I had hoped to see how the prawn cocktail was but sadly this had sold out so I opted for the mushroom soup with ‘truffled’ creme fraiche.  I use inverted commas as I could not smell any truffle whether it was genuine truffle shavings or synthetic truffle oil that was used.  The mushroom soup itself had good flavour and umami in general, but I did think a little shame that Bread Street Kitchen have decided to not include a bread roll or anything breadlike to accompany the soup (something that I would say is as frankly synonymous as salt and pepper).  Chicken wings were also had at the table which were good but quite heavy with a thick coating of batter in addition to the very sticky marinade all over – one or the other I think would be better here personally.

My main was the roast beef with the shame being that it was actually one hour and forty minutes before this arrived at the table.  Apologies were given by the team and in the meantime, my Apple watch had notified me that the sound had reached 79dB which is nearly at the danger level of 80 for long-term exposure.  This will tend to happen if you are in a hard-lined setting such as a conservatory, but without a shadow of doubt one of the loudest proponents of the restaurant came from the staff conversing with the tables (one very friendly but very vocal lad in particular). I mention this as it can impede dining for those that struggle to hear, so my mistake on this occasion was to choose this environment for my group and if likewise, you are looking for a quieter setting, select the ‘Boat house’ area at the far end of the restaurant rather than the conservatory.  If you do decide the conservatory and all tables are taken, you need to prepare yourself whatever age you are for sometimes genuinely not being able to hear others at your table well.

Once the 1.4 hours had lapsed my roast Beef arrived, a little more cooked than the promised ‘pink’ that was offered when the order was taken, but very good nevertheless I’m delighted to confirm and there were certainly no issues with portion size.  The gravy and whipped horseradish were both extremely good in consistency and flavour.  A micro point is that the creamed horseradish was a tad in danger of being too creamy and could afford a little more ‘kick’ of horseradish perhaps.  An extremely good sauce bearnaise to back everything up was also enjoyed to see what this was like.  The roast potatoes, being a very important part of a traditional British roast were ok, but sadly lacked the utterly think crispiness and almost crumb-like texture of some roast potatoes that have been shaken and beaten more prior to cooking.  The Yorkshire pudding was huge to its credit but a bit too hard all over for my preference without any of the fluffy or slightly squidgier interior/inner parts that is so often the best bit and treat of opting for the beef in getting this within a Yorkshire ‘pud’.  I think even James Martin might be with me on this one even if Gordon would prefer to staple some Yorkshire puds on me with kitchen knives for saying so in this review.

The duck salad and pasta cannelloni that were also had by the table were reportedly fine and the dressing for the crispy aromatic duck (it appeared deep fried in its parts) was equally aromatic and pleasantly sweet as a dish.  The gigantic disappointment however, for the whole table was the macaroni cheese side which had absolutely no flavour whatsoever.  Salt and pepper were not on the table, as the restaurant had presumably decided there should be no need for them – usually this is  the case, but only when the dishes are actually seasoned.  I’m afraid it has been quite a long time since I have had something with such little and bland flavour (no hint of garlic crumbs either as outlined on the menu) and sodium chloride of ANY description was needed for this, which was duly provided when asked for.  When the question from the staff was asked “how is everything” as one normally hears, the polite response of the macaroni being a huge disappointment was dealt with well and we were informed it would be taken off the bill.  A short while later the bill was presented with the macaroni charge on – another area where I have spotted a trend with this venue (incorrect billing/charging) which is a very simply area to improve on.

However, a kind add-on touch from the staff was a birthday mini cake and candle from the kitchen to the table for the Birthday boy who kindly looked after the bill for this meal hence there being no photo of the receipt.  The a la carte menu is available here and what is good to see is actually the set menu at 2 courses for £19.5o and 3 courses for £24 on weekdays. The signature gem of Beef Wellington, proudly lauded has not yet been done and is quite punchy at £52 per person, so I can only hope and predict the portion size of this may be two slices than one each and if it is, there will frankly be no need for a starter and possibly dessert, so I will come back to try that one evening and report back.

