The Manse
- Wed Aug 04 17:59:07 EST 2010
THE Manse ticks all the boxes, writes Simon Wilkinson. Last week, The Manse cleaned up big time at the state restaurant awards night, picking up the gongs for best fine diner, best restaurant and best chef.
Awards such as these are always subjective and don't necessarily compare apples with apples, or even pears, particularly when choosing the overall champ.
Whether The Manse is our best restaurant I'm not sure, but, judging by our dinner on a Saturday night, it is good, very good, a complete package of deftly balanced food and drinks, accompanied by near-flawless service.
From the first scrumptious scoop of finely chopped tuna, to the sweet little madeleines with coffee, we felt thoroughly spoilt. The story gets even better when you remember that the award-winning chef behind all this, the catalyst of an equally youthful team, is only 24.
But first, let's talk about that tuna, such a clever little "amuse" and a perfect introduction to what's coming. A little glass dish is filled with a fine tartare of the fish at the base, then a froth of celery, and a touch of bright green dill, like a little savoury trifle. But the really clever bit is the addition of fried pumpkin seeds for a lovely, nutty crunch among all that velvety luxury. It's all gone too quickly, in a few mouthfuls. I'd happily work my way through 10 or so of them.
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