As I mentioned in my last post, as part of our lovely stay
at
Thornton Hall Hotel and Spa we were lucky enough to dine at
The Lawns * restaurant where we
enjoyed an amazing tasting menu from the wonderful chef Matt Worswick who is
aspiring to gain a Michelin Star here, having already held one when
only in the infancy of his career. His prowess for creating wonderful dishes
which marry exquisite flavour combinations is renowned. The Lawns Restaurant has
an impressive three AA Rosettes and we were warmly welcomed by the restaurant
manager James, who offered us a seat in the chic bar area whilst we
perused the menu prior to dinner.
We were immediately brought two glasses of
excellent brut champagne which was dry and crisp. Alongside the champagne
were perfectly presented canapés of Lavoche cracker, horseradish foam, pickled
pear and a dish of deliciously bitter marinated olives. We were so busy talking
that we didn't really look at the menu, but we were already fixed on the idea
of trying the tasting menu, since I had heard all about what a glittering
showcase the tasting menu is of Matt’s culinary expertise.
After our champagne
we were whisked to a huge table at the head of the restaurant, affording us a wonderful
view of the room. James explained to us that the amazing room was formerly a
ballroom of Thornton Hall and I could certainly imagine why. The stunning
Milanese chandeliers above lend a tremendous glamour against the backdrop of the
carved wood panelling and ceiling and the simply magnificent fireplace. Also
dominating the room was the cheese trolley which I had heard all about! I hadn't
even tasted the Amuse-Bouche yet I was already thinking of the cheese course. Typical! Before long we were presented with a delightful slate of three miniature
loaves of freshly baked bread served with exquisite Abernethy butter, churned
in the hills of County Down Ireland. The loaves were farmhouse, granary and onion
with onion seed. We broke them apart eagerly and they crumbled away without protest
in the way that only freshly baked bread can. This is what bread
should be like and it does wonders for
the soul as well as the taste buds when swathed in a generous chunk of
Abernethy butter!
The Amuse Bouche was an excellent artichoke ragout with
artichoke crisps, cep mushrooms and parmesan foam. This was a superb start to
the meal and the soft and slightly sweet flavour of the artichoke contrasted beautifully
with the rich parmesan foam. We ordered an excellent bottle of chilled
Chardonnay and as we sipped the sharp and dry wine, the stars twinkled in the
inky sky outside and the dining room began to fill with the contented chatter
of other diners who like us were eager to enjoy the superb food. The first
course looked and tasted perfect, a wild mushroom tortellini was filled with
crisp barley and the veal reduction and truffle oil it was accompanied by were sublimely
decadent. The pasta of the tortellini was the best I have ever tasted and it
simply melted in the mouth. The crispy barley meanwhile added a superb crunch of texture.
The artichoke Amuse-Bouche.
The next course was seared Scottish scallop with charred leek purée, maple glazed chicken wing and chicken 'crackling'. This was again genius as the tender and light scallop was offset by the mild onion like flavour of the leek and followed by the wonderfully sweet punch of the maple glazed chicken wing. The chicken crackling again added a wonderful texture.
Seared Scottish scallop.
Next we had an intermediate course of chicken and ham hock terrine, swede textures and cumin mayonnaise. This chilled terrine was a perfect counterbalance to the other dishes, it cleansed the palate and I loved the woody and nutty flavour of the swede against the terrine.
The chicken and ham terrine.
The second seafood dish was a perfectly cooked Red Mullet, Parmesan gnocchi, squid, basil oil, black olive purée and crumb. I do not know where to start with this as it was a revelation. The Red Mullet flaked perfectly on the fork, it takes a real skill to cook fish to such perfection and the Parmesan gnocchi and the sweet yet savoury basil oil really brought out the flavour of the fish. The slight bitterness of the black olive purée and crumb brought out the richness of the other flavours and the tender squid brought a wonderful texture to the dish .
Red Mullet with Parmesan Gnocchi.
