Askham Hall - Eden

I am so glad we found this restaurant. We were staying for three nights and enjoyed two meals courtesy of Chef Richard. The depth and balance of flavours was superb, the staff were wonderful and the venue is amazing. I could not recommend this place more highly and my wife and I will be returning as soon as we possibly can!

This is a Michelin star restaurant but didn't have Michelin star service. The food itself was very enjoyable, well cooked and well presented. The location was good, within the lovely building of Askham Hall. There was two large lounges for pre-dinner drinks and canapes, however if you where in the second one they seemed to forget about you. We arrived at 18:50 for dinner at 19:00 but didn't go through to the restaurant until 19:40. The starter came very quickly, just a shame it arrived before the wine. I asked for some bread to go with the beef tartare and was told he would bring immediately, however we gave up waiting! We opted to choose our own wines, from the very extensive selection, but apart from pouring one glass for tasting we had to pour the rest our self. After dinner my wife had coffee. I requested a glass of wine instead, but again gave up waiting. 10 minutes after we'd gone to bed we received a phone call in the room, which we ignored, presumable to tell us the wine was ready! Would I eat here again? No, simply due to the poor service.

A handbag, pair of glasses and a partially completed crossword sat abandoned before a roaring fire, which was more a scene from Agatha Christies Mousetrap than a location for fine dining. However, respect is due, as we are in Askham Hall where clearly only centuries of history can bring such charm. Our host was pleasant and offered aperitifs before leaving menus and what resembled a carpet sample book, masquerading as the wine list, academic however with wine pairing a given, but provided amusement whilst waiting for our drinks which were dilatory. Amuse bouche arrived with a respectable glass of champagne but a rather amateur tumbler of tonic with a hint of gin. The nibbles were satisfactory. First course was scallop and butternut squash three ways, which was tasty, particularly the fried squash offering good contrasting texture. Second course was a slighty visually dissapointing plate of salad which deceptivly delivered on a surprisingly whole host of excellent flavours. By now we had recognised that the lesser number of courses had been compensated with scale, as a large portion of North sea cod was swimming in a bowl of cream sauce depriving the oyster mushrooms centre stage and a suprisingly still crisp lettuce. The main course was pork but with half an inch of unrendered fat clinging to the side of a tough piece of meat warranting the provided steak knife wasnt pleasant, its accompaniment were not too pleased to be there either and this dish had let the chef down. We rounded off with two interesting and tasty desserts the latter served with an excellent deep red 1928 wine which finished off an excellent night of wine pairing, compliments to the sommelier. Overall whilst pleasant enough there was little to rave over, nothing worthy of photograph and lacked the modern vibe expected in todays fine dining market. The cost was high given we had the cheaper cuts of fish and meat made annoyingly worse by the addition of the water we had turned down on more than one occasion, but we enjoyed a night out.

A property has stood on this site since the 13th century, with much of the present building being built in the late 1580s. It came into the possession of the Earls of Lonsdale in the 1830s and was the home of the 7th Earl until his death in 2006. It remained in the ownership of his widow who oversaw its conversion to boutique hotel and restaurant. I mention the history only because the whole ambiance of the public space shouts it at you – from the heraldic symbols on the walls to the shabby (not “shabby chic” condition of the furnishings in the lounge. You would never be in any doubt that you were having dinner in a stately home., even though the restaurant space feels quite modern, with a large window between kitchen and dining room. That means you can watch the chefs at work when conversation flags (as it almost certainly will over the coming hours . Unsurprisingly for a Michelin starred restaurant, food is by way of a no choice, six course, tasting menu. Be prepared for this to take a good three hours, with aperitifs and coffee – there can be long gaps between courses. The three front of house staff were very much on the ball. In particular the young female sommelier, starting out on her career, was first rate – knowledgeable and engaging. There were a couple of single bit canapes, served with the aperitif but, to be honest, I can’t recall what they were. Once in the dining room, bread was served quickly. A housemade sourdough pain de campagne, with organic butter. It was delicious and not a crumb was left – not least because it was all we got to eat for quite a while. The first course may, possibly, have been the best thing I ate all evening. It was their take on lobster thermidor. Bits of lobster, soft leeks, dice of crisp apple, the freshness of lovage and a cheese topping using Montgomery cheddar. You might have thought that using such a mature cheese would overpower the more delicate flavours but it stayed just about on the right side. The restaurant makes a great play on the provenance of the food. Much of the fruit and vegetables come from their own kitchen garden and some of the meats from their own farm. So, the garden provided a salad – Nicola potatoes, served warm, pickled beetroot, baby carrots, confit tomatoes and leaves, with dots of sheep’s curd acting as a dressing. A fish course next. It’s halibut from a fish farm in Scotland – if ever you come across halibut on a menu these days, it’s pretty much guaranteed to come from the farm on the Isle of Gigha. It’s perfectly cooked and comes with oyster mushrooms, greens, fennel and a Morecambe Bay shrimp sauce. Then the only dish of the evening which failed to please us. Rough Fell lamb is breed native to Cumbria but, disappointingly, it was chewy and just not very nice – much of it was left. A real pity, as the accompaniments of tomato, courgette, crispy potato and tarragon flavoured sauce, were all spot on. We were asked how we found it and told them (that brought an apology and a subsequent adjustment to the bill . Pre-dessert was excellent. Sweet cicely and cucumber, with crème fraiche and the only real sweetness coming from shards of caramelised white chocolate. The dessert plate that followed was also not too sweet – berries, lemon verbena cream, a sharpness from elderflower vinegar, topped with a macaroon, with it all surrounded by a puddle of strawberry “soup”. We finished a long evening with coffee and good petit fours – chocolate bon-bon, pate de fruit (that’s posh jelly to you and me and a small cube of fudge.

Overpriced and undersized. Left hungry having paid an arm and a leg. Pretentious and a rip-off. Over £540 for meal for two that would not feed a hamster. All 6 dishes could fit on one smal side plate! Don't go if you want a proper meal! Size of wine pairing portions a joke- we paid £190 for glasses of wine that barely covered the bottom of the glass- like dregs!! Visit George and Dragon instead if you want a proper meal. NEVER AGAIN for a taster menu. Michelin should stick to tyres. Only saving grace, staff were friendly- but probably laughing all the way to the bank!