Filtering by Tag: restaurant review

Sonnet, Alnwick

December 07, 2024 / Geoff Griffiths

Lunch for two - 4 December 2024

Sonnet was one element of a short break in Alnwick, Northumberland. A trip booked as an escape from our kitchen being ‘disappeared’ while it was knocked through for renewal. That won’t now happen until the new year so we very nearly cancelled our Airbnb accommodation and this meal!

Barter Books remains a big draw and we already had eTickets for The Alnwick Garden’s ‘Winter Lights’. Both were highlights of our stay. We also had an honest, and hugely enjoyable sit-in fish and chips supper at Carlo’s but Mrs Cheoff’s online ‘find’ of the less than a year-old ‘Sonnet’ restaurant provided us with one more very good reason to return to this town.

Not the evening 14 course meal, but our lunchtime menu provided ample evidence of chef Gary McDermott’s intentions and his skill to display them.

Canapés/Starters
The Smoked Chicken Cigar has become one of those ‘signature’ dishes which is very likely to be presented to diners whether they like it or not. And they DO like it a lot. So did we.
Artichoke porridge? Less challenging than Heston’s snail porridge but still perfectly understood and delivered. The sweet, earthy vegetable took centre stage once discovered under its toasty, savoury crumb.

2 Day Prove
Artichoke Porridge
Smoked Chicken Cigar

Fish course
Cod (brined?) had a strong tang of the sea from its salt content. Almost too much for Mrs Cheoff but the foaming buttery parsley sauce pulled back things nicely for me. Fish roe needed to be of the mild variety - and was. The crispy green garnish was gentle enough to have me asking whether it was seaweed or brassica. I only asked myself. So I can’t provide the answer to that one.

Main course
Plenty of questions were asked about the cooking and ingredients which produced the main event. Not initially presented on one plate but all came together as a big seasonal nod to traditional (traditional English) Christmas lunch.

Potatoes were very, very good. So good that I might easily edit in an extra ‘very’ after posting this. Crunch quality control would have no trouble sending these from any kitchen. Using them to hide a finely chopped and delicately spiced red cabbage and topping them with a silky hollandaise might seem like overkill but this was exactly the mix which almost tempts me to utter Tom Kerridge’s well-known one word phrase. A word which is lavished too freely on too many dishes but which would be entirely appropriate for this and the next bit of Gary’s audacity.
A bit of a spoiler came from the table below* us. An enthusiastic returning diner’s “Ah, great, the cauliflower cheese pie!” gave the game away as to what C.C.P might be. Such enthusiasm was well-founded. Cauliflower, cheese sauce, and extra melting cheese in a dinky tart case pressed a lot of buttons which go ding. The discovery of a small dab of pickled-at-home vegetables (think Branston) at the base added a large dong to those dings.
Parsnip, Brussels sprouts - oh, yes, stuffing and turkey too - might have seemed almost over-generous steps but they were so well cooked that it would have been foolish to deny chef his opportunity to display control over his craft.
Gravy did not disappoint. It was sweet enough, meaty enough, and glossy enough to complete the furore of festive flavour fun #gratuitousalliteration

*No, we’re not social climbers! The restaurant has a couple of steps up to the area where we sat.

Wanderlust Wine help to create the wine offer here. We enjoyed Kolonics Hárslevelű, 2019 Somlo, Hungary to start and I added a glass of Chianti with my main.

Dessert
No need to ‘tap and unwrap’. Dark chocolate crémeux with orange ice cream riffed on a Christmas classic. Any fears that the rich chocolate might overwhelm the whole concoction were binned by its own creamy smoothness and that of the ice cream. Orange was tangy with enough citrus to provide further balance.
Maybe there was candied orange in that shard supporting the ice cream. My sincere apologies to the kitchen for thinking they might have simply melted some Zingy Orange Matchmakers to help save time!

Coffee and tea came with a neat cylinder of crumble topped mini mince pie. Sweet pastry was on a par with that of a certain Cheltenham ‘Chef of the Year’ and confirmed the attention to detail which threaded through our meal.
From start to finish, nothing interfered with our conclusion that we were in the hands of special people doing special things.

