A Seven Course Tasting Menu At Ye Olde Bell Hotel, Barnby Moor
Published On Sunday 3 Nov 2024 by Sticky Beak
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When you come back from a holiday abroad, it’s always a sad time, isn’t it? Imagine, then, my happiness as The Man Bird read out an invitation from Ye Olde Bell Hotel to visit the Restaurant 1650 at the Hotel and Spa at Barnby Moor to try the 7-course Tasting Menu.
We have visited this venue before, both to dine and to indulge in some seriously good RnR-time in the Spa, but there is a new Executive Chef in the kitchen at Restaurant 1650: one Mr. Terry Phillips. Having previously worked in illustrious positions such as cooking for Olympic athletes in London 2012 and at our ‘Shires very own Chatsworth House, this gent certainly knows his craft!
Having parked the jalopy in the ample car park, we got our kit together and headed inside. The first thing I loved was the beautiful decoration in the entrance; Pumpkins, Conkers and foliage were all arranged to create a colourful, seasonal display that delighted the senses. A very polite lady in reception greeted us and directed us through to the fine dining team, one of whom showed us to our table and got us sorted with some drinks whilst we hung our coats in the cloakroom.
Restaurant 1650 takes its name from the date the Hotel was established, originally as a coaching inn on the cobbled Great North Road. History buffs will be particularly thrilled to see that part of the original road is on display in the anteroom of the Gents lavatories; duty manager, Jamie, kindly escorted me to this area to see it; #closetgeek that I am!
Gorgeous oak panelling creates an elegant, relaxed ambience to the restaurant, aided by the dramatic, leaded windows that are dressed with black and gold drapes and co-ordinating pelmets. Each table is laid with black cloths and the white napkins are artfully fashioned into tuxedo-style ‘jackets’ – very sleek. A polished metal lamp decorates the table surface, providing a subtle, romantic glow by which to dine, and it also serves to showcase the gleaming cutlery and sparkling glassware laid out at each place. Overhead is a pair of marvellous chandeliers (you all know how obsessed I am with lights!) and diners can’t fail to notice the rather striking Art Deco-inspired bar at the centre of the dining area.
Once all the guests were seated, Jamie and Megan served the Canapes; those taking the wine flight (available for a £35pp supplement) sipped Serenello Rosé Prosecco as they tucked in to the Oyster with Guinness-braised Ox Cheek and Horseradish ‘Snow’, Beef Carpaccio and Pickled Strawberry, and Chicken Liver Parfait with Caramelised Peach on toasted Brioche. Originally, the Liver Parfait was listed as Foie Gras, but the French are withholding supplies of this currently…probably to inflate the price closer to Christmas – cynical, aren’t I? Watch this space, though! Anyhow, it demonstrated that Chef can think on his feet and still deliver a top-quality alternative at [very] short notice.
Presentation-wise, every single course was astounding but the trio of Canapes were particularly wonderful. The Oyster (of which I got His Nibs’, too) was served in its shell, its ozonic tang waltzing perfectly with the richer taste of the Ox Cheek; the Beef Carpaccio was presented in a white spoon, and the balance between the meat and fruit was sublime; perched upon a lightly crisped square of buttery Brioche was an intensely rich sliver of Chicken Liver Parfait, served with beautifully soft, sweet Peach and a shoot of Anise-tasting Tarragon. This was a marvellous introduction to the rest of the menu, and we were eager to see what came next.
Nestled on an eye-catching plate was the Beetroot & Gin-Cured Salmon Gravlax, with textures of Cucumber; looking beautiful, we hoped that it would taste just as good. The first mouthful confirmed that, yes, it had substance as well as style. Both slices of Salmon had a deeper blush of pink at their edge, the Beetroot leaving its kiss on the rose-pink flesh, though not its earthy flavour; this was left for the deep-coloured gel to impart on the palate. Silky on the tongue, due to its Omega-3 oil content, the Salmon was comfortingly soft in texture, contrasted by the crunchy Cucumber rolls that decorated the plate. Dots of pastel-toned Cucumber gel were interspersed by darker Beetroot ones, making this a dish that delivered on both the visual and taste fronts.
