Bybrook Restaurant at The Manor House

Bars, British, Hotel Bars, Modern European, Vegan, Vegetarian·
££££
·
Silver Award
·

SquareMeal Review of Bybrook Restaurant at The Manor House

Silver Award

The landed gentry had all the best spots to pick from in the old days, and this lovely medieval mansion has one of the most beautiful locations of all. Fast-forward a few hundred years and The Manor House is now an atmospheric hotel and Michelin-starred restaurant, complete with its own well-stocked kitchen garden – so head chef Rob Potter has impeccably fresh produce at his fingertips. He takes full advantage of this good fortune, melding home-grown pickings with livestock reared on-site to create a menu that celebrates the best of contemporary Anglo-European cooking: slow-cooked Manor House duck egg with duck ham, shimeji mushrooms, Wiltshire truffle and Parmesan salad; loin and breast of Downland lamb with provençal vegetables, crisp Ortiz anchovy, sheep’s curd, basil and jus gras; Caraibe chocolate ganache with cherries, feuillantine biscuit and Morello cherry sorbet. Alternatively, a proper Sunday lunch in the classic dining room, followed by a stroll around the grounds and Castle Combe village is as quintessentially English as we can imagine – real chocolate box stuff.

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - Over £80
Cuisines
Bars, British, Hotel Bars, Modern European, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ambience
Fine dining, Glamorous, Luxury, Quiet conversation, Romantic, Traditional, Unique, Widely spaced tables
Awards
One Michelin star
Food Occasions
Dinner, Lunch, Sunday roast
Alfresco And Views
Great views
Special Features
Dog friendly, Gluten-free options, Vegan options, Vegetarian options, Wheelchair access
Perfect for
Birthdays, Celebrations, Child friendly, Dates, Group dining [8+], Romantic, Special occasions

About

There are few restaurants that can claim to be situated in as beautiful of a location as Bybrook restaurant. Tucked away in the village of Castle Combe, that is a tourist destination purely for it’s quintessentially British feel, is The Manor House, where the restaurant calls home. The interior is homely with carpeted flooring, a cosy dining room feel, and stylish features such as exposed brick walls and large windows allowing light to flood through. But this is not a case of style over substance, as Bybrook has earned itself a Michelin star for its delicious seasonal dishes, which are enhanced by fine wines paired by an expert sommelier.
Ingredients come from a mixture of local suppliers and the kitchen garden where gardeners work hand in hand with head chef Rob Potter to create the menu. Using raised beds, poly tunnels and orchards, the team are able to grow a variety of vegetables, fruits, and even create a microclimate to germinate seedlings.
Able to cater to meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans alike, the Bybrook focuses on what’s in season, to get the most out of each ingredient. Guests are able to enjoy a tasting menu with six courses and an optional wine flight. Think dishes like laminated brioche with cultured butter, Cornish wild turbot with white asparagus, Petrossian caviar and seaweed butter, and Herdwick lamb, morel, wild garlic and kohlrabi. For those who like something a little sweeter, you can expect immaculately presented desserts that showcase the best British fruits on offer at the time. With executive chef Rob Potter at the helm, it comes as no surprise that this restaurant has been able to gain a Michelin star in 2017 and keep it ever since, as well as an admirable 3 AA rosettes. There are already plenty of reasons to head to this picturesque part of the country, but Bybrook restaurant may just be one of the best yet.


FAQs

Are there vegan options available?

Yes, there are menus for meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans

Helpful? 0

Is there a dress code?

There is no specific dress code, but smart casual is advised

Helpful? 0

Does the restaurant offer wine pairings?

Yes, there is an optional wine flight available

Helpful? 0

Does it have a Michelin star?

Yes, it has one Michelin star.

Helpful? 0

This venue also offers

Location

The Manor House, Castle Combe, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 7HR

01249 782206 01249 782206

Website

Opening Times

Sun 12.30pm-2pm Mon-Sun 6.30pm-9pm

Reviews

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2 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Wendy M

20 March 2014  
Food & Drink 3
Service 3
Atmosphere 2.5
Value 3
End of last year (2013) we tried this place again. Service was not great, in a room with a sterile atmosphere on a very quiet evening and the food was not that remarkable – unlucky twice? I don't know. One Sunday in early Feb (2009) we reached a beautiful country manor house in a scenic Wiltshire village made all the more so by the snowy conditions. A well preserved, generously proportioned interior of dark heavy wood panelling greeted us until we were taken through to a light contemporary styled spacious dining room where a pianist was playing at a grand in one corner. The tone seemed set for an enjoyable lunch with friends despite the piano (depending upon your perspective) a little intrusive for me, but one in our party liked it enough to buy the pianist a drink. Food could have been noteworthy except for : soggy bhaji in an otherwise very good spicy parsnip soup, disappointing fondant potato x 3 and a cool main of chicken with potato puree. 3 starters were completely demolished without comment. My main was served before the beef had been carved but I don’t know whether a hotter meal would have elevated it to impressive. My three co-diners relished most of their roast beef dishes. Desserts were faultless as were petit fours – divine Turkish delight not at all reminiscent of the disgusting stuff my gran used to buy. The wine list be-fitted such a venue and two bottles were effortlessly drained. Service whilst efficient was regimented to the extent that the waiting staff seemed afraid to smile. Had they appeared less stern then I am sure this would have lifted the occasion. Despite recent Michelin star attainment I don’t know that our experience matched up. Would I return? Yes if in the area, but I’d check first to see if the pianist was on duty.

Colin M

18 February 2010  
Food & Drink 5
Service 3.5
Atmosphere 3
Value 2.5
My girlfriend and I stayed over for Valentines weekend. The Manor House has an absolutely beautiful setting with the local village, Castle Coombe, regularly featuring as the prettiest in England. Can highly recomment staying and lovely walks in the surrounds. Anyhow, we dined at the restaurant last Sunday and enjoyed the Menu Gourmand, a five course feast, lasting a couple of hours. We both simply could not fault the food. The highlights being the game terrine (course 2) and the smoked salmon (course 3) which would cause me to return just to heat them both again. I have never been a huge fan of big multi-course meals but they at least allow the chef to demonstrate what he can do and boy did he do it. Certainly one meal I will recall for some time to come and rates up there with offerings enjoyed at Chez Bruce and The Berkeley over the past few months. Like the previous reviewer in hindsight I would have sent the pianist a drink and asked him to go and enjoy it in the bar whilst we ate. Service was OK but fell well short of what I would expect from a Michelin establishment – the staff seemed terrified and smile would have been pleasant. The dining room is big and lacks atmosphere but given this was Valentines maybe everybody was just focussing on whispering sweet nothings to their better halves. The bill nearly cused a heart attack and given that we did not really go nuts on the wine front left a bitter taste in the mouth. However in summary I would go back but only after bonus time!
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01249 782206 01249 782206

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