In all seriousness, I’m not having a dig at this place just for being a ‘Rasmsay target’ – if it was absolutely superb, trust me, I would say so, loud and clear, but it simply does have several things to refine.  It is a beautiful spot and has been newly ‘decked out’ to the max and I do like the new, mini banquets and table furniture/feel of the place in general.  It is also a very nice option for popping in for a drink in the small bar area as well, but please be aware service charge is added to your drinks bill even if you go up to the bar and order yourself if the staff are too stretched – something I don’t agree with at all and is up to you whether you wish to keep on or ask to remove in these circumstances.  It is still in its first few months so I am hoping that by Spring this should be fully on top of things and that all food kinks are ironed out by then, because if they are, this would be a very good place.  This restaurant refurb did not make an episode of 24hrs or Hell’s Kitchen, but I presume Mr Ramsay will be keen to see how On The River is in six month’s time as well just like any other rebirthed venue.  I’ll be providing an update on here another time irrespective.

In short, worth a go, but based on my visits thus far, expectation management is required.

Food Grade: 62%

Wall, where the restaurant is based, is a hamlet within Northumberland and Hjem has a gorgeous view of the surrounding rolling countryside from its vantage point. I very much liked the way that beers and many non-alcoholic drinks options are just as promoted as the more expensive wines upon entry. The restaurant has a lovely bar and waiting area for all diners that were hosted prior to being welcomed in to the restaurant table by table. Another nice touch was the steamed towel for everyone at  the table before any of the meal was served. You only have to dine anywhere in Japan for this to appear, even at the most routine of places every day to realise why it is such a good idea and ask why don’t more places do it in the UK? It’s a delight when it is produced as it was here. 

The opening snack was a choux pastry beignet of duck liver,  spring onion, duck skin, glazed in flower honey. This was a superb start – the pastry was light, good flavour on the duck liver and the salty, crunchy duck liver skin offset perfectly by the spring onion and sweet honey glaze. Could have eaten 5 of these very quickly. 

Cured egg yolk with eel was served in an egg shell with aerated brown butter foam and rainbow chard. This was utterly delightful and light – the salt content from the eel was pitch-perfect and I was overjoyed with the simplicity of this snack. A croustade of lobster emulsion, lobster claw, fennel jelly and fresh dill was next. This was another very good snack: the thin crust shell held the abundant lobster filling well and the hit of fennel jelly and dill were fresh and strong.  On reflection, there is not actually a huge difference between this crusade and that served by Zen, the 3 Michelin starred Scandinavian-Asian restaurant in Singapore by the legendary Bjorn Franzen.

Celeriac tart with trout belly smoked cod’s roe came with a hint of nduja for a gentle kick and I thought worked surprisingly well. Then a tartlet of rump tartrate (aged for 2 weeks) served with anchovies, rapeseed oil and potato which was hard to fault in anyway with a beautifully balanced level sweetness within the seasoning of the tartare on a perfectly thin, crusted tartlet. 

Mushroom on toast home made sour dough, preserved chanterelle mushrooms (pickled from 2021), parsley and lardo from Rachel Hammond (who also supplies the nduja) and mustard seeds. This was beautifully sweet from the pickling and mustard seeds and practically dissolved in the mouth. Another hot towel arrived at the end of this final snack which was another very welcome addition. 

The first course was white asparagus with a butter milk foam and covered in caviar from the prized supplier N25. There was an absolute abundance of caviar on this dish and although I was afraid this would seriously impact on the salt content, it was actually again, balanced extremely well, giving just the right amount of salt uplift to the buttermilk foam. The asparagus itself was good quality and a pleasure, but perhaps more a vehicle for the supporting acts covering it. 

Dover sole from a 5kg fish, gently steamed came with green asparagus and a goats butter with lovage oil sauce. The sole, whilst not the most powerful in flavour was perfectly cooked and was melt in the mouth and the goat’s butter was nicely toned down (goats cheese and milk can be quite pungent and too strong but this was well judged). The asparagus and barbecued vegetables gave a good, complimentary bitterness to level everything up and was an enjoyable dish.  