Gary chose not to make a physical appearance in the dining room but his presence was quite obviously felt in all the dishes.
His food was proudly offered and explained by a disarmingly croaky Claudia (antibiotics were already soothing her vocal chords!) and by Alex who also inspired confidence with his understanding of the food and wines.

Much reliance on Christmas fare for this December lunch menu. All will change in the new year. And every five to six weeks after that.

Gary is too curious, creative and skilled a chef to rest on his laurels - or any other fragrant leaves, for that matter. But he and Claudia have at last found a more permanent and stable way to share their take on great hospitality.
Theirs is an agitated history including a previous deliberate and quick exit from one Carlisle hotel kitchen and the frustrations of not quite being in control of their own joint destiny at an albeit highly regarded West Sussex pub.
A brave relocation to Alnwick has turned out to be less lacking in foolhardiness than they, or many others, might have imagined. Here they are now doing what they want to do and doing it with success and recognition. It is a difficult thing to confound the Tripadvisor algorithm which can shove a pop-up burger van ahead of fine dining restaurants but ‘Sonnet’ are number one in Alnwick.

‘Sonnet’? That’s the name.
Restaurant? Indeed, it is.
Simplicity? Oh, do shut up!

The dinner tasting menu with its reference to a sonnet by The Bard - other poets are available - might seem a little contrived. Based on our lunch experience, I would trust Gary, Claudia and their team to come up with something carefully considered and very well composed. And reflecting just a little more than a single issue or theme.
And now I’ve understood that 14 lines in one evening here is still a crazy night but without resort to class A drugs I’m seriously tempted to return for a sniff and investigation into what P.C.P, C.B, or S.P.B might be…

Sonnet’s 2024 is done. I do hope - and rather expect - that 2025 is as rewarding for them as it has been for us and so many others in this, their first year.

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tags / Sonnet, restaurant review, fine dining, Northumberland, Alnwick

The Black Horse, Reigate

September 28, 2024 / Geoff Griffiths

Dinner for four - Saturday 21 September 2024

Here is a venue which gives much pleasure to thousands every year.

Unfortunately our experience ultimately left a bad taste.

Our welcome and subsequent service from staff was great.

The atmosphere of a packed Black Horse on a Saturday evening might challenge those seeking a quieter night's dining. No problem for us - we are happy to enjoy ourselves along with other people enjoying themselves!

The unacceptable element arrives with the food. This is essentially pub grub and ingredients are not necessarily going to be the very finest. Meat cuts and fish are certainly medium quality at best but sympathetic and skilful cooking can compensate for this. Sadly those who Heartwood Inns describe as 'chefs' showed little understanding of their task. Pork belly suffered from the lack of finish which would have balanced out what was simply overpowering fattiness. My chalk stream trout was a horrible affair. Instead of a thin, light crust from pan frying, the surface of the fish had been transformed into hard, jagged shards. Like an attack of multiple bones from a badly filleted fish.

Overcooked, chewy prawns and a sirloin steak which needed longer resting completed the damning evidence of a kitchen team who don't particularly care.

When part of the hospitality on offer relies heavily on presenting a decent eating experience, it should be a given that attention to detail and consistency are involved. The Black Horse kitchen have a lot of catching up to do.

Our visit tallies closely with the summary created on Tripadvisor by AI, based on recent reviews.

No, we didn't complain to anyone on the night. It seemed pointless. Previous reviews have informed the venue of their shortcomings but management appears happy to provide second best.

Our infrequent visits over years are very likely to end completely now.

Service charge, eh?
Fairly distributed?
Well, let’s hope the ‘chefs’ (poorly trained cooks) were offered a fairly tiny proportion of our gratuity.

…

UPDATE
General Manager, Dan, reacted calmly and generously to this review with his invitation to return for a complimentary meal.
I’m considering my options…

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tags / The Black Horse, Reigate, restaurant review, dinner, eating out

Le 6 à Table, Caromb - version française

July 27, 2024 / Geoff Griffiths

Dîner - 6 juillet 2024

Cuisine fatiguée et hospitalité sans chaleur

Nous nous sommes appuyés sur les avis positifs des clients et les bons rapports des inspecteurs Michelin qui attribuent à ce restaurant un Bib Gourmand.

