The meal started with some delightful cheese gourgeres that had velvety and soft fillings and pea mini tartlets that had delightfully brittle pastry cases and fresh pea flavour. Both enjoyable pleasantries to begin with although the table did agree that slightly warmer gougeres without the parmesan shavings on top (if the removal of the parmesan cheese helped with this).

I started with green asparagus, lovage emulsion, quail egg & goats curd which was a genuine pleasure.  The quail eggs added richness, the asparagus itself being as fresh as one could expect from the season and fact it was grown in their own gardens and decorated with visually and texturally pleasing pastry crisps on top.  Next was native lobster, spiced carrot, coriander & bisque, the bisque having good depth and the sliced carrot in particular, working very well with the lobster.

For the main, I opted for the Cumbrian lamb, roasted onion, garlic scapes & allium flowers which all worked together as well as these timeless combinations have done.  The garlic puree and allium notes all round were suitably toned down to allow the (good quality) lamb be the main part to enjoy.

Dessert was strawberry, blueberry, meringue & verbena and although quite a simple dessert, the key being that the strawberries were wonderful and the meringue just at the right thickness to properly enjoy and compliment all.  The petit fours that followed were all pleasurable and well made and this all made for an entirely agreeable meal.

Speaking with the executive chef at the end was a definite privilege that I am conscious that most might not receive however, it showed me: a) he was in and leading the service(!) which is not always the same in many other Michelin-starred venues I could cite, b) betterment was strived for at all times, seen in the huge effort recently to transform the restaurant from one side of the hotel to the other to afford the pleasurable view and c) I do like the way that the hotel and restaurant is not cashing in on its accolade by switching to overpriced, set tasting menus only, focussing on a reasonable menu that all can have several options – almost a rarity these days.  I would also add that if ever there was a place to enjoy a skillfully presented vegetarian menu, this will be a very good option to have up your sleeve.

I tried the salad of crown prince pumpkin with cow’s curd, cheese sablê, pumpkin seed and black truffle as I wanted to see their forte ability with such an expansive garden.  The only problem is that regrettably, my timing wasn’t brilliant being in the worst season for vegetable growth however, it’s always good to see how a renowned Michelin starred venue combats this.  I would say that with the ingredients available this was done just about as good as anyone could do with plump pumkin chunks, creamy cheese curd and truffle shavings to jazz things up and held together with the garnish.  The seeds worked well for texture and basically, it wasn’t a full-scale opera but not a bad thing at the same time.

Breads were warmed and presented very well and again, although plain in the majority, they were done well with good springiness all round.  Also tried was the starter of foie gras parfait with verjus, glazed walnut, orange and chicory.  This was somehow sent to the table without the brioche which had been forgotten and caused a wait in the proceedings.  Although these things happen and is not the end of the world, especially if both starters are cold, it was a surprise for this basic error to occur (at a Michelin starred restaurant) however, all was rectified with one baked and brought to the table as quickly as possible.  The parfait itself was set hard and quite tough to handle and although I liked the crunchy exterior, the flavour of the parfait just wasn’t to the same standard as that experienced at Dinner, The Cross or La Trompette for example.

Mains of lamb and selections of Newhaven fish fillets were more enjoyble.  The lamb had depth of flavour, both parts being utterly tender with a rather lovely potato terrine and supporting sauce / puree elements.  The selection of fish in bouillabaisse sauce was nicely done, the fish pieces being succulent and seared to good effect.  No negatives really, but similarly, no high fives caused at the same time.

Desserts however, were a very welcome notch upwards.  The mango crème brûlée was beautifully judged, with just the right sweetness and eggy consistency.  This had a superb ginger beer sorbet and was one of the nicest sorbets had.  Equally enjoyable was the white chocolate mousse with variations of apple, treacle and cinnamon crumb – these flavours were superb altogether and was the definition of harmony.  Tea and petit fours were enjoyed in one of the lounges opposite the fire place with a seemingly long wait for the bill.

So all in all a surprising mix of results but thankfully with some good moments and all being presented in a refined way.  I suppose I was simply hoping for a bit more ‘X’ factor.  The venue will serve as a wonderful haven for anyone needing to conduct a regain or gain points with their other half but for the more advanced diners there were easily areas to raise.  Very glad to have done it though and a tasting menu in the warmer months is the only way to be sure.

