Lords of the Manor

We very much enjoyed Lords of the Manor as a hotel and highly recommend it as such in our hotel section. As a newly named one star restaurant however there are still some significant teething problems and the tendency to try and run before being able to walk.

As we have a taste for excess and had something to celebrate we decided to try the restaurant’s ten course tasting menu – something neither of us had ever attempted before. Not only were each of the ten courses different, but neither of us had the same dish at any point until we reached dessert. Frankly this would only have been impressive if each dish was an unqualified success and this was certainly not the case. We would have been quite content to have had the same ten dishes each. Part of the joy of a tasting menu is that you both taste the same thing and can compare your opinions. It is also a good way to avoid the depressing phenomenon of food envy when your partner’s meal looks better than your own.

Executive chef Matt Weedon certainly has what it takes – some of our dishes, like a triangular vegetable terrine and a delicious soup were spot on. However others were scrappy and had repetitive ingredients. Walnuts appeared in several courses until we were frankly sick of them. I had a simple rocket salad that was identical to something I had ordered through room service and which I could have easily made myself. This is not what we come to Michelin restaurants for.

On top of this the sommelier, whilst friendly, had few opinions about wine and didn’t have the courage of his convictions to steer our choices. He also left our pinot noir on a table in the middle of the restaurant and then disappeared so we were forced to eventually wave down another waitress in order to refill our glasses (and no-one even seemed to think this out of order, unlike at Lasserre where something similar nearly caused a heart attack).

This same sommelier lost my good opinion totally when it came to the cheese course. He asked if I liked strong cheeses, and when I replied with an emphatic “yes” he proceeded to serve me the blandest cheese plate I have ever encountered. My male partner on the other hand was given a stinky, strong cheese plate of the sort we both much prefer. Sexist cheese selections! Yet another restaurant first but not something I’m in a hurry to try again.

Our advice to this restaurant would be to tone it down. If they want to do a tasting menu make it 5 or 6 courses only and give every diner the same dish. Concentrate on innovation and creating unique flavour combinations beautifully presented and Lords of the Manor may retain its star. If we were judging on the night we ate there however, it would definitely have lost it. Go to the restaurant if you feel like it while you’re at the hotel – but stick to a la carte and don’t ask the sommelier for strong cheese if you’re a woman!