David Moore still owns and runs this restaurant as he has done since 1991 and it was good to see him and the head chef Asimakis Chaniotis in their restaurant on this visit – something of an increasing rarity these days in many restaurants.  I’ve been meaning to get back to Pied á Terre (last visit in 2017) and after years of thinking I can do this anytime, have been amazed at how busy this and many other restaurants have been post-pandemic causing a problem getting a table.

Pied á Terre represents one of the last bastions of Michelin starred a la carte – another sadly retreating option I’ve noticed in the past year.  The menu choices stretch from four courses for £65 to 10 courses for £110 on the tasting menu selections and £93 for two course and £113 for three course a la carte menus, the latter obviously offering larger portion sizes of the premium ingredients on offer.  I couldn’t resist the foie gras parfait and decided to have that a la carte size which decided the type of menu choice quite quickly on this occasion.

First to arrive however, were a selection of canapes: eggs Kayianna with a lovely, creamy and original yoghurt, Greek gougere with Taramosalata and Bottarga which had a subtle roe and breakfast radishes served from a plant which was a pleasant bit of theatre for serving as a snack.  Sourdough came with marmite butter which was a brave choice, owing to marmite being by its nature, the definition of an acquired taste, but thankfully this was toned very down.  If I had the choice, my preference for butters will always been just the best salted, natural kind however, this is just me.

The starter of foie gras parfait came with Bourjasotte Figs, purple Romaine lettuce, black Autumn truffle, hazelnut and an unusual addition of tiny pine cones.  The latter had been preserved and softened to a lovely, soft texture, boosted by a pickled edge.  The parfait was thicker in texture than most had, but with a very pleasant liver flavour and this was complemented very well but the other elements, particularly the acid from the pine cones and sweet from the fig to a nice balance.  This was washed down with a well-selected glass of Hermann Donnhoff Riesling (Spatlese).

Salted cod Skordalia is a cold, Greek speciality comprised of potato, garlic, crispy shallots, dill and gloriously large royal oscietra caviar from De Neuvic. This was absolutely lovely and the mash made with plenty of olive oil would actually rival Joel Robuchon’s mash.  My main was a poached Turbot from a large, 5kg fish, served in a sesame and poppy seed crust with a whole host of compliments: gem lettuce, egg and lemon liaison, dill, mint, basil, parsley, chervil, black curry, shallot and herb purée.  This was a gorgeous version of turbot with all the additions working well not to over-dominate too much and I was especially pleased with the curry and sesame components which worked like a charm together.  The earthy sesame seed crust was lovely touch and the soft turbot itself, grand.  A lovely dish all round.

Small, homemade breads were also served with the main which were another show of the kitchen’s efforts for this meal.  They included a delicate carob and fennel seed muffin, tomato and black olive roll with cheese (very good) and a tomato, rosemary & salt focaccia (the latter was just a little too dense for ultimate versions I have enjoyed at The Sportsman and other venues.

A pre-dessert of forced Yorkshire rhubarb came with a Tahitian vanilla and Grenadine Sorbet which was superb – a mouthful of palate cleansing loveliness.  Then the dessert followed: in a restaurant headed by a Greek chef with Greek influences, it seemed only appropriate to opt for the Greek yoghurt parfait and I’m very glad I did.  The Greek yoghurt parfait itself was the all-out star of the show here, in texture and flavour and this was beneath a visually beautiful representation of a bee biscuit on a lovely honey ice cream.  On top of this, a whole heather honeycomb from Sussex was brought to the table, a piece carved tableside to serve with the surprisingly good addition of a hint of basil on the desert.  I’m always nervous of herbs in deserts now as I’ve had quite a few deserts that have been decimated as a result, but this subtle addition felt just right.

An array of petit fours came ranging from a hazelnut cup with hazelnut praline,  Piedmont mandarin jelly and a macaroon with lemon oil and traditional canelé and these accompanied the Difference coffee which on this occasion was the fabled wild Kopi Luwak.  This is so named after the wild cat that inspects every coffee cherry before selecting to consume only the finest ones.  These beans are prized so much as the Luwak’s natural enzymes strips them of their bitterness to a refined level.