Hummm…
Notre expérience nous a laissé le sentiment que les inspecteurs Michelin avaient eu la chance de se rendre sur place un jour avant que cette équipe ne perde sa concentration et son enthousiasme.

Après un accueil poli, nous avons été conduits à notre table. Toutes les conversations ultérieures concernaient nos commandes de nourriture et de boissons. Je lis, parle, plaisante et rêve (!) en français, mais tout engagement ultérieur avec nous dans leur propre langue maternelle semblait au-delà du personnel. Ils ont complètement – apparemment volontairement – écarté l’opportunité de développer leurs compétences en relation client.

Canapés sans imagination et plutôt paresseux

Les entrées étaient notre introduction à un repas qui a continué à décevoir. Oui. Après une telle attente, le mot est déception.

L’essence de la tomate n’avait pas été explorée pour le velouté et les morceaux bruts de fromage de chèvre ne laissaient en rien penser à une quelconque touche de raffinement.

Mon entrée reposait sur un produit AOP décent venu d'ailleurs, ce qui aurait dû donner au chef le temps de se concentrer sur son propre métier. Hélas, sa concasse de tomates était ordinaire et aqueuse.

Les plats principaux n’ont pas non plus atteint de points forts. La sauce au veau était aussi inachevée que le suggère ma photo.

Le mieux que l’on puisse dire de l’émulsion verte avec ma truite, c’est qu’elle ne provenait pas réellement d’un pot de peinture.

Nos desserts simples nécessitaient une définition claire de la saveur. Cette clarté était malheureusement absente. Le sorbet et la glace étaient des plats fades qu'une fière cuisine aurait abandonnés et refaits. Le manque de finesse se voit dans une garniture maladroite de feuilles de menthe.

Il est possible qu'une brigade de remplacement soit en place le soir de notre visite mais je suis persuadé que Claire nous a accueillis et que son mari Pascal Poulain est apparu de la cuisine au moment où je payais notre note.

Nous effectuons une ou deux visites en France chaque année depuis vingt-cinq ans. Ce repas ne gâchera pas l'estime que nous portons au pays et à ses habitants. Mais notre affection a certainement été ébranlée pendant un certain temps par les événements survenus au numéro 6 de Caromb.

Pour lire de bien meilleures choses et découvrir ce qu’un Bib Gourmand devrait, peut et offre réellement, pourquoi ne pas lire ici en anglais ou ici en français…

Peut-être Michelin va-t-il modifier sa notation du 6 à Table.
Oui.
Il y a toujours peut-être…

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tags / France, restaurant review, restaurant, Caromb, Michelin Bib Gourmand, Provence, Vaucluse

Le 6 à Table, Caromb

July 26, 2024 / Geoff Griffiths

Dinner for 2 - 6 July 2024

We relied on positive reviews from guests and good reports from Michelin inspectors who award this restaurant a Bib Gourmand.

Hmmm…
Our experience left a distinct feeling that Michelin inspectors had been lucky to visit on a day before this team had lost focus and enthusiasm.

After a polite welcome we were shown to our table. All subsequent conversation concerned our orders for food and drink. I read, speak, joke, and dream (!) in French but any further engagement with us in their own native language seemed beyond staff. They completely - apparently willingly - discarded the opportunity to develop their customer relationship skills.

Starters were our introduction to a meal which continued to disappoint. Maybe I ought to say that we were underwhelmed. But, no. After such anticipation, disappointment is the word.
The essence of tomato had not been explored for the velouté and crude chunks of goat’s cheese did nothing to suggest much care for even a touch of refinement.
My starter relied on a decent AOP product from elsewhere which should have given chef time to focus on his own craft. Alas, his quenelle of tomato and onion was weak and watery.

Main courses didn’t hit any high spots either. The veal sauce was as unfinished as my photo suggests.
The best that can be said for the green emulsion with my trout was that it wasn’t actually from a paint pot.

Our simple desserts needed clear definition of flavour. That clarity was sadly absent. The sorbet and ice cream were bland affairs which a proud kitchen would have discarded and remade. The lack of finesse can be seen in a clunky mint leaf garnish.

