Dinner at The Vicarage...

It is always a pleasure to take a trip to the countryside and I recently went to dine at The Vicarage*, a pretty Grade II listed country pub and hotel located in the area of Cranage, Cheshire. The interior design is warm and welcoming, with beams, fireplaces, vintage ephemera and antique furniture which combine to create a rustic charm in the bar and restaurant space. 

We took our seats at a spacious table next to the window, I sipped a glass of chilled Pinot Grigio as we soaked up the relaxing atmosphere. We enjoyed the bread selection with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to begin our meal, the bloomer bread is supplied by nearby bakery Mandevilles which was established in 1900, The Vicarage is a food focused destination and I appreciate their use of local and seasonal produce, with many ingredients sourced from Cheshire suppliers. 

My dining companion had the roasted tomato soup for his starter, which had a pleasantly tangy and springlike flavour which was a treat with the wedge of crusty bloomer bread. 

My starter of roasted celeriac soup with garlic, shaved celery and apple croute was well presented with delicate flavours and added sharpness from the apple. I loved the addition of the croute which brought in texture alongside the silky soup. 

For the main course, I selected the open lasagne of wild mushrooms, spinach, pine nuts and braised leeks in white truffle cream sauce. This dish was full of flavour, with the generous amounts of wild mushrooms tasting rich and woody against the fresh pasta and the truffle cream sauce while the leeks added a subtle and delicate element. 

My dining companion went for the steak night option, which offers a menu of several different steaks. He chose the 10oz ribeye with fat cut chips, onion rings, dressed watercress, confit tomato, mushroom and blue cheese butter. The steak was cooked to perfection to his preference of medium rare; the steaks served at The Vicarage are Welsh beef and it was tender and tasty. The accompaniments of crispy fat chips, golden onion rings and creamy blue cheese butter worked well with this classic and comforting steak dinner. 

For dessert, we were both drawn to the chocolate options and my dining companion went for the chocolate marquise with hazelnut brittle, white chocolate, raspberry and Oreo ice cream. This was a stunning dessert in terms of presentation and the flavours matched the appearance, with the slightly bitter chocolate marquise offset perfectly by the raspberry, white chocolate and the Oreo ice cream. 

I ordered the chocolate brownie with crushed honeycomb, chocolate sauce and honeycomb ice cream. The brownie was indulgent and the crushed honeycomb and honeycomb ice cream counterbalanced the chocolate. 

I would recommend The Vicarage for a delicious meal in tranquil surroundings, the service and food were equally good and it is clear that Executive Chef Steven Tuke has put a lot of thought in to menu development. The countryside setting makes this the perfect choice for a short break, which is ideal since they have recently launched six new luxury suites which have been individually designed with features such as king-sized beds, freestanding roll top baths and large walk in showers:

The Vicarage; Freehouse & Rooms, 

Knutsford Road, 

Cranage, 

CW4 8EF

01477 533393

http://www.thevicaragecheshire.com/

Do you like the idea of country inn with rooms and which of these dishes would you like to try? As always I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post. 

Until next time,

Camille 

xo

*I was invited to review The Vicarage, this meal was complimentary. Opinions expressed herein are my own and honest.