Prestonfield house is a five-star boutique hotel located in the Prestonfield area of the city of Edinburgh.The house was originally known as Priestfield and was once a monastery founded in 1150 by the Earl of Northumbria.Throughout the next few centuries, the estate changed hands many times until it was unfortunately burned to the ground by Protestant students in 1670.The family had the house re designed and built again by architect William Bruce and then renamed Prestonfield.The newly built estate stayed in the Dick family’s possession for many generations and over the years they continued to modify and improve the estate, adding more rooms,  paintings, and a grand new staircase.In the years to come the new generations of the family spent less and less time at Prestonfield and this resulted in the preservation of the decor and character of the house remaining intact for the present day visitors to enjoy….it really is a trip back in time.

In the 1960s the house went through the conversion into a hotel and as it carried such an interesting history it began to attract and welcome quite a medley of  well known and wonderful names….Margaret Thatcher , Sean Connery , Elton John , Catherine Zeta Jones and many many more.In 2003, the hotel was bought by James Thomson OBE , who also maintains the acclaimed – The Witchery by the castle, The Secret garden ,  and The Tower above the museum of Scotland.The bedrooms are to die for and simply put ….  “lock the room door , crack open the Champagne , feast on the chocolates and just don`t come back out again” – apart to eat of course.The rooms are straight off a movie set and create the scene right from the starting post…..guaranteed to impress.

Executive Chef John McMahon is pretty well known in the Edinburgh area for creating Madonna’s wedding breakfast as well as heading up the Prestonfield kitchens around the clock.Breakfasts play a big part of the overall Prestonfield experience and i have now cast aside the the great English to rate the Scottish brekky as the “worlds best breakfast” …..Two free range eggs , grilled tomato , grilled Portabello mushroom , Cumberland sausage , Dry cure back bacon , Slices of Haggis , Ramsays Black pudding , Fruit pudding and Tatie scone….but where were the beans ? I`m more than sure that all i needed to do was simply ask and it would have been there.As for portion control…Whoaaaaaaa , this was a proper working blokes breakfast….I loved every morsel of itThe breakfast menu was enormous , so much choice.I have to admit that i`ve never seen a better selection in anywhere that i`ve ever stayed. i just didn`t know what to pick so over the two nights stay i just decided to plough through as much as possible …a proper man v food moment. I had to try the real Scottish Porridge.The organic Alford Oats are cooked slowly and gently throughout the night and served with the 3 traditional Scottish accompaniments…Salt , Heather Honey…..and Home made Lemon curd.I tried all three seperately but definitely favoured the sweeter Honey version.

The Kedgeree although rather tasty wasn`t my cup of tea …well not for breakfast anyways.I would have liked to see more smoked fish , chopped egg and a richer fruity curry sauce to accompany it….richer and a smaller portion.Saying that , i was in Scotland and as hearty breakfasts go then it was definitely a stomach filler.

The Eggs Benedict was amazing  – Two soft poached Duck eggs on a home made potato scone , Honey roast Ayrshire gammon and wilted baby leeks lightly bathed in a wonderful buttery Hollendaise.

Fot the health conscious…or not there`s always the freshly baked pastries selection…or even a fresh fruit salad….Nahhhh

Breakfast  fayre aside  , i was here to sample the fine dining and was very eager to see exactly what Chef John was all about. As far as the basics go the hotel uses only the very best seasonal and wild ingredients to produce modern, seasonal, sustainable,Scottish cuisine…just how i like my food , rich and luxurious with classic influences.The kitchen team hang all their own meat and game, buy fish whole to portion it perfectly themselves and also utilise an expert forager to supply the wild fungi, seaweed, berries and herbs.Scallops come from Guy Grieve in Mull, Lobster from North Berwick, Strawberries from Perthshire, Glamis for Asparagus, Loch Duart salmon, local free range eggs and organic vegetables…the list goes on and on.They also grow the Rhubarb, tomatoes, baby leeks, lettuce and herbs in the grounds and pick wild garlic and elderflowers around the woodland”….sounds too good to be true , this place is a foodies dream hideaway….Which brings me finally around to the food….feast your eyes on this lot , and also compare the prices to their equivalent in London.

Guy Grieve`s hand dived Scallops , Cauliflower puree , Lovage , Chorizo , Apple and Truffle dressing , Confit Lemon.£18.50

Cured Foie Gras , Duck croustillant , Gizzard and Orange salad , Macadamia nuts , Madeira wine Jelly. £15.50

Isle of Kintyre wood Smoked Cheddar royale , salted Beetroot , Basil , Port and Pine nuts.£8.95

Seared and Poached Skate wing , capers , smoked tomato and Lemon butter sauce – Priced as part of the £16.95  two course set menu.

St Brides free range Chicken breast , Leg and Wing , braised Puy lentils , Hazelnut paste, Kohlrabi, Amontillado sherry jus.£25.00

Gressingham duck , roasted breast and pan fried liver, Plum sauce, Leeks, Turnips and Dauphine potatoes.£27.00

Lemon Caramel – set Vanilla custard , caramelised sweet pastry , confit Lemon , Pineapple and Fennel seed. £8.95

Valrhona chocolate , Aerated Cinnamon chocolate , Caraibe 66% dark chocolate mousse , spiced Plums , crème fraiche ice cream and Lime toast. £9.95

Bramley Apples with Rosemary , Caramel mousse , Black sesame seed paste and Granny smith jelly. £8.95

                                        Coffee , Macarons , Fudge and Fruit jellies.

Prestonfield Macarons.

 So i don`t really need to say a lot about Prestonfield house…I think you`ll agree that the photos tell the story for themselves…..There`s an airport , a train station and a motorway….enough said.