It is possible that a substitute brigade let down this venue on the evening of our visit but I am convinced that Claire greeted us and that her husband Pascal Poulain appeared from the kitchen as I paid our bill.

We have made one or two visits to France each year for the last twenty-five years. This meal will not spoil the regard we have for the country and its people. But our affection was certainly dented for some while by events at Caromb’s Number 6.

To read about much better things and discover what a Bib Gourmand should, can, and actually does offer why not read here in English or here in French?

Perhaps Michelin will get round to modifying their rating of Le 6 à Table.
Yes.
There is always perhaps…

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tags / Caromb, Bib Gourmand, France, dinner, restaurant review, restaurant

Le Champignon Sauvage - Dining With Two Stars

October 30, 2023 / Geoff Griffiths

Dinner for 2, October 26 2023

Eating at one of the world’s best restaurants on the day of my birthday is quite the privilege. Being a paying guest of two of hospitality’s greatest and confoundingly humble people is close enough to the stuff on which dreams are made. And sharing the experience once more with my partner of over fifty years was simply the very sweet and deep icing on an already rich and tasty confection.

At Mrs G’s suggestion we found ourselves, not for the first time, at Le Champignon Sauvage spending utterly delicious time in the care of David and Helen Everitt-Matthias.

We started in the bar area with the now rather iconic parmesan custards with chorizo crumbs and a more recent mini tartlet of pouting with smoked mayonnaise and pickled pear.

The chorizo crumb on those silky, cheesy bites was perhaps not quite as fine and dust-like as on previous visits and…
”Cheoff?”
”Erm, yes…”
”You have already decided to end this review by strongly suggesting that the entire meal was a stunning delivery of flawless dishes. You are being an arse here. Shut it.”
”Erm, yes. OK.”

.
.
.
Food pictures will click open in a lightbox. Oh dear. I was obviously still trembling with anticipation for that shot of our ‘appetiser’. Subsequent photos are decent enough but can’t possibly convey the almost overwhelming quality of flavour, texture and finish which kept arriving at our table.
Book, travel, sit down, and see and taste for yourself.

As ever, any mistakes in descriptions are all mine - I’ve tried not to make too many.

Appetiser and bread

Pumpkin cream, smoked almond foam, sage and onion breadcrumbs

Our appetiser was two thirds soft and fluffy. The brasher breadcrumb topping gave a herby crunch and completed a trio of elements which are so well suited. Lightness of touch with depth of flavour.
We have learned from experience that the fabulous contents of the breadbasket might challenge the capacity of our own ‘breadbaskets’. You will always be offered the chance of more through the meal. We stuck with one glorious bacon and shallot brioche each.

We had been greeted by Alice at the door. Her obvious innate charms and talents have surely been tailored and augmented by Helen’s influence and she joins a distinguished list of front of house who have added enjoyment to our experiences over the years here. Through no fault of her own, Alice also halved - at the very least - the average age of our company!
Apart from the constant delicious distractions arriving from the kitchen, Helen remains a particular focus of each visit. It would be facile to simply describe her as another delicious distraction. She will go through the formalities of presentation and explanation of dishes but whenever time allows through the evening Helen becomes your trusted friend and confidante. And a partner in mischievous, veering towards pleasingly wicked humour. Helen is a complex and intoxicating mix who makes many other hosts appear awkward by comparison.

Helen arrived with my scallop starter and a message from David in the kitchen. “If you are taking photographs, this dish looks ‘prettier’ before saucing.”
Which is why you have two pictures to enjoy.
I remain mildly conflicted over the rights and wrongs of snapping away instead of tucking in but my photographic records always inform my cooking at home even if they are not published here or anywhere else.
And friends are ever ready to tease me on this subject as evidenced by one birthday card opened that morning before we had set off for Cheltenham.

Starters and wine

Scallops, oyster velouté, Jerusalem artichoke, sunflower seed emulsion - before velouté

Scallops, oyster velouté, Jerusalem artichoke, sunflower seed emulsion - complete with velouté

Cured and seared Cornish red mullet, tartare, wasabi mayonnaise, dashi gel

Jean Durup, L'Eglantiere Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume, 2021

Fine margins. But almost certainly the best scallop dish I’ve had. The sear on flesh was so perfectly judged. I’m assuming this was achieved in a pan only but the result had all the light smoky zing of an outdoor cook over summer flames. Nutty J chokes were matched by peanut buttery sunflower seeds and my first taste of rock samphire was delightful. Definite crunch but less salt and more herby greenness than expected. What a creation. Hair spray never had this much harmony!

