Arriving for dinner, we are seated in the Great Hall where drinks are served accompanied by a paper cone filled with quirky little warm choux pastry cheese puffs. Just as I get comfy, our host approaches to escort us to our table in the restaurant. The room is tastefully decorated in muted tones, with immaculate white cloths adorning each table.
An ‘Amuse Bouche’ of Butternut squash Veloute with a delicate cumin foam is smooth and warming and the perfect prelude to our meal. My companion plumps for the pigeon with pickled pear, hazelnuts and its own parfait and ‘tea’ infusion whilst I choose the 24-hour slow cooked suckling pig with terrine, crackling, sausage roll and Piccalilli. Sneaking a mouthful of the pigeon, it is cooked to perfection and comes with dainty little mini brioche toasts for the velvety smooth pigeon parfait. The ‘tea’ is in fact a consommé and a delicious concentrate of the gamey rich flavour of the pigeon. My pork doesn’t disappoint either, a delicate little terrine layered with various tastes and textures of juicy suckling pig accompanied by barely recognisable, wafer thin slivers of crisp and crunchy pork crackling and the tiniest little sausage roll, all superb.
A middle course of a lightly battered and crisp frog’s leg on a bed of pea puree is served. A perfectly crisp coating surrounds succulent and sweet meat well matched with the puree it rests on. I choose the 40 day hung fillet of beef served with wild mushrooms, shallot puree and braised beef cheek for mains and my companion chooses John Dory with clams, spiced scallops and cauliflower and raisins. I am a tad worried about ‘too many ingredients’ on my companion’s main course, but stealing a few bites, it all works beautifully and actually makes for a very satisfying dish. Having always been more of a carnivore, as soon as I spy my beef, I know I have chosen the best dish. Perfectly cooked melt-in-the-mouth meat, very nearly provoked a ‘Harry-met-Sally’ moment of ecstasy. accompanied by a delicate and sweet puree of shallots and wonderfully aromatic and flavoursome wild mushrooms, this beef is the stuff of legends.
I opt for the Chocolate Soufflé and milk ice cream (which happens to be my favourite ice cream) and my companion goes for strawberry and custard with black olive and Pedro Ximenez sherry sponge. With my spoon, I puncture the delicate airy surface delving deep into the heart of the Soufflé and draw out what can only be described as a monstrous spoonful of the dessert and inhale it. I close my eyes, sit back and savour the moment, inviting the strangest look from my companion before managing to utter the words “Best… Soufflé… ever”. Dare I say it, it was even better than Pierre Koffmann’s infamous signature dessert of Pistachio Soufflé that I’d coincidentally eaten the previous night.