To view the full set of photos from my Rhubarb at Prestonfield lunch please CLICK HERE

The finest foods in the land matched up perfectly with amazing wines and served up in one of the Worlds most exclusive hotels by a highly skilled team of professionals……and in the background….  James Bond , surely a match created in the heavens ? Well for us guys it was.It was a dream ending to another of the dodgy duos trips to London….”Sunday lunch in the Ritz hotel”. The food served up at The Ritz is my type of cuisine in a nutshell , Classic old school cooking but modernised  to suit the current trends.Head chef Adam smith ( follow on Twitter ) runs the Ritz kitchens under the long serving executive chef John Williams.  Adam recommended that we skip the set Sunday lunch and go for the Sonata menu instead…how could we refuse ? We had already eaten the Alyn Williams 18 course on the friday , 10 courses at Alain Ducasse on the Saturday so finishing off with the 10 course Sonata tasting menu at Tha Ritz would put our weekend tally at 38 courses….a couple of pastry shops , Macarons and a  Big Mc…. Yeah no problem – bring it on. So it was The Ritz visit number 2. Our first lunch there in 2011 was a total treat so i had a feeling that this one was going to be even better.

When deciding what to eat then there`s a number of choices for the Ritz diner.The cheapest way to experience the place would definitely be the excellent value classic Sunday lunch priced at £45.You`ll get a 3 course meal with a little pre-starter and a pre dessert  treat inclusive.An extra £5 will get you coffee, tea and a taster of 6 Ritz petits fours. Service is also included in the price.There`s a few choices on each course and during my 2 visits they`ve had the Sunday roast Beef on , carved expertly at the table with all the accompaniments. Another option is the a la carte with several choices on each course which are all individually priced. The Sonata or tasting menu is priced at £99 and this one showcases the best of the Ritz and changes with the seasons. There was however another choice during our visit….The Truffle menu….Ohhhhhh dearie me….Starters , fish , meat and puds…All incorporating the Black Truffle……Satan get thee behind me…..No ..No….erm well go on , maybe just a little taster then. The menus were offered for our perusal but swiftly whisked away under chef Adams orders.Obviously not wanting to give the game away and add that air of excitement and surprise to what we were about to eat….along with lots of Ooos …Aaaaahs as each course returned our open mouthed and very happy response….and so the meal began.

                   Halibut Dauphine , Smoked Oyster mayonnaise with Caviar.

                       Venison Tartare , Parmesan bread and Black Truffle.

                                                 Croque Monsieur with Truffle.

                                            Roasted Langoustine , Sauce Marie.

Dressed Devon Crab roll , Avocado , spiced apple puree , confit ginger,   Charentais  Melon.

Terrine of Goose liver , Port glazed Spiced Fig , Gingerbread and Marsala jelly.

Seared Scottish Scallop , Smoked Eel , Bacon , pickled Shallots  and Watercress.

Hard to believe….all of these glasses actually got filled…Sunday lunch…tut tut tut.

           Braised Cornish  Turbot , Chestnuts ,Artichokes ,  Cep  puree and Truffle.

Peppered Venison loin , Smoked sausage , Pumpkin and cabbage.

I think that around this point in the meal we stopped to gather thought…the food was absolutely top of the tree, amazing luxury ingredients cooked to perfection.The wines and champagne were matched to a tee….wouldn`t we just cap it all off if the pianist could play James bond themes ? I didn`t hesitate for a second and on the way to the gents i passed a quiet word “Any chance of some 007 tunes please ? ” The pianist simply answered “Name that tune” and on my return i was greeted by “From Russia with love” followed by “You only live twice”…. Mr Bond…..wow , it was definitely our day.

The Tunworth cheese course arrived next and was definitely the highlight of the meal for both of us.It arrived ceremoniously at our table wheeled in on a trolley with a little entourage of Ritz waiters by its side.What looked like small bread rolls was infact a herbed salt crust pastry case baked until it resembled bread fresh out of the oven .

It was presented to us just like this and then set out on to the trolley where a small lid was expertly and delicately carved out of the top of the roll by our Maitre`d.

We were still non the wiser until it was put in front of us and the lid was lifted open.The most beautiful aroma filled the restaurant… Truffle and warm scented cheese wafted up and into the air around us.I peered down and i was greeted by a wonderful sight of Black and yellow…Truffles and melted Tunworth cheese…Liquid gold and black diamonds of the Perigord.

The waiter offered me a bread roll to accompany the cheese.I was quite full by then so i politely patted my stomch and declined the offer. ” But sir , it`s special bread….it`s black Truffle bread , have a little look inside”

 I cracked open the freshly baked hot bread roll and once again the smell hit me clean in the face…Truffles “again”….lots of them studded into the bread…..The poshest soldiers in the world….Oh and what a treat.

Here`s a little look at what exactly comes out of the salt bread….and i have to say at £28 for this course alone it has to be worth every penny just for the taste experience.

                      Lime and Vanilla sorbet , poached Rhubarb , Muesli.

Mont Blanc , Caramelised Pear and Clementine sorbet inside a milk chocolate dome , Rum baba , Marron glace , Chestnut Chantilly cream.

So from the bottom – Caramel sauce , Milk chocolate dome containing the caramelised pear pieces and a Clementine sorbet.Topped with a tuille biscuit.Rum baba is placed onto the biscuit and then the Chestnut chantilly cream is piped around.A chocolate square is placed on the top followed by the Marrons glace ( candied chestnut ) and finished with edible Gold and a beautifully moulded and very fragile caramel decoration…. Desserts just dont come any better than this world class piece.

                                                                   The Ritz coffee and Petits fours.A trip into the kitchens of The Ritz.On the boards,  each course of the menu is photographed and detailed exactly how it is to be presented.Each and every component of the dish is described for the staff to learn in detail.

                                                         And just to finish off the day…..The Laird, my trusty minder….always prepared to defend me to the death poses with a strange gathering of tourists outside his second home,The grand palace of Buckingham…note that even celebrity rapper “Tiny Tempa” muscled in for a pic with “The Laird”,complete with the latest “nite glow” footwear…..and just incase it kicked off -The Jewelled sabre of Northumberland down the sweaty sock lies in wait.

The sgian-dubh (Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: [s̪kʲɪnˈt̪uh]; often Anglicised as skean dhu /ˌskiːən ˈduː/) is a small, singled-edged knife (Gaelic sgian) worn as part of traditional Scottish Highland dress along with the kilt. It is worn tucked into the top of the kilt hose with only the upper portion of the hilt visible. The sgian-dubh is normally worn on the right leg, but can also be worn on the left, depending on whether the wearer dresses to the right or left.