Mrs G continues to adventure further with her menu choices. The red mullet dish would have once challenged her more but something conceived with such understanding is likely to turn the head of any but the most pernickety of diners. My wife was trapped into murmuring ‘This is delicious’ on repeat.

Chablis premier cru was also on repeat - a different domaine and vintage - but the choice we had made on our first visit in 2010. We drank with reasonable restraint adding only a pudding wine to desserts.

Meaty mains.
Including the partridge which had tempted us but neither had ordered. It arrived before our own choices as chef’s treat.

Grey-legged partridge, morteau sausage, turnip and verjus purée

Creedy Carver duckbreast and duck heart, pickled blueberries, Earl Grey

Cotswold lamb, goat’s curd, wild garlic salsa verde, black garlic

There are nods to graphic novels in David and Helen’s purchased artwork hung on the restaurant walls. Flavours are strongly defined across the menu but there are definite echoes of the comic book genre’s ‘Bam’, ‘Pow’ and ‘Whump’ in all of these punchy main dishes. Mastery of cooking alongside such top quality produce hits hard and true - wonderfully so.

New-born baby onions, meat juices and the influence of Earl Grey all calmed down the potential attack from blueberries and made the sauce for my duck a wondrous thing.

Pre-dessert and desserts

Tonka bean, lime and blood orange granita, blood orange foam

Lime crémeux, coconut sorbet, mint, brown sugar purée

Chicory cheesecake, mocha sorbet, coffee tuile

A glance at our pre-dessert reveals how a great chef exerts control. In this case, control over the consistency of elements. The tonka bean cream is not going anywhere but neither are the other two layers as they sit firmly but floatingly above. All in perfect order until an eager invasive spoon messes things up. Mrs G had already dubbed her lamb the best she has eaten and she remained entranced by the simplicity and - let’s use the right word - sexiness of this precursor to more complicated sweet things.

I’ll dispense with too many more expansive descriptions and try to let the images entertain you. If you think those desserts look enticing you’d be right. So much going on to see and enjoy. Including the inspiration to sprinkle a little ground coffee in my own crumb bases at home. Idea nicked.

Oh. Please cast your eyes into the background of my cheesecake pic. Duck fat fudge. Nnnngg… dribble.

Menu

With just one other pair of guests left in the room, Helen invited us to join David. With stoves all cleaned down we had the privilege of a relaxed chat. No huge topics of discussion considering bigger world events. Instead, a general mulling over of the rewards and struggles of hospitality. With one huge, positive revelation. David has no plans to take any sort of back seat and Helen will continue to support and complement his efforts. Hoo-bloomin-ray!

We were at the end of close on four hours of an experience which - alongside times with loved family and dear friends - must count as one of the richest in our lives.

Helen had seduced us in many and various ways at table and David had steadfastly ensured that not a single mistake left the kitchen.

A stream of prizes and accolades have been awarded, even if not sought, throughout this restaurant’s history. After thirty-six years - and counting - whatever the pronouncements of certain sad, tired (and tyred obviously!) inspectors, two stars continue to shine very brightly in Cheltenham.

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tags / Michelin Guide UK, restaurant review, Le Champignon Sauvage, Cheltenham, fine dining, excellence, essence

Manifest - Wine Bar & Restaurant - Liverpool

October 08, 2023 / Geoff Griffiths

Dinner for 2, Wednesday 6 September 2023

We ended up here after a ‘hiccup’ with our booking at The Art School. Another story there for another day. What a serendipitously marvellous change of venue this was.

Manifest is quite rightly acknowledged in the UK Michelin Guide but there are still no Michelin Stars for them or anyone else in Liverpool. Which is not total bollocks but let’s just say we should continue to treat the Michelin inspector’s spare, tired judgements with a bollock-sized pinch of salt.

