Restaurant Hywel Jones at Lucknam Park

Funny one, Lucknam Park. It's opulence all the way from the endless leafy drive to the swathes of ornate regalia within. Cripes, there’s even a helipad. And while I wasn’t about to pocket the family silver, I did panic as to whether I’d last without a hotline to Debrett’s. We spied prize steeds cantering around the grounds as we were greeted, and half expected to see Russell Brand romping past while bleating on about the 1%. There's no bar, so drinks are taken in the 'lounge' beneath the disapproving glare of aristocratic portraits. (I'll level with you; we were spooked, and thoroughly out-poshed). We knocked back disappointing cocktails while a small child – perhaps weaned on the tears of ‘the Help’ – paraded round the room and caused a nuisance. It was a peculiar environment. We were relieved to finally welcome amuse bouches by way of distraction, particularly as they were gorgeous. Not the most inventive, but clearly executed by a pro. The restaurant itself – a former ballroom – is no less flamboyant in style but the mood was disconcertingly hushed, making the wait for an aperitif awkward. Menus are only fleetingly available to make the most of the kitchen garden, so I won’t share a blow-by-blow account. Suffice to say that we visited at the height of game season, and I plumped for grouse: a perfectly-cooked bird that was intensely pigeony, pokey and iron-rich. (Turns out I don't like grouse - at all - but that's no reflection on Michelin-starred chef, Hywel Jones; the plate was a glorious assortment of hedgerow delights, with elements assembled to be visually stunning and - primarily – combine in the mouth very well indeed). Foie gras featured heavily (much to my tutting), while fish dishes were cooked with elegance and a lightness of touch. Unusually for my partner and I, dessert proved the winning course, with a combination of roast pear, nutty financier and sauternes ice cream causing a tussle for the last bite. When faced with the cheese trolley, we made haste for the pongiest goat's cheese. It had more than a whiff of the farmyard about it, but became downright sexy when drizzled with truffled honey. Our sommelier did a great job, recommending exquisite wine flights and treading an expert line between chattiness and discretion. In fact, all staff seemed eager to please with no sliminess or tip-baiting, but I couldn't describe service as slick, nor modern. Our flurry of waiters and waitresses were enormously amiable but fell short of five-star efficiency due to a handful of repeated requests and lengthy waits. I struggle to believe this boiled down to an overburdened kitchen as it remained eerily quiet, even for a Wednesday night. Perhaps it stems from the building's age and unwieldy layout, conceived long before clever dicks went all Grand Designs on every commercial space.  Our lasting impression? We found the mood rather staid and unnerving. Rather than being wowed by spectacle, the other-worldly pomp proved a distraction from the procession of outstanding cordon bleu cooking. If you’re at home rubbing shoulders with the blue blooded or have an inner Llewellyn-Bowen that revels in draped organza and finery, you’ll love it; if not, consider somewhere less stuffy for a splurge.

I ended up at Lucknam park after being whisked away for a surprise weekend. And i can honestly say that it is a fantastic place to spend a weekend or 24 hours. There is so much to fill your time with. But this post is a restaurant review of the Michelin Star restaurant within the house at Lucknam Park so i shall get started, We (two of us) sat down at 21:30 for dinner at the restaurant. First impressions were positive, the dining room is divided into two, a main bigger room and a small room. We were seated in the larger room which would have been my preference. The restaurant offers spacious dining with no two tables being near each other, one of my favourite things when dining. Our table was at the back near the wall and was neat;ly layed out. Upon being seated we were informed of the specials which immiedetly grabbed the attention of my partner who put his order in for that which was the beef with truffle jus. The menu offers a gourmand menu at about £90 and then a choice of either 2 or 3 courses at £70 or £80 (i think!) We were feeling not so hungry (being so late) so opted for a starter to share, a main course each and a dessert to share. For the starter we chose the scallops, my partner chose the beef special as a main and i opted for the venison. We made our choices and we were left to mull over the vast wine menu. Most of the wines started at at least £60. The somelier's assistant (!) came over and offered some suggestions but we stuck to our guns and went for the Pomerol which was on the somelier recommendation list. So glad we did as it was one of the nicest red wines i have had in a very long time. Absolutely delicious. The starter of scallops came with 3 scallops and was utterly devine. The mains arrived in good time after and every mouthful of both our dishes was savoured and met with 'mmm's. Both dishes were perfectly cooked and the pureed vegetables and jus' complimented each meat ideally. For dessert we glanced over the menu, and feeling pretty full we decided to share. The waiter recommended the babanana plate and due to his wonderful pitch we were sold. The somelier this time also offeed a recommendation of some sparkling english dessert wine. Thank goodness we listened as it was light, fruity and delicious. The highlight of the meal however was the dessert. It was incredible. By far the best dessert i have sampled. It consited of minature banana influenced desserts, a banana canalloni, moist and tasty banana cake, some salted caramel ice cream, banana popcorn and some toffee sauce. Incredible. I would have to say that my meal at Lucknam Park was one of the best i have had, every dish was full of flavour and beautifully presented. Would definitely recommend for special occasions.

It is disappointing to write a lukewarm review after making a special trip to visit Lucknam Park. The hotel and grounds were quite stunning and if the bedrooms and spa are to the same standard of the rooms we saw, this is most certainly a hotel worth staying in. Sadly, clothes do not make the man and the sense that something less than spectacular was about to be experienced came with the ‘amuse bouche’ of Parmesan crisps, nuts and tepid cheese balls. Hardly imaginative for a Michelin starred restaurant. We arrived slightly early so we enjoyed a couple of drinks and our order was taken in the Library Bar. The options were 3 courses £70 , 4 courses £80 and menu gourmand at £90. The menu gourmand didn’t really offer anything more exciting than the a la carte, so we agreed to all take 3 courses but with two starters and design our own. The recommendation offered as a main course was the ‘Suckling Pig’, apparently “Hywel’s signature dish” – so I went for it. Starter courses came and went without generating much comment from our table, the much lauded signature dish arrived and it was a slice of overcooked foie gras atop a rolled pork belly cooked served in a rich jus and small side of potato flavoured butter. There wasn't even any crackling to offer contrasting texture. I was bored of this dish within a few minutes and abandoned it. General consensus around the table was that ultimately the meal had been a bit of a let-down. Shame. The staff were very friendly and the service was good although I was surprised that the uneaten main course went completely unnoticed and probably just got scraped in the bin. Let's hope the inspectors weren't present…