So …in a nutshell – Adam done us proud , lovely guy and a fantastic chef with a great future.I haven`t experienced the grand Parisienne 3 star Michelin restaurants yet but this is exactly the picture that i have in my mind what it would be like…and i`d come back a happy man.I can`t honestly see us going to London again without eating at the Ritz….It really is that good.

As always the full set of photos from this wonderful meal can be found HERE.

Another trip down to London and three more fantastic restaurants arranged for our weekend.First night would be the tasting menu at recently opened Alyn Williams at the Westbury hotel.This would be followed by Truffle tasting at Ducasse and Sunday lunch tasting menu at the Ritz…fantastic. The critical couple had been raving over Alyns cooking for quite a while so it seemed sensible to go with their recommendation and head over there as our first port of call on the friday evening.So first impressions…Beautiful , totally brand new and well thought out moody lighting set the scene for the food. The tables were lit from above so the food was put under the spotlight as it should be.

The tasting menu is currently £55 and the 3 course alc is £45 , very good value and i believe it will stay at this price for a while.Wine pairings are available to suit the tasting menu along with quality wines by the glass.One thing to note however…the photo of the wine cooler on the left….top bottle on the right.It`s a Dom Perignon Rose 1996 vintage and will cost approximately £1,562 per glass…or you can buy the full bottle for £35,000 …or the empty one for £20,000 as it`s  actually dipped into Rose gold….Scary but it`s a replacement for the one that was purchased last year by a Russian billionaire….Next time Alyn .

So on to the Chef and the food – Alyn williams ,the chef of the moment in the city and as far as pedigree goes then working at Le champignon sauvage , sous chef at Gordon Ramsay Royal hospital road, Head chef at Petrus and Head chef for two years at The Berkeley under Marcus Wareing.CV`s don`t come much better than that. Lavender champagne in the Westbury lounge led us on to the tasting menu and the instruction “Tell Alyn we will eat whatever he cooks…feel free , we eat anything”…not realising that would spur chef on to an 18 course feast…..as follows.

Selection of Amuse bouche – Gougeres / Crispy salmon belly / Tom yam shrimp / Little truffle risotto balls.

Cauliflower Pannacotta , Acorn , Cream cheese wafers.

Smoked Egg , Perigord Truffle soldiers.

French Onion Consomme , Crab , Lyonaisse.

Lobster , Fennel custard skin , Eel.

Foie Gras semi fredo , Liquorice , Lime , Frozen yoghurt.

Foie Gras semi fredo , Liquorice , Sand Carrot.

Beef Tartare , Catalonia , Gribiche.

Snails , Soil , Pickled Onion , Scarlet Elf cap.

Chicken wings , Perigord Truffle , Lemon , Ramsons.

Grilled Plaice , Ink , Cuttlefish , Ricotta , Puntarella , Mojamo , Lardo.

 Cod cheeks , Snouts , Tongue , Beach vegetables , Cockles.

Venison , Acorn , Cima di rape , Rosehip vinegar , Mandarin.

Cheese selection.

Pear creme catalana , Pear , Pine.

Cows curd cheesecake , Passion fruit , Honey , Flapjack.

Blood Orange,Crystal Malt ice cream,Dried Milk,Toasted white Chocolate.

Chocolate , Peanut butter ice cream.

Fantastic meal and wine in a stunning restaurant.Food was very well sourced and cooked.Alyn , great guy , down to earth and all smiles. ( sorry we kept you back so long ) and a visit to the Westbury would be well worth it.

And finally…The dregs of the night are escorted to the front door….Mr Cumbriafoodie ( no , Im not pregnant ) , Chef of the moment Mr Alyn Williams and my personal minder and private bodyguard The right honorable Laird Bell o the Borders.

All of the photos from the meal can be viewed on my Flickr account HERE.

So ,  my first post of the year and my little “easing into” the flow of 2012 and hopefully some pretty good eating. As i said in an earlier post i do have a new years resolution to get 2 stone off before my annual trip to Thailand in June. A`light` lunch at Lenclume would provide a natural , healthy and a good start to my fitness regime…That sounds to me like a bloody good philosophy and positive thinking to pave the way forward…. It “will” happen.

Chef Simon Rogan was spending the new year with family down south so wasn`t at the restaurant during my visit.Mark Birchall , fresh from his Roux scholarship prize winning placement at Can Roca in Spain was cooking as head chef in Simons absence.With Mark heading up the brigade i knew that a great meal was in store. The `light` lunch was meant to be a little taster into the world of  restaurant food for my son Max .He`s a bit of a Mc Donalds fan so was willing to let me attempt to introduce him into something a little more adventurous…. “Dad , I`ll eat whatever they give me”.. Mmmnnn , i had my doubts but it was worth a try.So here`s how my first decent restaurant meal of the year performed.

The usual nibbles arrived whilst perusing the 4 menus on offer.Little savoury Duck scratchings and crackers led us on to our first Amuse of the day  – Onion cheese wafers.

    Next up was the “Oyster pebbles” looking very like the accompanying local beach stones in the little glass pot….very realistic and an enjoyable amuse to get us smiling. As always , the very popular Lenclume bread was freshly baked and straight out of the oven.

   Carrot  Pork sacks with  were next , A Carrot foam with a rich Ham concoction hidden underneath.

Grilled Salad smoked over embers , Isle of Mull cheese , Truffle custard and Cobnuts

Valley Venison , Smoked salt , Chicory and Fennel.

Roasted Snow Crown in a rich Beef broth, Crispy Parsley , and cultivated Nameko

Native Lobster and pickled Beetroot , Apple and Bittercress.

And as far as baby radishes go… Chef Rogan picks em young.You can also see here the difference in cameras ( for anyone interested in food photography ).The camera i use 99% of the time is my little Panasonic Lumix LX5 ( £299) which is amazing for food photography, close up macro shots and generally being discreet in a restaurant.The photo above of the Lobster dish was shot with the Lumix whilst the one below right was shot using a £1,500 Canon EOS 7D and 17-70mm zoom lens.Notice the depth of field that the Canon produces and that only a fraction of the photo is in focus in front of and also behind the radish which is a really popular look in food photography.Give me the Lumix anyday.I only took the Canon to get some use out of it and im a little reluctant to sell it on ebay until i give it a decent chance.