Our visit gave ample evidence that, like all truly decent chefs, owner Paul Durand cooks for guests and not for the official accolades of the industry. In any case, in little more than a year since opening, the Manifest team have gained plenty of those accolades. Paul is The Staff Canteen Awards 2022 One to Watch Winner and a Google search fizzes with reference to more glowing reports and shiny trophies for him and his team.

Liverpool and environs - if you count Manchester as Liverpool’s environs! - is home to many of the much-loved Elite Bistros restaurants. I did wonder if Paul had cooked for us on our visit to ‘Sticky Walnut’ in 2019 but he had already served his time there and elsewhere.

You'll find a bit more detail about how he and partner Charlotte Jones made Manifest a reality here.

Let’s get to the food we so much enjoyed. You see Mrs Cheoff’s alliums and my mussels starter and guinea fowl main. The fig tart dessert was chosen by both of us. All link to photos on Manifest’s Instagram account. And there’s Mrs C’s turbot main which lacked a picture until Paul recently and conveniently shared it on his own account.

A sparkling rosé and a port and tonic joined the team’s signature salt and vinegar crisps while we waited for our food orders. And before dessert Wensleydale, Bara Brith and marmalade were an impulsive but deliciously rewarding addition to proceedings.

Cooking here is almost as simple as it gets. No more complication than four main elements in a dish with support from drop-dead gorgeous sauces and a garnish here and there. The thought which goes into devising the menu is obvious and the care with which it is brought to the plate is, well, manifest. Any simplicity is forgotten as you explore an array of well-developed flavours.

Our dessert was perhaps a step too far and reminded us that our stomachs are past their “Oh, yes, seconds please!” capacity. All the right flavours were there but a clunky pastry case gave a heavy end to our meal. Mind you, we still found room for some white chocolate fudge sweet treats!

Make an effort to quickly forget that last picky comment of mine. We left glowing - with admiration for the Manifest team and smug satisfaction for choosing to eat with them.

The Fab Four remain a big draw in Liverpool. John, Paul, George and Ringo were awarded a stream of platinum discs but when it comes to producing gold standard dishes the Magnificent Manifest Quartet above took the honours on our visit.

Of course they only represent one very important element of the Manifest team. Maya’s front of house attentions were delightful. She guided us through the wine list and gave us tastings of an orange wine and an English natural before giving us another white for examination. I certainly don’t have the nous to identify countries of origin, much less producers, vineyards or vintages but, presented with this final suggestion, a moment of small personal triumph arrived when I declared, “That’s chardonnay, isn’t it.”
Bugger me, it was. And very nice too. It went on to form the backdrop to our food choices.

Not sure how heavily the wine list relies on the services of GRAFT Wine Company but our wine is certainly on their books along with a few others of theirs which Manifest offer. Slightly miffed that their lovely portfolio is trade only.

More about the team…
Maya was joined by Claire who was bar-busy on the night but still accompanied our bill settlement with more relaxed chat. A KP shall remain nameless (only because I didn’t find out his name!). He punctuated our evening with stealth-like appearances, bearing freshly renovated pans for eager chefs. Props to all, some who we may not have met on the night, named or incognito. You are part of a very fine team.

The following photos reference one final, glorious element of our meal. We were sat at elevated counter seats and had continuous views of the pass.

Here’s Jimmy and the text from my screen grab showing Manifest’s Instagram post about him.

“Sous chef Jimmy everyone, we’d be lost without him as he is the example of what’s great about chefs and hospitality. Hard working, dedicated to produce and dishes, always ready and on time. His favourite part of the job is the creativity. Being able to create dishes and seeing them through the development stages down to perfecting those final touches. Jimmy’s working the pass - so have a chat to him if you’re sat at our counter seats, he’s belter!”

And chat we did. I felt a mild guilty fear that other guest’s dishes might be compromised as we enjoyed piling in with questions. Jimmy dealt with his work and our distractions with magnificent ease. I’ve already been inspired to include a few ideas in my cooking. Jimmy was more than ‘belter’. He was gold dust sprinkled through our Manifest experience. No, don’t get too swell-headed Jimmy. I know that any of your colleagues would have been as generous. They were all immediately accessible and amenable for shorter times during our meal even though they weren’t as ‘centre stage’ as you.