The meal started with delicate nibbles, the first being a mini cone of smoked baba ghanoush, cardamom yoghurt and Bombay mix which was very smooth but with good spice in a pleasingly light pastry.  A parmesan and truffle beignet had a lovely, warm truffle flavour (not too strong) and a pig’s trotter coquette with piccalilli gel was also satisfying.  Home-made sour dough was similar in style to previous visits, but this version came with an enhanced, brittle crust (resulting in an amusing cascade of debris on the table).  Salted butter was joined by a Wagyu dripping dip with onion powder and whilst I thought this was straying close to the limit of saltiness, it was luxurious and good to have at the same time.

Galician octopus to start came with pickled kohlrabi and sesame and had absolutely beautifully handled miso gel.  The handling of the aromats was lovely in support and was a very pleasant way to begin.  The salt-baked celeriac, remoulade, lovage & nasturtium leaves with truffle sorbet (made from French perigord truffles) and shavings of winter truffles from Australia was utterly fresh.  The truffle sorbet I thought was superb here and this was a lovely way to have an otherwise, underused vegetable (celeriac) and actually represented very high levels of how to make a salad dish imaginative and enjoyable, on par with the greatest salad I have had at 2 Michelin starred The Ledbury.

Eel brushed with apple came with pickled turnip, lemon grass and Japanese stock from pork and chicken using dashi mushrooms and this was another corker.  The eel was perfectly soft and sweet with the apple glaze (eel can be unbearably salty at times).  The fragrant stock with an almost lemongrass quality from the dashi mushrooms was a light dish and again, all very enjoyable.

Risotto with wild mushrooms, parmesan crisp and chestnut shavings was another example of making something quite simple of greater interest than normal.  There was good depth to the mushrooms with an interesting take on the chestnut looking like cheese shavings (albeit with the same sort of texture to coconut which is not my personal favourite) but the Parmesan crisp was a lovely add on with its light crunch and good cheese flavour in addition to make a warming dish.

The Goosnargh duck was superb, plain and simple.  The quality of the duck was extremely good, perfectly cooked and with a decent amount of rendered fat (but not too much at the same time).  The roasted duck breast came with sautéed duck liver, salt-baked beetroot, roasted raspberries, beetroot gel and a gorgeously soft dauphinoise potato which all worked well together.  The red wine jus was very well done red wine jus, clever crunch of granola and the sweet of the raspberries had been toned down very well.

A mini doughnut with cox apples and Douglas fir was a warm, comforting mini doughnut with lovely combination and pop in the mouth interlude for a pre-dessert.  Dessert itself came in the form of salted chocolate délice, with milk crumble and yoghurt sorbet.  This was straightforward and restrained, with lovely crunch from the milk crumble and very dense chocolate offset nicely by the slightly sour yoghurt sorbet and resembled a competent dessert. Canelés happen to be among my favourite petit fours and these were done very well with the customary crunchy and slightly sticky exterior with soft, moist interior and with vanilla.

Overall, this was an extremely enjoyable meal and it was refreshing that the staff balanced the line between topping up and being unobtrusive as well during service.  Bar only one or two brief moments, I enjoyed every element of this meal and that is an impressive level of consistency.  The higher ends of this meal were frankly brushing in to the 2 Michelin starred swimming lane and I’m looking forward to plotting the excuse to return already.

Put simply was a truly sublime meal where the skill and technical design were second to none and I was delighted that the flavours really were hitting all the pleasure valves they can throughout.  The lowest point this meal simmered at very pleasant and did not dip beneath this at any point through the whole journey, which makes for exceedingly consistent cooking.  Every course was exquisite and there were moments where I was lost in another world of happiness.  From the moment the linseed crisp with trout caviar and taramasalata amuse bouche washed away the other, highly wonderful bites, I was entirely and utterly happy.  I adored the trout with burnt butter, following an already impressive and fresh langoustine starter.

All dishes were a total pleasure but the wigeon dish and horlicks dessert deserve a special mention as the former was one of the nicest dishes I have ever had and this dish joins a special folder in my head where the mere mention of a restaurant evokes the memory of that dish immediately and for the long term.  The horlicks dessert simply took me back to childhood happiness which was another very pleasant trip to go on – I was always the boy at school that no one understood why I liked the skin on top of the semolina (for example) and now, years later with the good fortune to be able to enjoy this sort of thing in this fashion, I still love these oddities and was truly happy with the fabulous Jersey milk skin, chocolate caramel, malt and yeast dessert which was frankly a knock out finish.