Bread from home-milled grains to make a brioche glazed with brown butter and serve with air-dried ham. The brioche was wonderfully light and so simple with the glaze and ham doing a lovely job to add the extra finish. No messing around required here and this went down entirely well. 

The next small course was morel mushroom ‘mushi’ served with preserved hedgehog mushrooms, thyme, tarragon, custard of morel with a broth made with pork. A very light and fragrant dish and almost aromatic with the strong impact of the herbs (particularly the tarragon) and when all combined with the salty broth and creamy custard, this was a little interlude that packed a large punch and worked very well together. 

The final savoury course was pork, grilled and barbecued served with cauliflower purée and wild garlic in tempura batter. Entirely enjoyable dish. The pork itself on its own had quite reserved flavour, but with the nicely judged additions made for a very nicely done main course in typical, light fashion with all working well together again. 

The first of the sweets was caramelised oat, horseradish ice cream and apple gel which is also the only dish to have remained on the menu since the beginnings of the restaurant. Although I found some parts of the horseradish and various spoonfuls a little good salty, I appreciate the crossover that it and it’s point as a pre-dessert, blending sweet and savoury.  

The main dessert was a brown butter ice cream, cream with rapeseed and Pedro Ximénez syrup and waffle. Although the crust of the waffle was a little over for me, I could see everyone’s at the same level, so is clearly how the kitchen wished it to be. The brown butter cream and ice cream itself was a good spread to smother the waffle with and that was easily done. 

Coffee was from a Newcastle based company called Pink Lady. I fancied tea instead for a change to go with the abundance of petit fours. These included: canallés of rum and vanilla (slightly harder shell than am used to); tartlets of milk chocolate and black pepper and a melt in the mouth shard of meringue; Munsmuns (Swedish tea cakes) of marshmallow, white chocolate and bee pollen (very nice) and set jellies of elderflower and vinegar and brown butter financiers with caramelised filling (warm and homely final additions). 

Overall this was a quality menu all round served by a very hospitable team and for the quantity of high grade ingredients, the price tag of £120 was perfectly reasonable (editor’s note: now £150 I believe in 2023).  The view of Northumberland from the charming dining room is very pleasant and the whole experience is one I would heartily recommend.  It gets a definite thumbs up from myself and I would return in a heartbeat.

Food Grade: 83%

Having elected for the more casual option at The Yeatman I decided on having some simple, miniburgers which were fine, but the buns themselves were almost rock hard and a bit of an odd choice as most of the burger were squeezed onto the plate owning to how hard the buns had to be squashed together to bite through.  Meanwhile, my other hald had opted for a tomato starter which were, as advertised, basically chopped tomatoes (ok).

The star of the meal was hands down the well-seasoned and lovingly spiced chicken which was very good.  The least impressive aspect of the meal were the chips which were actually undercooked and not seasoned. Decorative seasoning can easily be rectified and perhaps this was left to diner’s choice, but chips are basically hard to get wrong in terms of being cooked, so this was essentially a waste.  However, the team had very kindly obliged me a side of sauce bearnaise as previously requested.

There was a lovely touch from the team as well in that there are sofas lining all along the windows of the lounge overlooking the city which we were invited to have our coffee at and was very much taken up and enjoyed.  It completed a pleasant evening and a lovely bonus to meat the actual owner of the Hotel.  Dick’s bar done, I will opt for the 2 Michelin starred option next time.

Food Grade: 56%

Let me start with the cost, as this is probably the first thing you may be wondering.  £410 is quite expensive for a lunch granted, but this is aboard a luxury train and was the Golden Age of Travel by Steam, using the original steam-pulled train.  Such is the attraction of this locomotive,  photographers and train enthusiasts alike were gathered all along Platform 2 at Victoria Station just to have a look before setting off and on return.  You can also get a 10% discount as we did if you are a member of The Luxury Restaurant Guide (LRG) whose annual fee was actually covered for in full for the savings of 4 people enjoying this experience at over £160 in savings! I do not have shares with the LRG, but is genuinely useful as an option to consider if you dine a lot like myself for the benefits it brings.