The Manifest website did not reveal all details before we visited. Perhaps not updated before a holiday break. There were little hints about what goes on at the restaurant and how Paul and his team arrived there to work their hospitality magic. Much clamour about the wine but we needed to wait until we were through the doors to have a list. Just days after our visit the new menu which we so enjoyed appeared on the site in its entirety.

Instagram and Facebook pages give more tasty textual and pictorial hints. Whatever information you might find shared on social media in future, I’d strongly advise taking me on trust and booking for what increasing numbers know will be a guaranteed rich and rewarding experience.

Great hospitality is delivered in many different ways. You’ll find other venues to match Manifest. But you will struggle long and hard to find somewhere to beat it.

And when you have enjoyed that experience for yourself it’s only right to offer up some thoughtful appreciation as I am doing here. If these guys don’t crow about their achievements it’s surely our job to trumpet their praises. Make it a decent toot, please. In these tough times for hospitality even a small blow job can make a difference.

bookings@manifestrestaurant.com

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tags / Manifest, Liverpool, Baltic Triangle, restaurant, restaurant review, hospitality

Beach House, Oxwich

June 29, 2023 / Geoff Griffiths

Beach House, Oxwich
Dinner for 2, Wednesday 28 June 2023, 6 Course, Table 9

This was our destination towards the end of a week in the ‘Land of My Fathers’. Yes, I’m a Griffiths and there are family stories which suggest that my ancestors were sheep-shaggers* in the Welsh Marches.
*EDIT: diligent research at AncestryUK reveals that sheep-stealers or sheep-farmers might more likely be in the frame.

One ‘s’ less in my surname and I could have tried to claim a complimentary meal from Chef Hywel Griffith on the grounds of tenuous family tree connections. Instead Mrs G and I paid up front and enjoyed a truly memorable experience with no question of quibbling about the final bill.

Beach House presented us with painstakingly designed and perfectly manicured dishes. Chef Director, Hywel’s credentials are fully established. It was great to see and hear him in a good-humoured kitchen ensuring that justice was done to his inspiration.
Our menu was varied and challenging. I can’t think of a detail which I would question or a quality of cooking which I could fault. Such sophistication can be challenging. The quiet, focused kitchen behind us sent out wave after wave of their creations. Front of house delivered them to table with assurance and understanding. All of which totally dismantled any suggestion of pretension. Here, skill, professionalism and honesty are the bedrock of sophistication.
There is no need for this team to crow about their achievements. Every arriving plate shouts out its class to guests.

Maybe stop there and check diary dates for your own booking before reading on for more of my personal reaction.

Smoked eel and lovage emulsion in that delicate tart. Those Oreo impersonators are actually charcoal biscuits with a truffled filling.
My descriptions should not be taken as perfectly reliable. I did ask questions and have tried to be as accurate as possible. Let’s face it, you should see enough here to encourage you to discover properly for yourself.

Presented as an amuse bouche, this was the first of our six dishes. Poor lighting has seriously compromised its fresh green vibrancy in my photo. Please be assured that pea, lemongrass and slivers of baby pea pods worked in a very cool way to kick off the excitement which would last through our meal.
Mrs G even admitted that her minor nemesis, lemongrass, had its place.

***Laverbread Bread and*** ***Ampersand*** ***Cultured Butter***

The offer of bread has deep-rooted significance on many levels. Beach House have created their own signature loaf. They have shared the recipe here.
A slash of laverbread through the loaf gives a savoury tang and oats add extra texture to the crust.
A dove-tail jointed wooden case with Welsh slate top was designed - and made? - by Hywel Griffith’s father. (Please check with the restaurant to find out if I heard that right!)

Oxwich Bay lobster, roasted lobster mayonnaise, pickled kohlrabi, elderflower & chervil.
Served with rye, buckwheat, sunflower and pumpkin seed crackers.

It’s bonkers how much interest a chef can cram into a small, perfectly-formed offering. A little bit of lobster luxury with fruit, acid, crunch, floral and herbal details.
It was becoming obvious that each dish would ask for a slowing down of attack from knife, fork or spoon and demand proper, reflective appreciation. Not quite as demanding as the thought and skill which has gone into developing this menu but I always think a guest should give up a few moments of their own in respect of those efforts.