You are in utterly professional hands here, by staff who are entirely attentive and caring for the guest experience without searching for self-glory and I loved the understated and warm hospitality that shone through the staff.  I was especially grateful to meet the man himself afterwards who kindly gave the time for a quick hello and, as usual, was a treat to meet the man behind the creations and actually be able to say how much certain ones at the ozone layer of delight.  Tea in front of the fire with the paper afterwards topped the occasion in a beautiful and homely way.

This is a quality venue and my sincere thanks to all the staff at the Latymer for their hospitality yesterday, a far cry from my average, working day.  I very much look forward to the next opportunity to enjoy this restaurant again in a group for a bigger occasion.  Michael Wignall leaves a superb legacy for The Latymer at Penny Hill Park and I am very pleased it gained its much deserved second Michelin star.  Congratulations to the team and onward wishes to Mr Wignall at Gidleigh Park in the New Year where I know he will also be very much at home.

The menu was varied and the flavours were definitely pleasing.  It is a shame I have not been able to get back and it is very high on the hit list to retry and see the difference between 2011 with 1 star and now with its promotion.  I’m tempted to do their set menu again as that will be a true comparison and the show whether the mark of quality creator is there by making the normal spectacular again.

At the time of visiting the set menu was £29 for three courses which was on a half price promotion and we enjoyed an amazing set meal for £15 each!  Now that it has gained its second Michelin star, I see that there has been an corresponding rise to £38 per person.  I will need to and indeed look forward to another visit as soon as I can to assess the increase, but I can easily believe that it will still be good value for money for what is received.

Canapes for this meal included a curry bonbon which was very good, beef carpaccio (beautiful with a cheese biscuit base), goat cheese mousse (powerful and pleasing) and sea trout (melt in mouth and fresh but not packed with flavour).  All these were a very good way to begin.   

Breads served were ciabatta with black olive and tomato which I found a little bland, sourdough and beer and mash brown bread.  Sadly the latter was covered in too much flower almost clumsily much as had formed a pool on the saucer and one side of one of the sourdough breads was a lot harder than the other which I had to send back owing to feeling almost stale.  This can happen when left out long enough in services, but this was surprising to occur at a 2 Michelin starred restaurant, especially at these prices.  Although this was dealt with straight away when I mentioned it, it is still disappointing.

Wonderful pumpkin soup was first, with langoustine done well, and biscotti biscuit with blue cheese, pumpkin gel, nuts was warming in every way and dispelled the bad feeling from the bread.  The star dish visually was, without doubt, the mackerel with compressed orchard apples. It was also utterly vibrant and beautifully light with all components working together; the mackerel itself perfectly fresh and oily, complemented superbly by the marvellous soy, ginger and honey gel – a knock out dish.

Hens egg on a fricassee of mushrooms, mushroom gel, wild mushroom ‘tea’ included chanterelle, trompette & girolle mushrooms. Truffles on top, with a perfectly cooked and runny egg, and broth created a super dish.  A pleasing crunch from the mushroom shavings & crisps as well gave the dish the texture it needed.  The Jacob’s ladder of beef was beautifully succulent with good mash, red wine essence jus and altogether was absolutely stunning.

Tiramisu Coffee bean ice cream and amaretto gel were the main components for dessert and came with a gorgeous cream and hint of liquorice.  There was exquisite cream and star anise in the coffee bean ice cream making this a luxurious dessert.

Therefore, aside from the slip up of the breads, this was a superb series of dishes, done with class and style.  It definitely sits within the two Michelin starred family still for myself and is practically an institution of the country now.  To stay over for one night and have dinner would be magnificent I’m sure – the only problem with this is that you will need roughly £1,500 minimum to do this with one other guest.  One day, perhaps.

The biggest fear before going on such an occasion was the service being too formal.  This however, was actually kicked right in to touch as the staff couldn’t have been more welcoming and genuine at every stage.  The meal itself was a set Christmas menu but with elements of real brilliance that I genuinely thought was better food than the degustation menu experienced earlier in the year.  The salmon blini starter was wonderfully light and creamy; the true ‘Normande’ was beautifully fresh as an apple sorbet with freeze dried apple slice; the turkey was actually moist unlike how turkeys can very often be and the bread sauce with bacon bits and small amounts of cheese was a stroke of genius as well as the cheese with blob of truffle honey on the top being a delight.