So a fine meal, and it explained why it was so difficult for me to get a table. Something myself and others commented on in general for an article in the i Newspaper recently in  As a reflection, I actually had difficulties getting a reservation here for a midweek lunch in January of all months – it was booked out for all of January when I was booking in that month.  As mentioned, rezexe dealt with this as it has the ability to acquire unwanted reservations at certain restaurants that otherwise do not have a waiting list.  Perfect timing(!) as this had a table available at Pied á Terre that was perfectly close enough for my needs and solved things superbly.  The more on here the better and would recommend having a look on this if you find yourself in a similar position (there are also other perks above scenarios of restaurants without waiting lists).

This was a fine meal indeed and I walked away with renewed affection for Pied á Terre as it proved strong on many counts – lovely location, homely interior, professional and caring hospitality, an owner and Executive chef that were both in, good wine options and a varied menu that most importantly, was without doubt at the top bracket of its one Michelin starred contemporaries.  I’m pleased that in addition to all this you can actually have a four course option for £65 as well representing a very good return if in a hurry on selected lunches.  For all these reasons I have no hesitation recommending this venue….if you can get a table when you need it.

Food Grade: 85%

The meal started with snacks of taramasalata with cuttlefish mousse and vine leaves which were essentially complete opposites – the former being light and pleasurable and the latter being very dry and bland.  The bread was home made and whilst it was very nice to experience the focaccia, it is exceedingly difficult for anywhere to beat the focaccia of Noble Rot and The Sportsman.

The braised goat shoulder with fennel and tomato was actually packed with flavour, had decent crunch and balance and the buratta and salad starter was a simple, refreshing and visually appealing starter.  An interlude of very pleasing mushroom foam and ham was brought to the table and it was not clear if this was given to the table on account of this site or whether this was the norm – my gut says it may have been the former and whilst this certainly was an extremely good interlude, I will assume this is not the norm as I did not see other tables receive this and therefore discount from the overall value for money.

The mains were lamb and cod.  The lamb with aubergine purée, lamb jus, cucumber and orange had good return on the deep jus but it was overdone to the request which was rare – medium rare which was a shame to get this basic wrong.  The cod with seaweed butter sauce was an absolute delight, but for the price it was a little bare of vegetables which I think could have easily been included more to upscale the size and balance of the dish.  The cod itself was beautifully done.

A yoghurt mousse with walnut purée and honey was a pleasant, little pre-dessert although the walnut purée was set quite hard at the bottom so getting all of the components at the same time (as intended) meant having to dig quite substantially as the minor negative.  The desserts then came in the form of banana, chocolate, vanilla mousse and cherry which was a simple and effective dessert, followed by three cheeses (Pave d’Auge, Monbien and stilton), all of which were nicely chosen and a good mix without over doing the portions.  Petit fours were particularly good with the classic French canelés, soft and juicy orange gels and prunes that were soaked to a very good level.  Interesting to see the similarirties and simplification since 6 years ago having the same.

Overall, this was a fully competent meal and the only food negatives were the one snack, the lamb and perhaps downsize of the dishes, but the flavours and presentation were good to experience again.  Two other things stand out: 1) I came to learn that the L’Autre Pied (Pied a Terre’s sister restaurant) is now closed and all eggs have been placed in to the former 2 Michelin starred basket of Pied a Terre, and 2) one of the waiters at this lunch towards the end was almost argumentative with our table on receiving a request to identify the cheeses which soured the experience somewhat and was very surprising to have this at this Michelin starred restaurant.  I accept that the star is officially given for the food alone (although this is hugely debated), but it was surprising to have an abrasive finish after being looked after so well by the bulk of the staff including a particularly hospitable Sommeiler.  The observation with the waiter was explained to the management at the end in order to raise awareness and this was gracefully received as far as it could be.

A good meal showing general authority with one or two aspects to improve for the overall experience.

Home made bread of spelt and rye was enjoyed at the table before some selected canapes of shiitake mushroom with crumbs on tartlets and chicken liver parfait tubes with pickled grape and apple gels on top.  The latter was excellent.

Starters chosen were cured Cornish mackerel, plum, almond and marigold which was fresh and well balanced.  The second was an impressively looking squid ink linguini, trout roe, brioche crumbs and cockle sauce. 