***Jersey royals cooked in dashi - Smoked salmon - Slow-cooked yolk - Seaweed - Caviar - Watercress***

Oh, heck; good things don’t always come to those who wait. Sometimes they just keep coming from the moment you are seated and carry on from there. This smoky, salty, bitter, earthy, eggy-rich, fishy business was not at all gloriously simple - but it was simply glorious.
If pressed, Mrs G would tell you this was her standout dish. Please press her gently.

The wine list is short enough to avoid confusion but offers a great range from ‘sensible’ to ‘sexy’. You’ll just have to go with me there. I know what I mean.
We were already drinking our choice which was from a previously unexplored region and grape. You will find the Altesse we chose on the domaine's website here.

***John Dory, Courgette, Ricotta, Basil, Black Olive***

A fish substitution from the 8 course menu for Mrs G as she was not keen on crab with the sea trout. Lovely fish and vegetable elements. The basil was very insistent. Too insistent in its rawness for my wife. Any dish with this riff on Provencal pistou/tapenade references is likely to challenge. Pretty sure I would have loved that challenge.

***Sea trout, verjus, peas, grapes, yakitori butter sauce and seaweed oil***

My ‘main’ was just delightful. Painfully so - with no pain involved whatsoever, if you catch my drift. The cooking of the trout was perfect. It had a lot of competition from the rest of the dish but everything was so well judged that all balanced however much each element might teeter around my palate.
Peeled grapes are a right faff, aren’t they? But most welcome for their liquid refreshment and less intense nod to the more acidic verjus. Pretty sure the peas were replaced by baby broad beans.
If I understand it right the sauce is flavoured with grilled chicken. A gentle riff on ‘surf ‘n’ turf’.

And then look below for my photos of a little bit of magic. Perhaps it’s simply chef’s idiotic generosity. Either way, a crab brioche bun is “such stuff as dreams are made on” (yes, thank you very much Will Shakespeare). Soy and honey glazed for good measure. You are now dribbling just a little, I imagine.
I have included a screenshot of my ‘redacted’ sweary appreciation of the dish from the Beach House Instagram page.

Two desserts to fit in. The first announced as a pre-dessert. Many chefs avoid white chocolate. Here was an attempt to overcome its silky sickliness. A successful attempt.

***White chocolate, yuzu, black rice, nasturtium and oil***

Could we finish with final proof of a team on top of their game? Ah. Yes. Very much so.
Once more, I didn’t pay enough attention to pass on the exact nature of the creamy (custardy?) element of the strawberry tart. It, and the parchment-thin sweet pastry underpinned jiggling hits of fruit, citrus and acid from strawberries, lemon verbena and finger lime. I have to concede that the lemon verbena ice cream was quite the equal of my own homemade.

Just an aside. If you don’t already know The Plate Licked Clean (that’s his Insta link) I’d suggest popping over to his blog right away. The writing is always rich and the recommendations - and condemnations - ruthlessly reliable.
This piece of his makes particularly interesting reading as it reviews a younger Beach House in 2017 less than a year after opening. The iconic laverbread bread is already on show but the food has developed strongly into the dishes we ate.

The restaurant was obviously good then. I’d suggest that it has since improved at a much greater rate than is usual.

We passed on coffees, teas and digestifs but a chocolate caramel cup and an almond financier appeared as a sweet end to our visit. No gratuities are added to your bill. You will almost certainly be tempted to show your appreciation with even more than whatever your ‘usual’ might be.

We wandered out onto the verandah to take in the full sweep of Oxwich Bay which is chopped and sliced up from the interior by mirrors. The location is just as stunning as the restaurant. A friendly couple told us what attractions we had missed during our stay and encouraged us to use Wales as a tourist destination again.
When that happens Beach House will be first on our list for a repeat visit.

Huge thanks to a wonderfully accomplished team. You offer everything which is great about hospitality and delivered it from greeting right through to our rather wistful exit from the car park.

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tags / Hywel Griffith, Oxwich Bay, Swansea, Beach House, restaurant, restaurant review, Wales, tasting menu