The second course was braised Pork Belly and Cheek, with textures of Carrot, Ginger and Coriander. Impossibly soft cheek meat immediately captured my palates’ attention with its flavour, which was deeper than the creamier nature of the Belly cut. I loved that Chef had sliced the crackling and put shards of it as decoration around the plate, along with [remarkably pungent!] crystalised Ginger micro-cubes, leaving the softer layer of it to be savoured with the Pork. Carrot was served as purée, as well as fresh ribbons that had been filled with tangy Crème Fraiche; both forms were lovely and bursting with taste. Personally, I would’ve liked the Coriander to be more prominent in this dish, perhaps as a gel or dots of infused-oil; it only featured as garnishing fronds in its fresh form, and its distinct perfume deserves to be appreciated more.
As a palate cleanser, Chef served up Champagne and Elderflower Sorbet and this was delicately presented in a small duck egg-blue and soft caramel toned, almost oval-shaped, bowl. The sorbet itself was a treasure: both the Champagne and Elderflower came through clearly on the palate, no mean feat when dealing with a pair of subtle elements. Balancing on top, almost like a crown, was a dark chocolate covered, fresh Mint leaf – how fab is that?! My one top tip here is to eat the Mint after the sorbet (not halfway through, as His Nibs did), otherwise the herb dominates everything else and the sorbet is lost.
Getting back to the serious dishes, next up was the Roast Duck Breast, Confit Leg Croquettes, Braised Sweetheart Cabbage and Cherries. If comfort food is your Kryptonite, then look no further than the Croquettes! These minxes were mesmerisingly soft and tasty inside, surrounded by a superbly crunchy, golden outer; honestly, these morsels had it all. The duck breasts’ skin was gently crisped, the flesh nicely pink but cooked thoroughly through. As a richer game-meat, the duck needs a more confident partner and the Cherries and jus stepped up admirably. A sweetheart cabbage had been quartered and the outermost of its pastel green leaves charred slightly, resulting in a nicely crunchy vegetable with a sweet-yet-smoky flavour.
Having now concluded the savoury part of the tasting menu, it was time to explore something sweet: enter the Trio of Apple. Made up of an Apple Crumble Tart, Apple Shot, and Apple and Calvados Crème Brulée, Chef and his team had really pushed the boat out for the penultimate course; as far as dessert courses go, this was an absolute pearler.
The pastry on the tart was just sublime: rich and buttery, it melted instantly in the mouth and its sweetness balanced the spiced apple filling perfectly. A tiny sphere of Ice cream was slowly melting against the warm, gently textural crumble, forming seductive streams of dairy yumminess. The other two offerings were cool, temperature-wise, so there was a contrast for the senses to appreciate, and the difference in the sweet-to-sharp scale between each dessert was carefully thought out, too. A thick crust of brulee’d sugar soon got its botty spanked with our spoons, making both of us smile as that delightful ‘thwack’ resounded across our table. Underneath the velvety crème, a layer of Apple compote hid shyly, waiting to be discovered and savoured; a nice surprise, Chef. The Apple shot, aptly served in a tiny glass, was the tartest element of this course – not that its pale, silky body gave any hint of this. His Nibs and I both loved how this mighty trio had travelled through the textures, temperatures and tastes of the orchard fruit; utterly marvellous.
Sadly, the evening was rapidly coming to a close and Jamie served us with black coffee to accompany the alluring, handmade Truffles that came on a small white plate. Not that we needed asking twice, but the tempting delights were: Amaretto and Pistachio-, Coconut and Dark Chocolate-, and Coffee Mocha- Truffles. Each one slowly morphed from its solid state into a semi-liquified, cocoa-laden beauty with the warmth of our mouths, and lazed on the tongue for a while.
Throughout the evening, Jamie and Megan did a sterling job of looking after us (helped by Holly, as needed) and we felt totally spoiled. Everything had been done with a smile and the service was timely and professional. Clearly, Chef was a very busy chap, so we asked that our thanks and compliments be passed on to him and his team in the kitchen.
The Restaurant 1650 Tasting Menu is available on Thursday and Friday evenings from 6.30pm and costs £65 per person, with the accompanying wine flight at an extra cost of £35pp. Booking is essential for these evenings, and it should be noted that there is a Vegetarian version of this 7-course extravaganza for those who don’t eat meat. To book a place, call 01777 705121.
Hot Wings very happily awarded to Ye Olde Bell Hotels’ Restaurant 1650.
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