The mains included lovely Herdwick lamb from the Lake District which came with aubergine, ratatouille piquet pepper, ricotta and Parmesan. Green leaves spinach were also added. The other main was a roasted duck breast, confit leg, beetroot purée rehydrated cherry purée and radicchio leaves.  Both these proved hearty and cooked well. Meats came from Slate Down Farm.

My dessert of English strawberries, coconut, white chocolate and sourdough tuile was very good.  My dining companion’s pain perdu with stone fruits (mainly plum), lemon verbena and yoghurt sorbet was very good as well.  The total bill with the eat out to help out discount of £20 came to £65 and including the service charge, this £32.50 per person was obviously very good value.  The food was was reliable and it was good to reconfirm the reliability of the food here at Portland.

Food Grade: 79%

Although you could argue that the snacks should be gratis as an amuse bouche they were sublime; in particular the white truffle and gruyere cheese macaroon and chicken skin with liver parfait, both at £1.50 each.  I thought these were delightful and so I ordered another couple and was glad as a result they were not complimentary as I wouldn’t be able to do that otherwise(!).

I opted for a starter and one side for my first course and another starter and a side as my second course as I wanted to try as much as possible.  The first being sashimi of halibut, buttermilk and black radish which was satisfying and the baby gem, herbs, radish and buttermilk seemed the obvious partner (nothing fancy here but a pleasant buttermilk glaze).  I thought the salsify, mangalitsa pig, comté was pleasant but slightly less pig on the plate as I was hoping as only a few shavings but agreeable none the less.  The real hero of the day though was the remaining side ratte potato with montgomery cheddar which came as a delightful airated sauce.  This was beautifully done.  The dessert of hazelnut éclair was a fine finish no question – wonderfully flavoured cream and crispy outer layer with salted nuts and sugar on the top.

All in all I thought this was a pleasant experience and I’m sure the mains would have been equally so and I will come back to do one of those when I can.  I do feel the menu would benefit from having a set menu at lunch as this would give a bit more variety to the food options, however, I did find all these well done on the day.

A quick word on the place itself.  Husband and wife David and Helen Everitt-Matthias have owned Le Champignon Sauvage (‘The Wild Mushroom’) since 1987.  Within those near-33 years of ownership, Chef-owner David Everitt-Matthias has been cooking on every single day that the restaurant has been open; if he is ill then the restaurant has simply closed and I find this remarkable to begin with and up there with some of the dedication levels of Japan.  I routinely chat with as many head chefs as I can post meals to get as much perspective as possible and interestingly for me, David E-M is the one chef I get nothing but consistent praise and reverence from other Michelin starred chefs.

Menu wise there is a good selection here.  On the a la carte, it is two courses for £60 or three courses for £70 or, there is a more moderate set menu lunch which is £40 for three courses or £33 for 2 courses, which, when all said and done, the latter will practically be 4 courses anyway when all greetings and interludes are factored in.  The other notable thing for this restaurant is that this is one of the few high end food locations that I know that offer this set menu in the evening as well (Wed-Fri) and this represents superb value.

On to the meal then, canapes arrived and were a blue cheese and walnut cookie, which was an instant victory and a squid ink gougeres with taramasalata.  The cookie was a powerhouse of cheese flavour in a beautifully crumbly cookie which was so simple and so effective that it set an immediate good tone.  A squid ink gougere was a playful twist on the choux pastry classic and with taramasalata that had a salt content level that was just right.

The amuse bouche was a smoked bone marrow custard, with shimeji mushroom jelly and wasabi mayonnaise which was frankly gorgeous.   The savoury custard was set perfectly with bone marrow flavour that was not too heavy and was pitch-perfect in fatty feel, offset with sweeter jelly from the mushroom and gentle heat from the wasabi.  I assure you this was eaten rather quickly.  Homemade breads then came in the form of granary, white poppy seed, white baguette and bacon brioche, with the latter obviously being reached for first.  Butter was from Netherend farm, Gloucestershire.

Miso-cured black cod was the first starter tried and this was brilliant, straight off the bat.  The cod itself succulent and cooked perfectly, the miso being a deliciously chosen flavour to accompany the fish and the addition of malt was grand, all held well with unobtrusive baby parsnips and silky smooth parsnip puree.  Very enjoyable indeed.  Breast of Norfolk quail was another starter with stuffed leg, onion cream and alliums that all came together well, enhanced with hints of garlic and a glossy reduction from the quail.  Not much to not like for this quail dish.

