Partridge
Spring

Spring

Somerset House, New Wing Lancaster Place London, WC2R 1LA, WC2E 7EN, United Kingdom

Italian • British • Vegetarian • Contemporary


"The space is really lovely. While we waited for some of our party to arrive, we sat in the tree lined atrium, which has a sky light and beautiful tactile plasterwork resembling leaf veins. The main room is also light and airy, with charming installations of drifting porcelain leaves along the walls. We came for lunch, and I imagine both rooms to be at their most attractive during daylight hours. While waiting with drinks we were served good olives and outstanding smoked almonds sprinkled with fried rosemary and coarse salt. I started with gnudi with spinach and sage butter. Nice simple sauce of lemon and butter, but I would have preferred the sage to be a little more fried so that it lost a little more astringency. Buttery sauteed spinach was delicious. My main was panfried sea bream with turnip greens, jerusalem artichokes with a garnish of cooked tomato and olive salsa. The fish was perfectly cooked with a crispy skin. The sweet sauteed jerusalem artichokes were my favourite part of the dish. Lunch was pleasant, and all the cooking was very well executed. However, besides the smoked almonds at the bar, nothing about my food was particularly exciting. Perhaps I am starting to suffer from a jaded palate. Service was knowledgeable and gracious. Although we did sense a touch of disdain when some of us ordered downmarket limoncello at the end of our meal instead of dessert."

Bybrook

Bybrook

Castle Combe SN14 7HR, SN14 7HQ, Chippenham, United Kingdom

Drinks • British • Fast Food • Modern Brits


"The seven course taster menu, eight courses including the Chef’s amuse bouche, is understandably a hefty £110 a head and with drinks no change out of £300 for two. Honestly, and as a treat, worth every penny. We started with a couple of on-point cocktails in the sumptuous Gin bar, a perfect Lemon (cello) Sherbert and Amaretto Sour before we were guided through to the main event. The restaurant itself is a delight and easily copes with it’s well spaced out 50 to 60 covers. Staff to customer ratios are high and service was excellent. No expense has been spared on the décor which balances top end, fine dining with casual informality. No need for unnecessary clinical, razor ironed white linen, silly cloches and suppressed whispering; this place was full to the rafters with elegant ease creating a confident and convivial hub. Being a nosy git I was intrigued by the crockery (I know sad) but truthfully the most tactile and design triumph plates and bowls I have ever eaten off. Sourced by JL Coquet in Limoges, France, my mate Google informed that each piece was a mere £100 plus a piece. Little wonder the waiting staff were clinging on for dear life otherwise could be an expensive slip. I had the full monte (fish and meat) menu whilst the blonde had veggie options as she isn’t a fan of anything fishy. Each course was a Tate Gallery artistic joy and has us both bereft of superlatives which extended our wonderment and appreciation through to the “proof of the pudding” the taste. There’s no way I’m going to cover all eight courses but they all ranged from very good to excellent to out of this world. Suffice to say my stand outs were the Chalk stream trout with oyster, wasabi and roe; Peterhead Cod with coastal herbs and sea weed butter and Coconut with mango, passion fruit and kaffir lime. She particularly enjoyed the laminated (sic) Brioche with cultured butter and Kohlrabi, celeriac and Wiltshire truffle. Look the bottom line is that these dishes are not for the unadventurous nor the faint hearted and nor are they for anyone who places high perceived value on quantity. That’s why Britain has Harvesters and Wetherspoons. A couple of pre-dinner cocktails, two eight course taster meals, a bottle of Italian Pinot Grigio and a bottle of still water all came in at £333 including 12.5. service."