Wiltshire boasts a handful of Michelin-star rated restaurants and I was lucky enough to be able to pay a visit to one of them recently.
The Manor House Hotel in Castle Combe is also home to the highly-rated Bybrook which features the food of executive chef Robert Potter.
Before we get to the food it's worth pointing out that Castle Combe is considered one of the prettiest places in the UK, and The Manor House Hotel is a truly grand and lovely place.
Inside, the Bybrook is situated in a large dining room beset with clean, modern decoration, plenty of greenery and low-fi versions of pop songs gently playing in the background - it's an interesting and relaxing blend of old and new.
The menu on offer consisted of 12 different courses from appetisers to mains to desserts and cost £145. A further £90 would also get you the accompanying wine pairing.
The atmosphere is set straight away by the welcoming host and the hard-working team of staff. Everyone was friendly, attentive, knowledgeable about the food and extremely professional. In short, the service was faultless.
I particularly liked the simple table settings where each thing had its own specific and thought-out place with the highlight being a cutlery stacking rack where you could use whichever utensils you wanted, which would then be swiftly restocked if you were running low.
The overall menu consisted of a who's-who of food that would be considered opulent, with trout, grouse, lobster, cod and deer all on the menu, with caviar, goldleaf, truffle and more accompanying them.
First, there was a series of appetisers - a cheese dish and lamb croquette, followed by a trout, wasabi, oyster and roe combination that was a highlight of the meal for me.
Then a Brioche Feuilletee cleansed the palate, which was a fluffy and flaky cross between a brioche bun and a croissant.
What then followed was a culinary tour of flavours and textures as the Yorkshire grouse tortellini with truffle provided a delicate earthly taste ahead of a cod and lobster combo that matched the crunchiness of the lobster with the softness of the fish, which had been marooned in a rich champagne sauce.
The next dish was the deer which had so many different elements to it including sausage and pie, but all worked perfectly together to capture a meaty, autumnal feel.
That rounded up the mains, but before we moved onto the scheduled desserts, we opted for the additional dish of blue cheese and apple tart, which was another highlight as the strength of the cheese blended well with the sweetness of the pastry.
The final two courses were a fruity layered mango mouse and a tart and creamy chocolate, fig and blackberry combination which were both light, delicate and tasty.
This was all capped off with a coffee and three varying chocolates.
Each course appeared to be as good, if not better, than the one that preceded it and each one was carefully thought out to not only be delicious in its own right but to balance or contrast others.
By the end of the experience, I was thoroughly satisfied with all elements of my time at Bybrook, from the food, to the setting, to the service.
I'm fully aware that this kind of dining will not be for everyone for a number of reasons, but for those who place a value on the finer things in life and more importantly can afford them, it would not be a misstep to give Bybrook a chance to wow you as much as it wowed me.
It's doubtful I will ever eat a meal as good again in my lifetime.
Help support trusted local news
Sign up for a digital subscription now: https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/subscribe/
As a digital subscriber, you will get:
- Unlimited access to the Swindon Advertiser website
- Advert-light access
- Reader rewards
- Full access to our app
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel