Part of Hampton Manor’s one-two punch to become one of the UK’s leading food destinations, Smoke has ably filled the gap left behind by Peel’s since it closed in 2022. Headline act Grace & Savour is already establishing itself as worthy of star billing, but with MasterChef: The Professionals winner Stu Deeley in the kitchen, Smoke is plenty more than a warm up act.
On approach, the signs are very lively indeed. Even from the road outside there’s smoke, fat and caramelisation in the air, and in this sense, Smoke starts as it means to go on.
The restaurant was once Hampton Manor’s old furnace house, and it remains cosy and compact, with plenty of atmosphere spread between a few different spaces. A seat up at the counter is the place to see snacks and sweets flying out of the kitchen, but there’s also a beautiful rustic group table for convivial diners. Between the atmosphere and charming staff, Smoke feels like a proper restaurant.
The menu could be neatly surmised as ‘pretty much no messing about.’ Deeley does manage to slot in quite a few global influences alongside the all-important charcoal, but it never feels forced. A handful of plump, taut crab ravioli come in a healthy pool of XO sauce. Likewise, beautifully seared Orkney scallops are served with similarly generous green curry sauce, with the heat dialled back just enough to let the sweetness of the shellfish through. In fact, Smoke is generous with all the saucing and the portions - if you eat three courses here we’re sure you’ll leave well fed.
Guinea hens are rather lean birds and very easily overcooked, but this smoked one, served with broccoli, wild garlic and another superb jus, was well-judged - all the more impressive for cooking over coals. Across every aspect of the menu, service, and a well balanced wine list that values classics as well as some more adventurous bottles, Smoke is a cracking restaurant on all fronts.