I was also very pleased and somewhat relieved with the value for money of the wine list onboard which included numerous hitters including Dom Perignon 2010 for £200 which would actually cost £180 in Waitrose and therefore is not the normal, hideous mark-up that it can be of being at least twice as expensive retail in retail, far more in lavish restaurants.  Veuve Clicquot was also provided to everyone as well on being seated and a £45 voucher to my group of four for spending on any wine included in the price.  We obviously used this pretty quickly, but from these to the gin and tonics at £10, I was actually expecting it to be a lot scarier price-wise on the booze, being trapped on board with no other bar options.  So this was better than expected.

The head chef onboard the Pullman has been in situ for the past twenty plus years and takes care of the seasonal menus all year round with the periodic guest-chef occasions for menus from Michel Roux Jr (Le Gavroche), Tom Kerridge (The Hand and Flowers) and the eponymous James Martin among others.  For this 5 course menu from the resident head chef (which included coffee and petit four) we began the meal with canapes of some very good blue cheese mousse and fig bites (the blue cheese mousse being well-judged) and vibrant, tomato and asparagus blinis.  The crab starter was served with avruga caviar, and spicy mango chutney and again, I was pleasantly surprised at the well-judged acidity and quantity of the chutney to spruce up the sweet crab meat.  Thin, white sourdough shards and samphire gave an additional, pleasant crunch and texture.

Next came pea and mint soup with crispy shallots and summer truffle oil.  I did not establish whether this was genuine truffle oil or whether this was oil using the very common 2,4-dithiapentane (which is actually a synthetic compound).  However, the resultant effect was everyone immediately enjoying each mouthful as the soup itself was beautifully rich, viscous with a pleasant truffle-like aroma and lovely complimentary crunch from the shallots.  Nothing rocket science level about this, but a very pleasing effect regardless.

The main course on this June occasion was salt marsh from Romney served with charred baby fennel, wild rocket puree, potato and caper croquette and a Kentish wine reduction.  All in all, this was a pleasing main but the only disappointment was the lamb being a little tough and not as pink as advertised and therefore hoped.  The large croquettes with its caper were a welcome addition with a pleasant breadcrumb shell, all held together with a particularly good jus.  But this was the moment that for me that resembled something a little dangerously close to a Business class flight offering.

The cheese consisted of Oxford blue, Costa cheddar and Somerset Brie all served with a very agreeable pineapple chutney with its dialled down vinegar content and this was followed by a Devonshire clotted cream summer pudding made with Angus raspberries, and an elderflower cheesecake.  Nothing to sing about on the dessert, but a harmlessly suitable sweet addition.  Surprisingly the handmade truffle petit fours were more notable than the dessert and better than most restaurant petit fours and this accompanied tea from Tregothnan and Coffee by Drury.

As we pulled into Victoria there was a bit of a hold-up and we were delayed and the train management kindly offered another glass of Veuve to keep everyone occupied during the wait.  On return to Platform 2, I think I can safely say that everyone was in a state that was entirely happy with the experience and stumbling into a taxi was the next and final hurdle to overcome.

My summary is that this is a wonderful celebration activity to do with definitely pleasing food for the journey.  It will always be difficult to get high-end dishes for the multitude of covers in the numerous carriages from one, small carriage kitchen, but it was a non-fussy and well-considered to please as a menu selection, ableit with a little dip in the lamb and an adequate dessert.  Was it worth £410 (£360 with Luxury restaurant Guide Discount)? I’d say yes with the discount based on what was had yes (including the original drinks offer which can be toned down) and the overall impact the day had.  It’s not something you will do every day and inevitably you will end up wanting to splash out more when onboard which, the prestige and glamour of the train will no doubt keep ensuring happens to the many willing future passengers to come.

Food Grade: 62%