  Halibut with Trout roe sauce , Celeriac and Chestnut.

Roasted Monkfish in our spices , Roasted Kiri Squash , Yoghurt and Raspberry vinegar.

Randolph`s Lop suckling pig with Northern Mead , Vintage vegetables and Nasturtium.

Yew tree farm Herdwick Hoggett in Mulled Cider , Brussels sprouts and Red Cabbage.

Sea Buckthorn and Anise, Hyssop , Liquorice and Butternut. I loved this dessert and the unusual and unique flavour of the sea buckthorn berries.Definitely at my top of the list for best puds of the year.

Fig and Malted cream , William Pear Ice.

Fresh Cheese ice cream with Sweet Brackens , Rosehips and Hazelnuts.

Aerated Parkin Meringue.

As always , Lenclume never fails to deliver and after a long and totally chilled Xmas / new year lunch we left very satisfied and educated.My son Max loved it and surprised me by eating everything ( apart from Lambs tongues ) so i`m sure that he will be wanting more of the same throughout the year.I`ll look forward to seeing what Simon and the guys deliver during 2012.I have a good feeling that we are all going to be seeing a lot more of Mr Rogan this year…fingers crossed. Cheers guys and happy new year.

The full set of photos from the meal can be viewed by clicking HERE.

So a quick recap on what was best in 2011.Following on from my friends “The critical couple” and their Best of 2011 i decided to highlight my 2011 dream menu from the 30 or so Michelin restaurants i have visited during the year…Here goes.

For Starters it had to be Hestons “Meat fruit” from his Knightsbridge restaurant`Dinner`. Making the meat fruit at home has been my most popular piece on my Cumbriafoodie blog from all over the world  during 2011…and if anyone has 5/6 days to spare and the patience of a saint then here is exactly how to make this wee beauty. CLICK HERE.

As for the best bread in 2011…and all of the restaurants i`ve `ever` eaten in ….Heston does it again by a long mile.I had his bread in the Fat Duck in 2010 and again at “Dinner” .I don`t know anything about the bread other than it is fabulous.

On to my Veggie favourite and i really couldn`t separate these two starters.The first one was made by my friend Simon Rogan during a meal in his Cartmel restaurant `Lenclume`. Vintage Potatoes in Onion ashes with Whey sauce and Sorrel.

Another wonderful Veggie starter was made by Brett Graham during an August meal at the Ledbury in Notting hill , London. Hampshire Buffalo milk curd with Saint Nectaire truffle toasts and a broth of grilled Onions.

Pierre Gagnaires “Sketch” restaurant in London provided the years best Shellfish dish. Scottish Lobster , lightly cooked with ginger butter , swiss chard , banana , mango and bisque saucePaired up with a wonderful little salad of Lobster claw meat.

The Ledbury once again shone through with this amazing fish course of Flame grilled Mackerel , Smoked Eel , Celtic Mustard, Avocado and Shiso.The smokiness of the Mackerel skin brought back childhood memories of cooking over home made fires…I couldn`t  re-create the same Ledbury flavour when i tried it at home.

 My Game dish of the year was the August Grouse at The Ledbury. Roasted Breast and Confit legs of Grouse , with Red leaves and vegetables , Foie gras and Cherries. Best Lamb course of the year was served to us at St James , London –  “7 Park Place” by William`Billy` Drabble. An absolute classic cooking method taught to Chef by the legendary Nico Ladenis at Ninety park lane…. it`s totally `old school` at its best,  amazing.

Main course Beef dish that stood out from the rest was made by James Knappett ( now cooking at The Ledbury ) at Marcus Wareing in the Berkeley , London. A fairly straight forward and simple dish but cooked to perfection and the combination of the melting beef fillet , Smoked bone marrow and tartness of the berries had me sat in my chair , eyes closed and totally drifting away on a cloud….Still my best main of a lifetime.

A very close second place to the beef but i`ve included it here as ” Best classic” dish of the year and one that only took me 30 odd years to get around to tasting… Pigs Trotters “Pierre Koffmann” at Londons `Koffmanns` in the Berkeley hotel … I must return for more.

Kenny Atkinson at the Orangery in Rockliffe Hall and his award winning Northumbrian cheeseboard.I`ve had a lot of nice cheese over the year but this one “took the biscuit”….a truly fabulous tasting of Northern cheeses and their accompaniments.

Chef Simon Rogan at his finest once again creating a wonderful dessert from local Cumbrian produce at his Cartmel restaurant Lenclume. Quince with Buttermilk , Iced and crispy Damsons , Sweet brackens and Rosehips….Amazing. ( watch out for this guy in 2012 )

“Stop press”…Get the brakes on…. December 29th and It`s definitely a close shave for the pud of the year.I ate a 2011 last minute “light” 16 course lunch today at Lenclume and experienced some amazing food.The pudding below definitely hits the mark to rival the one above so i`m firing it in at the last minute.These guys are going to be knocking some pretty good stuff out in 2012…cant wait.So the one below is  “Sea Buckthorn ice cream ( Liquid Nitro ) Anise , Hyssop , Liquorice and Butternut”. The sponge like item that sits on top of the dish i `think` is the light El Bulli type of sponge cooked inside a cup…but it was crispy so im guessing that it was then put in a dehydrator….it was good.The sea buckthorn is such a unique flavour , there`s really nothing quite like it.It`s a love it or hate it experience and definitely my flavour of the year ,it really is amazing.

Petits fours and sweet treats with coffee don`t come much better than this.By the time these ones landed on our table we had competely overstuffed ourselves to bursting point.They were beautifully packaged up in a little box and were swiftly devoured the following morning in bed.Thanks to Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham.

And finally…. I can`t end  my 2011 dining without mentioning my “Best Service” experience…and that simply has to go to the staff at Marcus Wareing in the Berkeley hotel , London. As i said in my blog post ( click here ) This is hospitality at the highest level…I simply cannot fault it. Thanks to Dimitri Bellos and all of the team.

And that`s my final post of the year folks .I wish you all a very happy new year and hope you can consume as many calories as i`m going to during 2012.

Happy eating , Cheers Alan.