Next came an interlude of a small piece of braised lamb served with artichoke puree.  This small piece of lamb had a gigantic impact as was one of the most tender and A-grade pieces of lamb I have had and the artichoke puree was silky and perfectly made.  This is basically the essence of Le Champignon – simple things served and to peak levels as this was.

The mains chosen were venison and sea bream.  The venison was  served with beetroot, fig and with a lovely, smokey lapsang souchong reduction.  All vegetables and flavours chosen here were a spot-on match for the meat, albeit with the one minor dent of this particular piece of venison being a fraction tougher than the heights of venison experiences recently.  The other main was a perfect piece of sea bream with gloss-like mushroom puree, wonderful morels and brown butter sauce.  This was delicious in every way and a knock out course.

A supplement of cheeses were enjoyed with a mix of Roquefort, Comte and triple cream variations from France and Britain.  I liked the way the cheese selection was varied across the strengths of styles of cheese but was not a mobile, minivan of choices at the same time which can be too much I find.  This was a sheer case of quality over quantity with some very nice cuts of cheese chosen.  The pre-dessert was an unusual dandelion root ice cream, coffee granita and a milk foam.  Whilst this didn’t set myself on fire in terms of flavour it was a fun savoury-sweet cross over in its originality.

The first of the desserts is a dish that I have had before – mango slices on Thai spiced cream, served with Thai green curry ice cream and with white chocolate ‘rocks’ underneath.  The real gem here is the Thai spiced cream which is beautifully soft, creamy and fragrant, offset with thinly layered mango on top.  This is the one dish that I have had before and could see on the menu (all other dishes being different) and if anything this was actually an improvement with the ice cream being even more smooth on this occasion.  The second dessert tried was Bramley apple parfait with pressed caramelised apple and green apple sorbet.  If it was possible, this dessert was even better than my Thai spiced cream dessert with simple and intense apple flavour running through the sorbet and the wonderful and pretty parfait, appearing like a rose.

An array of petit fours were enjoyed including an orange financier with prune, a chocolate and hazelnut brownie, salted lemon and white chocolate fudge, caramelised white chocolate fudge, chocolate fudge, a smooth and fun snickers truffle, a rum baba pistachio cake with toffee cream and passion fruit jellies.  Quite a spread of treats to go with coffee sourced from Cotswold Blending.

When one puts all this together and considers the £85 price tag for all of this food at this level of quality, it is almost a mockery from other experiences that have offered the lukewarm food experience at gargantuan prices.  So from a value for money viewpoint this is an extremely good option to begin.  Reflecting on the overall food standpoint as the key issue, this visit has confirmed the restaurant’s demotion as a truly bizarre decision and it actually makes no sense to me at all what has changed in the minds of Michelin to this extent.

Experience seldom moves backwards and now that I have tried here again recently, I can confirm with confidence that the food here is simple excellence now, just as it always has been.  If I had to take friends or clients somewhere in SW England that was the most reliable and best food option I can think of, it is here.

Ode to joy – that’s the first thing that comes to my mind when I remind myself of this meal.  So beginning with the canapés that began this parade, these were delightful – the parmesan mousse and chorizo powder being soft, light and with just the right kick (i.e. not too much), the fried ham hock was never going to fail and with the blob of horseradish cream on top was even nicer.  The brioche biscuit to go with the goat’s cheese and lovage dip was again toned beautifully (normally I can’t do anything that is related to celery but this was a very subtle and smooth version and was lovely to use as a dip).

So after the opening canapés the engine was already on and revving very much at the lights.  What I wasn’t expecting was an even nicer form of amuse bouche which was the cabbage blancmange with bacon foam (made with milk and double cream) and black pudding powder.  For a pig lover, this was a stratospherically nice and light amuse bouche and I was close to sensory overload – the sort that makes you unable to control how quickly you eat when it is that enjoyable.

