance of the food. Much of the fruit and vegetables come from their own kitchen garden and some of the meats from their own farm. So, the garden provided a salad – Nicola potatoes, served warm, pickled beetroot, baby carrots, confit tomatoes and leaves, with dots of sheep’s curd acting as a dressing.
A fish course next. It’s halibut from a fish farm in Scotland – if ever you come across halibut on a menu these days, it’s pretty much guaranteed to come from the farm on the Isle of Gigha. It’s perfectly cooked and comes with oyster mushrooms, greens, fennel and a Morecambe Bay shrimp sauce. Then the only dish of the evening which failed to please us. Rough Fell lamb is breed native to Cumbria but, disappointingly, it was chewy and just not very nice – much of it was left. A real pity, as the accompaniments of tomato, courgette, crispy potato and tarragon flavoured sauce, were all spot on. We were asked how we found it and told them (that brought an apology and a subsequent adjustment to the bill).
Pre-dessert was excellent. Sweet cicely and cucumber, with crème fraiche and the only real sweetness coming from shards of caramelised white chocolate. The dessert plate that followed was also not too sweet – berries, lemon verbena cream, a sharpness from elderflower vinegar, topped with a macaroon, with it all surrounded by a puddle of strawberry “soup”.
We finished a long evening with coffee and good petit fours – chocolate bon-bon, pate de fruit (that’s posh jelly to you and me) and a small cube of fudge.