It was the end of yet another cracking weekend in London , fantastic food , amazing wines and good banter.How could we ever top off the two amazing meals at the Ledbury and Marcus Wareing ? Well,  i had two places in mind that might just hit the spot .First choice was The Ritz and second choice The Savoy . Out of the two restaurant menus the Ritz shone through as the finer so i emailed the restaurant to arrange a booking. I also arranged with the Savoy to book in for a saturday lunch as the price was a very reasonable £27.50 for a three course meal , fantastic value for such a grand hotel. One thing that i happened to note was the fact that there was a strict ban on photography in the Ritz restaurant.Such was the grandeur of the establishment that quite strict rules were in place to protect the privacy of the guests eating there.Unfortunately to me this was like a bad dream and comparable to a bird spotter missing out on a once in a lifetime sighting of a rare Zambian tree creeping Goony bird landing in Cleethorpes.I reserved a table provisionally but decided to sleep on it …how could i possibly eat in a restaurant without my Panasonic Lumix glued to my eye ? I  thought about it for a few weeks then decided to throw caution to the wind , keep my table reservation for lunch and do a James Bond covert operation and sneak my wee spy cam into the restaurant with me.After all The Berkeley and The Witchery people also frown down on snappers in their restaurants but i managed two visits to each of them without so  much as a second glance. If any A-list celebs were there with their secret lovers having a sneaky romantic lunch then i would just blur and frazzle their features on photoshop……Honest.

 So 12.30 it was then , Sunday lunch Ritz style and once again i was dining with the Crazy Laird who had this time cast aside his “Bell o the borders” Tartan and replaced it with the `Dapper city gent` look of pin stripe suit and bowler ( A rotundle Charlie Chaplin ).The hotel just oozed class as soon as we walked into the foyer, it was a grand grand place to be.They had a little chocoalte shop selling freshly made pastries and truffles and just along the way there was the afternoon tea clubbers getting stuck into their towering plates of scones and nibbles….it looked awesome and i had a good feeling inside.

The Sunday lunch at The Ritz is £45 per person for a 4 course  meal (inc an Amuse) and inclusive of service , a very reasonable price for top class dining in such an establishment. There was an individually priced a.l.c. menu as well as a tasting menu  available for lunch.I was absolutely gutted when the maitre`d  suggested the Chef recommended we go for the Ritz Tasting menu , it sounded fabulous but after our 21 courses and 15 wines only hours previously at Marcus Wareing i was ever so slightly delicate to say the least. I sent my apologies to chef,  perhaps it would be best that we just chose the set lunch and return again for the Tasting menu next visit.
We were both seated in the far corner of the restaurant for lunch.It was the perfect place to take a nosey at all that was happening during service…probably best seats in the house if i`m honest.We both sat in silence taking everything in…we just didn`t need to speak , it was a case of The Ritz working its magic.Within a few minutes a little entourage of smartly dressed young waiters descended on our table “A  complimentary starter from the chef”. My eyes lit up , i seen the wonderful terrine presented before me…generous slices of Goose foie gras sandwiching perfectly cooked cubes of Grouse breast and Granny smith apples interleaved with Black truffle….Oh Jeez…This is what fine dining is all about…what a treat. The restaurant was filling up pretty quickly with diners and with eyes like a hawk i immediately spotted two of them with cameras snapping away.I didn`t wait for a second before my Lumix was out and i joined them….what a rebel but at least i could get the beautiful food captured for all to see.

Terrine of Chicken, and it sounded just like that on the menu – As a result i chose not to go for this one and look what happened…it was more Foie gras than chicken , generous slivers of Truffle and beautiful Chanterelle mushrooms…Typical luck for poor ole me.

This was my starter of Wild Sea Bass and apple.Refreshing and rather healthy.

Another little surprise from the kitchen came in the form of this beautiful warm Native Lobster with Apple , Radish and Grapefruit …and just a little Caviar…It was Stunning and a close eyes and drift away moment….One of those memorable dishes that`s never forgotten…top marks here.

Roasted Pork Belly as a main course , well cooked and a beautiful version of a  Sunday Roast.

Traditional roasted Sirloin and Rib of Beef , a legendary Ritz classic.

Just for the Chocolate lovers , stunning to look at and stunning to eat.

Traditional selection of Ritz Petits fours with coffee.

The entertainment  all laid on and the performance about to begin.The couple on the table next to me had the Flambe Crepes Suzette cooked at their table and after careful study i think i managed to pick up a few tips for next time i make it at home.Im sure it was beautiful but give me my Chocolate any day.

So all in all….a truly wonderful ending to a fantastic end of year dining break in London.I had a feeling the Ritz would be something special and as far as Sunday lunches go then it takes some beating.Thank you so much to Executive chef John Williams and Sous chef Adam Smith for the fantastic food and welcome , it was an absolute pleasure and next time…The `Ritz Tasting menu` as our first port of call. Cheers guys.

Photos from the meal can be viewed HERE.

My crazy dining companion the ever so eccentric Laird Bell was a tad jealous when i managed to get into the Berkeley before him last August.He`d planned to go there for quite a while and he had dinner booked but was totally peed off when he had to cancel at the last minute ….the day before my visit, Ahhh bless .Of course i didn`t rub the salt into his wounds telling him all about one of my best meals of a lifetime , the  fabulous 22 course meal cooked for me by Marcus Wareings head chef James Knappett ( click HERE to read all about the meal ). The only way to shut the big man up was to head off to London again and make sure that another similar experience was booked again at the Berkeley….then maybe he would shut up whinging at me. All was organised with a very helpful reservations team at the Berkeley and we decided to go for Chefs tasting menu..the big one and we would be fed whatever chef decided to cook and whatever was available on the markets at the present moment….Exciting ?…oh yeah,  Personally i thought that this way would be the best way to let the chefs play and give the kitchen the freedom to cook whatever they wanted for us knowing that we would be more than happy to be their guinea pigs.