The menu demonstrated simple flavours that would agree with virtually anyone and was beautifully done.  The mini ice creams (had in the bar with after the meal with early evening liqueurs) were a lovely way to finish and this really was a superb meal.  In terms of finding somewhere to have a unique Christmas Day away, it really was pure gold as an experience and one that will be very hard to match.

The food served here is elegant and definitely among the freshest I have come across with its plethora of vegetable selections, which Raymond Blanc uses, from his many surrounding gardens for all his dishes along with beautifully succulent fish.  The meats are equally delightful but my only criticism with the food for this first visit was that for all its obvious style and impressive creations, the flavours were just pleasant rather than outstanding.  The dishes themselves were luxurious and highly pleasing on the eye though.  Overall, this is a gem of a place in general and I will never have an issue going here on any occasion, but it would be probably more for the occasion rather than to go for just the food itself – the latter here serves more as the bonus factor.

The popadoms came in a variety of roasted (hard), shallow fried (beautifully soft) and in an unusual form more akin to crackers which were light and very good.  The sweet mango chutney and brown tomato chutneys were of course made on site and I found the sweet mango chutney certainly living up to its name as was almost jam-like, but it’s hard not to enjoy hand made popadoms with hand made mango chutney before an Indian meal, irrespective of the different takes on them.

Opting for the set evening menu, my starter of Ajwaini Salmon Tikka I thought was a delightful starter.  The spices were an interesting mix of carom seed and dill, the salmon itself with juicy texture and the soothing side of the yoghurt on the side.  Uncomplicated and satisfying.  One thing that was absolutely note-worthy was the wonderfully judged naan bread (perfect softness and flavour) and I would say more of these with a slightly less3 viscous version of their sweet mango chutney would be reason enough to request a table for that alone, a few drinks and then settle up.

The Nilgiri chicken kurma (kurma is slightly more heated than a korma) came with boneless chicken thighs, coriander, curry leaf and coconut.  For the price of the £28 for the three courses, the main was not only the kurma but came with basmati rice (nice and fluffy), spiced new potatoes (average flavour) and dahl which is puts the value for money even further ahead than it already is compared to other Michelin starred set menus.  However, my excitement at having a chicken thigh kurma (the best part of chicken meat with one of the best curry flavours) was stifled on the discovery of part of an elastic band in the food.  The chicken itself was definitely under cooked as parts of red were exposed even if the rest of the dish could be eaten.  After asking for things to be confirmed, the management came to ask where the ‘foreign object’ was discovered so that all other parts could be checked, gave sincere apologies and offered a glass of something to make up.  As pleasant a gesture as this is I couldn’t actually eat the rest of the dish as I was put off from the rest of it so I had to refrain from eating the main any further.

Finally, the fig and cardamom kheer (cardamom, pistachio, fig khulfi) was clearly a set menu offering and as creamy as the rice pudding-like kheer was, the fig kulfi ice cream in the centre was almost like ice and I just didn’t find that the combination of cold rice pudding and cardamom worked for me at all, with or without the crunch of the pistachio pieces on top.  Petit fours came in the form of orange jelly with a hint of chilli and an Indian shortcake which, unfortunately were not the best as well; the jelly was very tough and the shortcake had a nice texture but ultimately a bit flat.

So, overall the meal represented very good value for money, although in hindsight I would have preferred the price of the kurma to be removed as I did not want to eat the rest of it on discovery of the foreign object rather than a courtesy drink, but the management dealt with it in an entirely graceful manner.  Charm and hospitality can cover most sins, but ultimately, for a Michelin starred venue, this was a disappointing meal.

The coconut milk and spiced rum cocktails were absolutely divine and the main dishes continue to have a wonderful comfort feel to them.  Some of these dishes on this occasion that friends had, I had already done at Dishoom King’s Cross, but I hadn’t done the absolutely superb Behl (Puffed rice, Bombay Mix and nylon sev tossed with fresh pomegranate, tomato, onion, lime, tamarind, mint), raita for the spicey chili cheese naan bread in to (to cool it down beautfully) and the creamy milk-based ice cream Kuhli stick in different flavours (pistachio and mango) – these were all simply outstanding.

I now like this chain so much I simply have to do the last one (Covent Garden) and I have to do the bacon naan roll for breakfast, so will time it so that I can squeeze in just before the end of breakfast and spill in to the lunch menu.  Looking forward to this already.