"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."