 So same as last time , we turned up 3o minutes early and headed to the Berkeley “Blue bar”. It`s called that because…erm…its totally blue, infact the whole place really is painted blue. It`s very different. It`s a buzzy little bar , very popular during early evening and has an amazing list of cocktails that`s so long its impossible to start deciding what to drink.We both went for Champers cocktails , mine was served with Black raspberry liquor.The crazy Laird plumped for a fine Champagne remy XO with brown sugar cube. At 8.30 sharp we strolled through the hotel to the Marcus Wareing restaurant and straight away we were met by a little posse of staff , all smiles and handshakes “welcome back Mr Spedding , so pleased to see you here again”….wow , i was impressed.Their warm and very friendly greeting immediately setting the mood…i walked over to my table like a cock chicken, feeling like royalty….I knew that this was going to be another fantastic Berkeley experience.

As far as chefs go, I`d been wondering who would be cooking my meal now that Marcus`s head chef James Knappett had left to work for Brett Graham at The Ledbury.I asked one of the staff and was informed that Marcus was in the kitchens every day and working on the pass.Tonight unfortunately he had to dash elsewhere but had left the kitchen in the capable hands of his head chef…..I`m sure that we`ll get to meet the main man eventually. The Maitre d came to settle us in for the evening , lovely guy called Dimitri. He just smiled and gave us the old wicked smirk and … ” We won`t be giving you menus this evening Mr Spedding”…..Ahhhh ,how good is that ?

The Sommelier was right on Dimitris heels…with another big smile. “Welcome back Mr Spedding”.He was holding a bottle of Champagne and two glasses….I smiled a big stupid smile , I knew what was on the way….Lots of wine , we were to be sampling some of the Berkeleys fantastic wines with our dinner.

Now before i kick off with the food pics , as i explained in my James Knappett blog post last time ,the lighting isn`t the best by a long way for my geeky foodie pics.Its taken an awful lot of work on Photoshop to bring these ones round to something acceptable.My trusty little Lumix struggled quite badly during the meal.I don`t use flash, ever.I only use natural lighting so as a result the pics all come out very dark , grainy and without Photoshop they wouldn`t be of any use at all.My next blog post will be about my lunch in The Ritz , the pics taken at Lunch time in daylight and they`re worlds apart in terms of quality so ..that`s my excuse and i`m sticking to it.If anyone wants to see just how good a £299 Lumix is when it works in daylight then check out my recent Lenclume photos on my homepage…….On with the food -

 Pig , Egg , Caviar.

Minced Shrimp with Sesame.

Oyster , red wine and shallot jelly.

Beetroot , ricotta , Liquorice.

Foie gras , Date , sorbe , Milk , Walnut bread.

Sorbe - An explanation as i had to look it up myself , never heard of them until last week. ( These tiny pear-shaped fruits are grown in Piedmont. Sorbe are fruits from the same family as the rose, but grown on trees similar to Rowans. They are picked when they are what would seem to be ‘ripe’. However, at this stage they are not yet ready to eat. Although it goes against what you might expect, to really enjoy their true flavour, you must let them ripen to a stage which looks like they are rotten. When they reach this rich deep brown colour, the flavour will be just incredible. Chocolatey, sweet and even with hints of Cognac flavour due to the fermentation process of ripening, the texture is soft, floury and simply wonderful)

Tunworth cheese ,  Ceps , Girolles , Mushroom consommé , chestnuts.

Dorset Crab , Pear , Chestnut

Salmon , Cockles , Sea purslane.

Lobster Broccoli five ways.

Quail , Squash , Girolles.

Anjou Pigeon , Celeriac , Hazelnut , Radicchio.

La Fromagerie.

This was the moment that i knew we were in for a sweet treat.Six glasses appeared and we were each given a taste of 3 dessert wines to accompany the puddings which were about to follow….Ahhhh , my favourite part of the meal was just about to get even better.

White Chocolate ice , Redcurrant.

Opera Gateau , Hazelnut.

Marcus Wareings baked Egg custard tart.This one made it to the final of Great British Menu….it`s simple and it was absolutely beautiful….and i have the recipe.

Apple arctic roll , Cinnamon

As far as i know ,this Chocolate creation doesn`t have a name yet.This one was brought to us by Dimitri and with the explanation that it was still in the experimental stages with Marcus so a little treat for us and a taster on a future dish. It was a Chocolate creation that the team were working on and the unique selling point is that the chocolate is made with a water based ganache. It’s totally dairy free and made with a Brazilian cacao bean variety called Foastero 68%.It was pretty dry , fruity , woody , peppery and had hints of Black tea….All in all , pretty unusual , very intense and i loved it…. i look forward to its future.

Handmade Chocolates to finish off the experience.

 And to sum it all up…. As you can see from the photos , the food speaks for itself. As far as i`m concerned i have now been there twice and in my eyes it`s a 3 Star restaurant , no bones about it. Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley stands up there proudly at the top of the premiership , it`s simply fine dining at the highest levels that the UK has to offer.I`ve heard good things about the Waterside in Bray as the best dining experience in the business and those who have dined there rate it on par with the Berkeley for food and front of house hospitality.I personally have never had service like this anywhere that i`ve ever been in my entire life.The service at the Berkeley is phenominal…they have totally conquered it. It was an absolute pleasure , the whole evening beginning to end ,smiling faces , VIP treatment for myself and everyone else in the restaurant , top notch food and amazing wines…..and the most lovely team that anyone could ever meet.

Thank you very much Guys n girls…..you made me very happy.

TO VIEW ALL OF THE PICS FROM MY VISIT , PLEASE CLICK HERE.

I had an amazing late summer dinner at the Ledbury in August ( click here) so i had a feeling that this visit would be far better.It was November , game and truffle season so with a combination of those two then it was going to be a damn fine experience.We went for the Tasting menu which i believe changes with the seasons.Odd dishes also change regularly when game and seasonal produce are available so expect to be treated well at certain times…Ceps , Grouse , Woodcock etc if Brett can source….or shoot them.

Amuse Bouche of Foie Gras parfait with Quince set us off to a fine start. Smooth piped foie gras parfait topped with Quince puree.

The Ledbury bread is always amazing , trouble is though it`s so hard not to go crazy with it.Anyone dining on the Tasting menu must proceed with caution….you really do need to get through those 15 or so courses.The bread on the left is a warm Caramelised Onion Brioche.The bread on the right is not of this planet…I seen the face of a Dr Who cyberman in my bread….but he tasted delicious.