The bread selection was a talking point itself and the brioche was light, superbly fragranced (with an infusion of shallot and bacon) and a wonderful bread to have.  Similarly, the tomato and olive focaccia was also lovely with its perfect moistness and strength at the same time.  These were truly good and the only regret being that I couldn’t try more as I would have risked being too full.

On to the starters and I am happy to go on record in saying that this was the nicest lobster I have ever had.  It was the most succulent, well balanced and sumptuous lobster one could have and was not over complicated – just the glaze of butter actually made me really appreciate the meat for what it was (for once) which was warmed and cooked to perfection and its supporting apple flakes and light vegetables gave it the texture it needed without being obtrusive.  I didn’t feel the need to include the supporting powder with my mouthfuls of lobster, but the remainder was as close to perfect for lobster as I have ever had.

My steak tartare was beautifully done and the supporting corned beef was frankly one of the nicest things I have ever tasted and this was one of the moments where I was virtually overcome with emotion.  Perhaps it was the fact that it was a childhood favourite that Dad used to try and make, or maybe it was because I hadn’t had it in such a long time or possibly nostalgia from only really having via numerous ration packs in slightly rougher surroundings, or quite possibly all and the fact that it was done to heights that have never been experienced – I honestly don’t see how it could have been bettered in flavour by anyone in the world in anyway and it brought the highest levels of gastronomic happiness that I very rarely have.

I should of course mention the fabulous wine options – the half a bottle of Burgandy was soft and fresh for both courses and superb value at £15. This complemented the starters and the intermediary scallops very well, the latter being beautifully done – again, with fresh and balanced peas and purées but carefully given to not interfere too much with the main event which, was cooked perfectly.  Utterly gorgeous and delicate.  The second half a bottle of wine was a one of the more reasonable options as well and for £14 for the half bottle of lovely Côte du Rhône it was again sensational value for money.

On to what the red went with and these were the main courses that were outstanding.  The lamb with lamb sweetbreads, pistachio and supporting sauces certainly in the top two best lamb dishes I have also ever had.  I can’t think how this dish could have been bettered and everything about it came together beautifully with the supporting jus giving an exquisite punch to the already perfectly succulent and juicy lamb.  The duck was also incredible and again, the perfection of the crisp skin whilst not being too fatty, the tenderness of the duck and the sweet sauce reduction to accompany the meat were all out of this world.

The mascarpone pannacotta pre-dessert was fluffy and light and as we were reaching max capacity it was lovely that the restaurant gave one to share so we weren’t overloaded.  It was also extremely kind of them to cater for sizing down the desserts in order to accommodate more flavours, which continued the roller coaster ride when I thought it was going to slow down.  The duck egg custard was beautifully rich and creamy and the supporting rhubarb sorbet cut through and gave the perfect balance without being too ‘stingy’ as sorbets so often can be.  This was actually toned down which I loved and on the other plate the Thai green sorbet with mango tart was another ‘stop everything’ moment – so fresh, crisp, original and powerful as a new flavour for dessert but without attacking the mouth at the same time, this was another talking point in its own right.

The meal was finished with lovely and delicate chocolates with luxurious fillings and a very pleasant chance chat with the Exec chef David who was enjoying his post-service coffee.  A sheer pleasure to meet the man behind the creations and I can’t think of a nicer way to have finished off a very hospitably British affair it was, with wonderful, modern French dishes.  There are many food bloggers out there, but it is simply experiences like this that drive my desire to do this and to sing about where compartments of the heart are opened so others can also experience – and here, components of my heart have been opened with a crowbar.

As I sit by the hydrotherapy pool at Lucknam Park on a Monday leave day, I have enjoyed every second of writing this as I can legitimately unleash all happy and positive compliments of what I had, as the dishes were simply that good and is a pleasure to be able to do so.  This was a life-time memory of a meal and few places in the world have made my dining experience this much of a pleasure.

The restaurant itself is a homely affair and I was immediately made to feel welcome.  The bar area is more a holding area of two sofas rather than full bar but comfortable nonetheless; as I did not need this on this occasion I went straight to the very nicely decorated table.  The home-made unsalted butter in the shape of a perfectly sculpted pie simply sat there on the table, seducing me with its wares… The blue cheese cream biscuit had just the right potency for cheese which was pleasing but the rye bread, pickled pear cubes with horseradish cream was an instantaneous hit.  I would describe this latter canapé itself as explosive and from that moment on I knew I was in the hands of an complete expert.

