Casual dining option at Moor Hall by Mark Birchal

The Barn at Moor Hall gained its Michelin star not long after opening in 2021 for the 2022 guide and is nestled within the same complex of Moor Hall where Mark Birchall’s 2 Michelin starred restaurant resides. This is the more casual option and included a set menu of 4 courses for £45 or a la carte for around £55 for 3 courses representing very good value for money having confirmed the level of cooking on my visit. It is a very comfortable restaurant with good service and food that will equally appeal to many.

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We opted for the a la carte such were the lovely choices and reasonable prices and which turned out to be filling with all add ons. Snacks of malt wheat cured trout, chalk stream trout roe and seaweed were offered with a selection of charcuterie comprising of garlic and fennel salami and copper pork cheek. Cured meats are taken seriously at Moor Hall, so much so, that their larders take up the majority of the ground floor of the Barn and are also served as snacks in their 2 Michelin starred flagship restaurant on site as well.

An amuse bouche of chilled wild garlic veloute from locally foraged garlic was fresh and superb. One starter was had which was the organic celeriac with coolea cheese, hazelnut, and smoked celeriac tea in a hazelnut celeriac broth. This was very good and an inventive take to enjoy this versatile and underused vegetable.

For the mains, by myself and father enjoyed the fish courses. Cornish turbot came from a 5kg fish and was poached in brown butter, served with warm roe tartare sauce, charred gem, Devon crab and a crispy potato basket. This was beautifully seasoned, creamy and light at the same time. The cod main was also Cornish, saved with smoked onion, charred leek and bacon crumb. Perfectly succulent and fresh cod had all other components working very well and some (ok only) Jersey Royals came with a somewhat viscous seaweed butter which wouldn’t have been my personal choice; I would prefer to have the beauty of the Jerseys just glazed with butter (or minted butter as had in former Ormer, Jersey). However, both mains were very good regardless.

As the dishes were so pleasingly filling we didn’t actually need dessert and the petit fours of vanilla macarons and chocolate and hazelnut chocolate truffles were actually a lovely sweet to finish on regardless and completed a very satisfying visit.

For all the plus points of casualty, yet looking very smart and homely, the down to earth nature of the food and reasonability of the menu prices, it’s actually a little tricky to say which I would rather go to at Moor Hall, here or the 2 Michelin starred restaurant. I think it’s actually the perfect example of the difference between best and favourite – the 2 star restaurants is clearly the finer and better quality food, but Barn is actually my favourite for all the above reasons. I would like to go to the main restaurant again, but actually more looking forward to the Barn for greater number of visits.

Food Grade: 73%