It was time for the fifth course and
we were delighted to see the beautifully presented Rose Veal, confit potato,
onion purée and Morel mushrooms set before us atop the pristine white tablecloth.
The veal was cooked to succulent perfection and the confit potato and onion purée
added a lovely contrast which did not overwhelm the meat. The Morel mushrooms were rich and earthy in flavour
and they added a fairytale element to the dish with their honeycomb texture and
cone-like shape.
Rose Veal with confit potatoes.
What an incredible selection of
savoury courses we had enjoyed and it was time for a symphony of sweet to round
things off. The first of two desserts was pineapple cheesecake, sorbet &
roast pineapple with coconut gel. Just wow, this was everything a dessert
should be, the rich cheesecake was sweet but not overly so, with a beautiful
tang added by the roast pineapple and a tropical note from the delightful
coconut gel. A sorbet added lightness and refreshing qualities. Suddenly I was
on a desert island soaking up the sun on a white sand beach fringed with palm
trees. This was such an evocative dish, which immediately brought sunny shores
to the elegant and refined restaurant dining room. Bravo Matt, bravo.
Pineapple cheesecake with coconut gel.
The second dessert arrived, and I
thought it couldn't possibly equal the first, but how wrong can one be? An exquisite
soufflé of raspberry with elderflower sorbet and elderflower granola was a delight to the
senses. The use of elderflower in this dessert was a maverick and genius touch
which I had not encountered before which was simply wonderful. The soufflé was
pillow like, and within its lighter than air castle, delightfully tangy raspberries awaited. The harmony between the sharp raspberries and the sweet, heady and fragrant
elderflower was just divine and summer had suddenly arrived on this innocent little
plate. This was served with an excellent dessert wine, the sweetness of which drew out the purity of the elderflower sorbet.
Raspberry soufflé with elderflower sorbet and elderflower granola.
Instead of having cheese before
dessert, we saved the best until last and despite (pretend) howls of protest to
the lovely James that we were full, we acquiesced after a split second and
watched in awe as he talked us through each one (from memory!) of the vast selection
of cheese on offer.
We opted for Taupiniere, a sharp yet soft goat's cheese, mild and creamy Lancashire Bomb, Isle of Mull cheddar, mature Saint Maur goat's cheese and the more daring blue-veined Montbriac and the highly-prized Epoisses de Bourgogne which is made in the tiny village of Epoisses in France and beloved of cheese enthusiasts. Once a favourite of Napoleon, Epoisses is famed for its strong odour yet creamy taste, indeed it smells so strong that it has been banned from public transport in France! A selection of crispy crackers and nutty bread, truffle honey and various jellies complemented the cheese perfectly.
The amazing array of cheese, yet James new the description of each one off by heart!
Petit Fours.
After that there was even a further treat in store of wonderful handmade
petit fours, such as fudge made from the Irish butter and salted caramel truffles
That was it; we were
finally at an end of this lavish meal which in fact cannot simply be called a
meal as this does not do it justice. What we had was an
experience, one which I will never forget. This goes way beyond
simply eating, although the wondrous food was indeed the star of the show and
the finesse and execution of the dishes was a marvel. The excellent service and
vast knowledge of restaurant manager James and his team were a joy to
experience, as was the refined setting of the restaurant. Every detail was
perfect and each dish was simply a work of art. Thank you so much to Chef Matt
Worswick for allowing us to experience such a decadent culinary tour de force
and to James and the team for making our evening so special.
Thornton Hall Hotel and Spa
Neston Road
Thornton Hough
Wirral
CH631JF
0151 336 3938
What do you all think, would you like to experience the fine dining of Chef Matt Worswick at The Lawns? Remember I love to read your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post!
Until next time,
Camille
xo
*Disclaimer
I was kindly invited to review The Lawns restaurant therefore our meal was complimentary for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own and honest.
Reading The Times on the beach with a cup of coffee was perfect.
The lighthouse on Llanddwyn Island is so pretty.
