Daylesford does dinner (but breakfast might be better)
Daylesford wears its branded heart on its sleeve; like it and you can buy the t-shirt, hand cream and salt 'n' pepper shakers. Certainly its take on 'rustic barn chic' has fashioned a very attractive spot, although you may have a job finding the cafe at night. (We weren't the only ones scrambling about the shadowy grounds and later the darkened shop; weaving moth-like towards the illuminated loo sign in the distance. It's all very romantic, but needs a little more pragmatic signage and lighting).
Anyone afraid to see what they're about to eat should look away now, as posters of plucky animals cover the walls and broadcast Daylesford's commitment to all things organic and sustainable. Specifically, chickens are paraded with pride, which is interesting given the birds we sampled weren't the most succulent but were undoubtedly very flavoursome.
The rest of the meal was okay although feathery salad leaves proved annoying throughout, masking both the creamy purity of burrata and the sublime texture of steak tartare. Wood-fired potato wedges were wonderful with a dollop of salsa verde mayo, but tomatoes in late October? Not convinced. Panzanella looked glorious with its medley of ruby, cerise and green-veined fruits, but the flesh was fridge-cold and lacked the juiciness of a ripe summer tomato.
Puds weren't without fault. Chocolate nemesis was ludicrous (in a good way) but the honey posset - though glorious in terms of flavour - clearly hadn't set and needed the crunch of a biscuity crumb for balance. The waiter 'fessed up to the rogue pud (unprompted) and struck it from the bill, which then hovered around the £100 mark. Not so cheap for three courses and a couple of cocktails each, given the glitches.
This spot goes down a treat with horsey types and blow-ins from Daylesford's Chelsea outpost, but I'm guessing that brunch is what it does best. From our experience, it needs fine tuning as a dinner destination.