Report July 2008

Booking.
It took us three attempts to book a table- obviously not a problem for you, and it is good to know the restaurant is busy. When we could find a slot, the process was easy and friendly.

Arrival.
We were greeted and the host made a special effort to get us a corner table in the centre dining room. The greeting was warm without being obsequious. The table was very comfortable and we were seated in less than a minute.

Service.
The primary waiter was very cordial and approached us immediately. The service overall was efficient, without seeming rushed. We particularly appreciated the fine balance between 'formal' and 'relaxed'. We're both people who hate it when a flurry of staff are constantly refolding your napery or worse, putting it in your lap to begin with - just too familiar. Again, the waiting staff were attentive without being intrusive.

Food.
We both started with the wild mushroom soup, which was superb; great depth of flavour, nice hint of sherry and seriously one of the best mushroom soups I have ever had. P then had the lobster and asparagus salad which was very good but needed something beyond a bit of cress to make it memorable. There was no discernable dressing or seasoning, but I'm not certain there was supposed to be one.

I had the lamb shank - which really melted in the mouth, and was quite wonderful. I was less convinced by the butter beans, which were depressingly like butter beans. The mashed potato had, I suspect been mechanically mashed, and had that rather gloopy consistency which comes from that method. Overall, though it was excellent.

P had the chocolate mousse which was just above average. The orange sorbet couldn't compete with the density of the baked mousse and the nut-syrup-biscuit thing was a disaster - the confectionary equivalent of Tarmac. My apple and blackberry crumble was particularly beautifully presented, and was traditional and lovely; the fruit had texture and taste.

We had a bottle of the Merlot; it was very, very good.

The Complaint
We specifically asked for tap water as we are very much anti bottled water when there is an option. When the waiter brought a bottle of still mineral water we decided not to make a fuss but, out of curiosity, consulted the menu to see the price. It's not listed on the menu.

Toilets.
Clean and nice, with just a little waste paper on the floor of the gents.

Other Diners.
Everyone seemed to be having as nice a time as we were, and everyone seemed to be receiving excellent attention. Overall, it was a lovely dining experience. The room, tables and demeanour of the staff are impleccable, the food superb, the atmosphere lovely.