The bacon and broccoli mousse with bacon powder was fluffy and light but with enough richness as well – this was a superb amuse bouche.  The haddock with parmesan foam was beautifully fresh and light, and again, not too heavy on the haddock essence which can very often be the case.  Neither was this too salty or overpowering but just right and the flakes of flesh simply fell off the main body of the meat when the fork pressed in – beautifully succulent.

The outstanding moment of the meal however was the main.  The duck had been marinaded in salt and garlic for 24 hours and this caused the meat to have almost the same shredded consistency to that of a Peking duck (in the Chinese style).  Duck can sometimes be a slab of rubbery protein if not done well, but this had chunks of wonderfully succulent duck pieces, with the remainder flaking off with ease, all covered in a blissfully crisp and (not too) fatty skin.  The chutney jus, spiced carrot and liver parfait were simply a marriage all together and I amazed at how good this dish on the set menu was.

The coffee tart was perfectly ‘eggy’ with a subtle coffee flavouring with very nice coffee jelly and white chocolate sorbet with coffee sugar crip.  Who doesn’t like jelly and ice cream(?!) and this was a wonderful take on that unloseable formula.  The dessert was light and smooth at the same time and the breadth of the petits fours was impressive meaning that one could almost go for the two course option and opt for the petits fours as a mock-dessert quite comfortably if full, such is the wonderful value of this venue.

I left Le Champignon with one of the biggest smiles I have had in a long time om completion of a meal and with a conviction to return as soon as possible.  I will be coming back with vengeance for the a’la carte on the next visit and I am very glad to have finally seen for myself what a wonderful place this is.  David Everitt-Matthias, the head chef and his wife Helen have run this venue together for 27 years and the passion and pride in their products was obvious.  The food from David was sublime and the hospitality of Helen on the front of house were both a gem to finally experience and I look forward to returning at the soonest opportunity.  Vive La Wild Mushroom!

Kenny Atkinson first took on The House of Tides in 2014 after working at the Rockliffe Hall in County Durham.  Originally the site was a merchant’s tavern dating back to the 16th century called ‘House on Water’s Edge’ and the building is now a grade 1 listed property, unmoved from its quayside location.

The lunch menu is a single tasting menu of 9 courses priced at £75. Our meal at House of Tides consists started in the rustic, downstairs bar, being served thin thyme crackers to dip into a small pot of baba ganouche with nicely judged spiced granola on top.  Simple and effective.  The main dining room is upstairs which holds another side room, complete with its charming decor of original 16th-century windows still in place.  Once at our table, snacks were brought out starting with parmesan churros with black truffle and aged chestnut purée which was a great take on reversing something normally sweet into a savoury snack that was lovely. The churros themselves not leaking in oil and the truffles and puree working well together with pleasant seasoning.  Next up was a smoked beetroot tart with smoked bone marrow, coal oil with fermented celeriac; the delectably thin pastry held subtle beetroot and an unctuous topping to match.  Finally, a macaron filled apple and cod’s roe, the apple of which was the perfect balance to the smooth and salty cod’s roe layer.  Not one of these disappointed.

An experimental sweet and sour langoustine was served on a skewer with puffed rice and zest of lime and pineapple gel which was a very well balanced blend of sweet and sour on a plump piece of langoustine.  It’s a double-edged sword sometimes with punchy sauces as they can actually hide the inherent sweetness of certain crustacean and fish (such as langoustine) and although there is a lot of effort in the sauce and the puffed rice had a lovely texture, it was interesting for me to reflect that sometimes the glory of langoustine or crab for example, can be in its own sweetness.  Places such as Noma in Copenhagen will simply brush some very good fish produce with egg yolk or butter and let the fish do the rest.  However, this is not to downgrade this dish as it was very good and it was a very good play of texture and Asian twist in general.

Smoked pork beignet bbq onion consommé and onion gel was next and was nothing short of outstanding.  The sweetness of the onion consommé was the among the best I have ever tasted and this was just a delight all round.  Bread came from Olivia Bakery, a long-standing supplier for the Atkinsons with a consistent track record for the restaurant.