Chantilly of Colchester Oysters with a tartare of Oyster , Horseradish and Dill arrived next.Now im really not keen on Oysters but this one proved me totally wrong.The glass was topped with a frozen Horseradish ice seated on the Tartare whilst the fried Oyster came warm in the shell.

Flame grilled Mackerel with smoked Eel , Celtic mustard and Shiso….Still the Ledbury classic.Ive tried cooking Mackerel over the flame at home but can never get the same burnt and smoked flavour of wood infused into the fish.

Native Lobster with Broccoli stem , Natural yoghurt and Indian spices in Brown Butter.I wasn`t so sure about the delicate flavour of the Lobster being matched with Indian spices but the shellfish was spiced very sparingly and all it did was to compliment the Lobster perfectly.

Hampshire Buffalo milk curd with Saint Nectaire , White truffle toasts and a broth of grilled Onions.Another Ledbury classic , and one that should never be taken off the menu.I love this dish and if i had to pick a favourite from my two visits then this would be the one.I was ever so fortunate that my summer truffle (last visit ) was this time replaced by the Italian white truffle……Eyes closed and drift off moment.This was my first ever experience of the legendary  ”Alba madonna” (Tuber magnatum) and it was heavenly. I really really need this recipe so hurry up with that cookbook Mr Graham.

These were the little White truffle toasts sat on the Douglas fir Pine needles.

Roast Scallop with Pumpkin , Clementine and Ginger….Caramelised , crunchy outer surface and soft and perfectly cooked inside , they went perfectly with the gnocchi and accompaniments.Little treat as well….pan fried Porcini.

Breast of Berkshire Partridge with Chestnuts , Iberian Ham , Sunflower seeds , Chanterelles and White truffle….am i a lucky guy or what ? Slivers of chestnut , and even more slivers of White truffle again.Topping the wild Partridge breast and crispy fried partridge leg…..You know that im a happy guy here.

Celeriac “Risotto” with smoked Bone marrow , Parmesan , Chanterelles and White truffle…..did someone mention “white truffle” again ? You`ll guess by now that im in truffle paradise and the whole restaurant seems to be scented with this prized fungus.The “risotto” …and please correct me if i`m wrong here wasn`t actually rice but was tiny rice sized pieces of Celeriac cooked al dente.

Pigeon Kebab – Rich , gamey , fruity , seasonal and cooked to total perfection.The pigeon breast simply melted.

Saddle of Sika deer baked in Douglas fir with White Beetroot , Red wine Lees and Smoked bone marrow.This was cooked and then brought to the table before being taken away and constructed into the stunning dish below.Oh and for those of you that don`t know what red wine “lees” is – Definition: Lees refer to the thick sediment that floats to the bottom during the wine’s fermentation process.  The lees consist of the dead yeast cells, grape skin and seed fragments and various grape solids that separate from the juice and go with gravity to the bottom of the barrel or fermentation tank.  Winemakers will occasionally stir the lees during fermentation to conjure up additional contact with the grape juice and solids.  This stirring of the lees gives more body and flavor to the final wine.

The finished Sika ( venison ) dish…..and by now we were almost at bursting point…but could we manage desserts ???? Oh yeah.

Pre dessert of Coconut and Lemongrass.A little shot of lemongrass jelly topped off with a coconut foam…refreshing.

Pave of Milk Chocolate with Milk puree and Chocolate malt ice cream.

Brown sugar tart with Muscat grapes and stem ginger ice cream……and the tart – once again i have to have this recipe , its amazing.

Little Ledbury petits fours with our coffee.

So here we meet the man himself , Mr Brett Graham , a lovely guy and can talk for England and Australia put together, speaking about his passion for shooting and the countryside….we actually had to make our excuses and leave as he would have chatted all night.It was late and the chefs wanted to get to their beds …..The atmosphere was one of fun and i could see that the young chefs enjoyed working here.A new addition to the team will be James Knappett previously from Marcus wareing at the Berkeley…Its going to be an even more exciting place to be both in the kitchen and definitely in the restaurant…watch this space folks.

The beautiful plumage on the cock pheasant.

Anyone seen that film…. The 3 Amigos ? , well there you go…Crazy gunman Mr Graham on the left , crazy gunman Laird Bell on the right and and as always….there`s always got to be a normal one to keep everyone sane…Your resident pie eater in the centre.

Cheers for a fantastic feast Brett.

All of the photos from the dinner a the Ledbury can be found HERE.

We were met by the owner Simon and Glynis his good lady wife in the bar and shown through to the lounge with a copy of the menu.It sounded marvellous on paper but i wondered if it delivered on the plates. It was going to be a busy night at Oak bank , i was informed that the restaurant was full that evening. I could hear  chef in the kitchen and commented to the young waitress if  the boys were ready  to commence battle in there .”Oh…there`s only two of them in tonight…one does mains and the other does desserts” ….Ahhhhh ok , so one chef does main courses for a full restaurant ? ” yes , that`s right , and they both help each other with starters ” …..Could i expect anything other than normal food here ? i doubted seriously that i would be getting the food that i`d seen on the hotel website but oh boy was i wrong.

Little paper parcels arrived at our huge sofa in the lounge…”small wrappers of Cumbrian fish n chips”  something to nibble on whilst we looked over the menus.They were piping hot and filled the room with aromas of  salt n vinegar that were soaking into the newspaper….i could have eaten a plateful but after only a couple of bites they were gone.

 Little shooter glasses of Pea and Ham textures arrived next.Topped with baby shoots and a soldier of melba toast to dip in.Tiny cubes of Ham in its jelly served as our treat at the bottom of the glass – beautiful  and very dainty
with attention to detail  – just the way i like it .

Goats cheese mousse , Beets , Tapenade , dried olive crumb , spiced bread , Balsamic .This was a very generous Cumbrian portion and one of the highlights of the meal for me…simple but delivered on flavour.

Salt cod , pea , crackling dust , bacon. A little taster and palate cleanser.A soft and delicate cream mousse of salt cod, pea sorbet and a bacon crackling foam.

Salmon ballotine , Cauliflower 3 ways ( Silk , pickled, dabs ) Crispy capers , dill….Beautiful.

Ham hock , soused vegetables , crackling, cox`s puree , bread , mustard….Wow , how good does this one look ? Definitely one of those dishes that need hung on a wall.