Monkfish came next with fermented kohlrabi, Exmoor caviar, dill oil, cream and horseradish.  The monkfish was cooked to perfection and the supporting sauce was beautifully balanced.  Dill and seafood is a faultless and magical combination in my book and this all came together well and I could have eaten several of these small plates alone.  Monkfish is easy to overcook and this was absolutely spot on.

Veal sweetbread came with beef fat crumb, roasted cauliflower purée, curried raised chutney and veal jus.  The Sweetbread itself was a fraction lower in crispy caramelised exterior to others I have had such as at Midsummer House, had but was well cooked all the way through and the beef fat crumb was a great touch for texture, with a very good chutney to help deal with the fat of the former.

Lamb rump and lamb shoulder came with spinach gel, turnip quenelle and turnip purée with lamb fat crumbs.  This was a quality piece of Cumbrian lamb and the supporting spinach and turnip quenelles/purees were sensibly portioned and balanced, with a clear and nicely viscous jus.  Meanwhile, my pescatarian guest had seabass with gnocchi and butternut squash which was reportedly excellent.

There were two desserts, the first being a tartlet of rhubarb with crisp rhubarb shards, rhubarb compote, oats disc, custard cream with a lychee and rose sorbet.  The rhubarb itself was nicely toned down in acidity and with good flavour and the cream supporting all parts well.  The lychee and rose sorbet was mercifully well balanced (rose can often have far too much of a perfume quality for sweet or savoury dishes) and it was another dish that was over quite quickly being so enjoyable to have.  The second dessert was even better and the chocolate with Calamansi gel, praline tuile came with a  praline sorbet and chicory syrup that actually has the taste of coffee.  All of this was good and came with an aromatic finish of Thai basil which I was fearing when I heard, but turned out to be a brilliant addition.  I have had many desserts with savoury herbs added that have just not worked and this was far clear of anything like that.  Petit fours came as seabuckthorn treats (blue) and dark chocolate truffles.

Service throughout the meal was attentive and accommodating and was very good to catch Mr Atkinson on the way out and hear his thoughts on the approach to the menu and the region in general.  The bill with drinks throughout (including a celebratory espresso martini digestif) came to £115 per head which, for the quantity and quality of what was had, is extremely good value.  For the sheer happiness that this investment gave and the superb lunch it was all round, I wouldn’t even blink at this price point.  A wonderful meal to be enjoying and in terms of control of ingredients and technical skill, I actually can’t see much difference to this when compared to certain 2 Michelin starred venues, such as Bibendum and Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs, except easily enjoying House of Tides more so.

First up these were some of the tastiest canapés I have had at any restaurant – and that is a very good start!  The spiced fennel pollen and carrot macaroon was spritely; the duck liver with curried cone was slightly sour but intriguing, but the caramelised onion and cream cheese gougere was utterly superb!  So many of these cheese puffs have an injection of cheese only but this gave the full magma of the good stuff, was brilliantly balanced and not overpowering and gave a full golfball size of the wonderful truffled cheese.  I would happily divert a journey to Newcastle based on this one alone.

The white onion soup was a bowl of creamed delight (so well-judged) and this was another knock out dish.  The halibut was a fresh dish but also I didn’t get much joy from as there didn’t seem to be a unique selling point on it, but clean nonetheless.  The red deer dish was earthy but sweet at the same time and with no issues in the actual execution of this dish.  Then the pre-dessert of gentle and warm spices that really was a clever addition and in tune with the festive cinnamon-esque season.  Finally, the dark chocolate and whiskey had the perfect crunchiness to the base and velvety chocolate you could ask for – almost ganache in quality and with gentle handling of the whiskey flavour which worked superbly.

All in all, this was a great menu and with most of the supporting acts turning out to be the stars, and those smaller aspects being strong enough in themselves to make me look forward to the excuse of going back again.  The head chef changes the menus regularly and this demonstrates a great confidence in itself (as opposed to sticking to a safe bet once an accolade is attained).  The only gripe with this venue being the lack of any other menu choices and the fact that it is only one snack and main course extra in the evening but for £20 in addition.  So, best value for the food only is lunch but evenings are evenings and I would happily come back here for the full ensemble whenever I can based on this first visit.