Goosnargh corn fed duckling , Roasted breast , confit leg, scratchings , fondant potato, red cabbage , kohlrabi , quince duck and port jus. Good accurate cooking and delivering well on flavours.

Assiette of Cumbrian dry aged beef – Seared fillet , slow braised feather , tortellini , pommes puree,

Onion textures, root vegetable gratin, beef and red wine jus.

A 10 minute break before the sweet treats arrived allowed me to pop into the kitchen to meet the chefs and get a couple of pics of them in action…thanks guys. I also witnessed the proof  that there was really 2 chefs actually in there……2 chefs knocking food like that out ….HOW ON EARTH ?- Imagine the level of cuisine  with a team in there doing the business ?

John Cook – Oak bank head chef and Dexton Gooden second chef.

Lemon meringue , lemon tart , glazed meringue , lemon sorbet , lemon gel , curd and shortbread crumb….time for my favourite part of the meal.

Chocolate with Strawberries , White chocolate mousse , Parfait , strawberry delice , strawberry sherbet , macaroon , streusel….what can i say ? Everyones favourite combinations…white chocolate , milk chocolate and strawberries….i would have this one every day for breakfast.

A selection of 6 Cumbrian cheeses .

So as far as hidden treasures go then Oak bank hotel definitely hits the mark for me.Tucked out of the way in the centre of the lakes in a little village where time stands still…. but the food doesn`t. I`d like to think that the chefs can keep the pace up and the restaurant can go from strength to strength.Oak bank has started to hit the 2012 guidebooks and is now firmly placed in the top spots to eat in the North this year so fingers crossed they get their much deserved recognition….Well done guys.

Oh and as for the prices ,i think you should know that you can eat here for – £28 x 3 courses , £ 49 for 6 courses and £ 62 for 8 courses.

All of the pics from the meal are on flickr , Please just click HERE to view.

 So just around the corner from the industrial estate and hugging the neighbouring motorway , sitting alongside the huge electricity pylon sits the idyllic little escape “Restaurant Sat Bains….with rooms”.To be honest its a little breath of fresh air after the journey.Converted stable blocks, a gravel courtyard and immaculate groomed greenery make up the complex –  and the centrepiece , a large crab apple tree with branches almost breaking under the weight of the masses of tiny golden fruits.

We were met by Sats wife Amanda ,a lovely lady and her friendly smile and warm welcome gave me the good vibes that we were going to have a very enjoyable evening. Sarka ( my other half ) settled into the
beautiful room whilst i carted a large box of Cumbrian West coast Sea Buckthorn over to the Kitchen.The buckthorn bushes are heavy with fruit on the Cumbrian coast right now so it seemed a shame not to take some for the guys in the kitchen seeing as though they were so far from the coast.

Straight away a nosey Mr Bains was right into the box ratching around…”What we got here then Chief” ?Once Sat realised what i`d brought and the nightmare task involved getting the Buckthorn berries off the deadly thorny branches , he just smiled ,pointed at one of the new guys and said …”perfect little job for this guy chief”…..The poor commis wandered off with the box,  his face like a bulldog chewing a wasp.i then met the team in the kitchen ,a totally crazy bunch of guys headed up by the head chef John Freeman. All of the guys were totally down to earth and taking the “P” out of each other big style, yet at the same time all working away like surgeon preparing their beautiful fresh ingredients.They were of course led by Sat , the six foot plus “man mountain” and Chief joker of the team pulling , poking and prodding everyone that walked by with a huge daft grin on his face.All in all i witnessed a very happy bunch of guys and it was very evident that they loved working for their nutty leader. I wasn`t too happy that they all thought i was a Geordie though……is my Cumbrian accent  so `un Cumbrian` ???? Opposite coast guys….totally opposite coast….Whitehaven = West………..Newcastle = East…. “Coast to coast “.Im not from Middlesborough or Scotland either….cheeky buggers.
My dining companions for the evening were David and Nicole aka The Critical Couple. A husband and wife team of totally fanatical food lovers and bloggers.Hopefully i would get some tips from the top off this very
successful pair of amateur foodies.
As far as menu options go there was no alc available.Not that i ever go for that anyways.Our choices of menu consisted of a 7 or a 10 course option….we chose the 10 naturally. An available “extra” was the 65
degree Duck egg dish ( £15) that Sat had won the BBC Great British menu with.We all ordered that one as well , after all it was probably that dish that started Sat off on the road to national success. The 10 course meal was priced at £89  and the Sommelier wine selection was available at £ 65 for 10 glasses.

Horseradish panna cotta, smoked bread, nettle puree, and a gastrique jus

Duck egg  cooked at 62 deg with peas, pea sorbet and Bellota ham

Scallops roasted, with chicory, coriander, seasame seeds, pumpkin seeds, shallots,
textures of squash and pumpkin oil.

‘Allium’, ( Garlic ) An aromatic bowl of caramelised shallots, a French onion soup, onion oil and crispy shallots.

Grey mullet with a Leek stew

English Duck -  Duck liver parfait rolled in duck ham, crispy duck skin, ‘Asian influences’ of peanuts, sweetcorn, shiitake mushrooms and spring onions with a plum puree

Pickled, salt baked and cured celeriac, served on a chicken and truffle jus

Wild hare served with quince, fresh pear, cauliflower and shavings of bitter chocolate and a little toast of tartare of hare.

Beetroot, goats cheese granita, lemon zest and a little salt

Sea Buckthorn with caramel, soft meringue and pine

Chocolate, served with coffee caramel, yoghurt foam and coffee shortbread

‘Blackberry’, served with almond granola, wood sorrel and vanilla ice cream

All in all , the food was very enjoyable indeed.Portions air on the small side and i could have carried on and easily eaten another 10 courses if im honest.The bread was tasty and plentiful so i loaded up on that and ended up very comfortable and satisfied. Service was excellent and personally i couldn`t find room for improvement…..Sat and Amanda along with a great bunch of staff out front and in the kitchen have well and truly got the whole thing nailed….Just keep on doing what you do best guys.

And as for that big bully….all i did was look at him the wrong way

Oh and i cant finish without letting you all see the amazing full English.To view all the photos from my meal at Sat Bains then please click HERE