The Signature Menu At The Three Rosette Gallery Restaurant In The Cavendish Hotel, Baslow
Published On Sunday 13 Apr 2025 by Sticky Beak
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Sometimes an invitation comes in that just makes your heart flutter with anticipation, and I could feel my little ticker quivering with excitement as I accepted the kind offer to enjoy the 7-course Signature Menu, priced at £79 per person, in the 3 AA-rosetted Gallery Restaurant at The Cavendish Hotel in Baslow. Over the years, The Man and I have had the pleasure of many different dining experiences at this marvellous venue, so we were thrilled to be returning on a gloriously sunny, mid-spring evening.
As always, we were greeted warmly at reception and shown through to the gorgeous Gallery restaurant. If you’ve never been here before, all I can say is that it epitomises quintessential English refinement and elegance, so be prepared for your senses to be dazzled in a restaurant that manages to be spacious yet cosy and welcoming, all at once. The duck egg blue on the wall provided a serene foundation on which the other decorative tones could build and I loved how, in the waning light of the evening, it transformed from a cool influence into a much more cocooning one. A rich, warm burgundy had been chosen to furnish the free-standing chairs, the other sofa/love-seats being upholstered in a [very swanky] tonal blue floral fabric. Dark wood flooring reflected the warm hue of the wall lights, and down-lit paintings adorned the walls; as I said, very classic and timelessly stylish.
Now that the Garden Room has had an overhaul and extension, the Cavendish Hotel finds itself able to offer quality a la carte dining there, allowing the Chef team to offer the 3 AA Rosette standard (did I mention that??!), Signature Menu exclusively in the Gallery Restaurant. Clearly, eating 2 or 3 courses is going to differ, time-wise, from indulging in a 7 course [optional eighth, Cheese course, available for a supplement] feast, which is why, in the Gallery setting, the table is yours for the entire evening.
One thing I have always admired about the Chatsworth estate is its insistence that, whilst things must have [stunning] form, they must also have [practical] function, and this was admirably demonstrated in its ingenious answer to the multitude of cutlery items necessary for a menu of this type. Rather than space being taken over by a plethora of knives, forks and spoons, the metalware was neatly housed in a circular ‘coaster’, with carved slots for each type of cutlery. The implements had all been stacked in the order they would be needed, apart from the butter knife which was precisely placed on the side plate in readiness for use with one of the ‘snacks’.
Before we began our banqueting, though, there was the matter of wines to attend to. An optional wine flight (£50 per person) was on offer with the Signature Menu, but His Nibs was driving and I don’t enjoy drinking solo, so we opted for a bottle of wine instead (we could bring the remainder home with us). This is another area where the quality of Chatsworth venues shines: their sommeliers. The Man and I had made the decision that we were going to go for opposing dishes on each of the and/or courses (of which there are 3 on this menu), in order to cover as much as possible for you lovely readers, which then made the choice of complimentary wine so much harder – and we’re far from being connoisseurs! Enter the lovely Adam (looking very smart in his crisp white shirt and blazer uniform) and his extensive knowledge of wines. After a bit of discussion of the dishes we were ordering, he sorted us out with a red wine: Quinto do Crasto from the Douro region of Portugal, £42.95; one of the choices on the wine flight, too, as it happens. I should also mention that table water had been offered as soon as we were comfortably seated.
Soon, it was time for snacks to be served, beautifully done by [the very polite and pristinely groomed] Phoebe. On catwalk-worthy crockery were Lobster Crumpet, Cauliflower Velouté with Brown Butter and Roasted Yeast, and homemade Chive and Shallot Brioche served with a duo of butters: Salted, and Herbed. Faced with a trio of temptation, we paused; momentarily undecided which morsel to tuck into first; what a delightful problem to have, eh?
I broke the impasse with a swift reach for the inverted, double Cloche-type vessel that housed the Cauliflower Velouté. Delicate in colour, there was a clear theme running through the various elements: nutty. The vegetable itself was sweet and nutty, the brown butter more insistent and richer, and the roasted yeast bringing a savoury umami slant alongside its nuttiness. Both of us cooed in delight at the sheer airiness of this dish as the miniscule bubbles evaporated on our tongues, releasing their superb flavour.
Crumpets have that wonderful comforting character, and the ones here were perfect in that regard, and even better topped with the pastel-toned Lobster and Herb mixture that lingered gently in the mouth. Where the velouté had been surprisingly bold, the Lobster was altogether more reserved – though equally remarkable in its daintiness.
Head Chef Joe Bains had thoughtfully baked the Brioche loaf with a pre-fashioned quarter indent in, so that cutting into it was a doddle. The loaf was absolutely delicious, with a beautifully light texture, and notes from the Allium family waltzed on the tongue, gently seducing the palate as the butters melted in the warmth. Strikingly verdant, the Herb butter was confident and clean in the mouth, matched by the tang of its salted cousin. Well, if these minxes were regarded by executive Chef Adam Harper and his team as mere ‘snacks’, then the rest of the menu was really going to be something incredible!
The next course was a choice between poached Skrei Cod or Chatsworth Venison Tartare, but obviously both options were served to us and we agreed to eat half and then pass the plate over – see, we can play nice [very] occasionally! Skrei Cod (pronounced Sk-Rey, and literally meaning ‘to migrate’)) is a migratory species of Norwegian Cod prized for its lean, firm, delicate flesh, and crikey it tasted wonderful and had been cooked to millisecond perfection. Honestly, this was beyond soft and velvety and unlike any sensation I’ve ever experienced with fish; possibly the closest contender would be Black Cod. Even The Man was dumb-struck by its extraordinariness - if you don’t normally eat fish, this may well convert you to be a member of the piscine appreciation society. In complete contrast to the Cod’s softness were the julienned julienned (yes, they were THAT fine) crispy Potato shreds that decorated the dish, and these had a lovely, gentle taste that complemented the fish. Blue Meat Radish had been chosen for its mild, sweet flavour that has a touch of spiciness to lift any dish it’s in and a type of Borage, Oyster Leaf, had been included as it added a decorative touch as well as its distinctive Oyster taste that would partner the Skrei Cod beautifully.
Nice and coarse texturally, in the classic style, the soft-to-the-bite Venison had been mixed with impossibly finely chopped Capers and Gherkins so the palate was treated to a symphony of musky game, sharp and savoury notes. Dainty, whole Mushrooms had been pickled, and their characteristic earthiness was lifted with a zing from the pickling solution, bringing another layer of taste to the dish. As if this wasn’t enough sensory stimulation, Chef had produced a Cocoa-nib Tuile whose intensity was breath-taking; what a tremendous pairing this was, and one that we both took a minute to savour.
Our third course was Moss Valley Pork Cheek, served with a Pork Broth and Celery Chutney. The cheek was that tender it was falling apart with the mere threat of the knife, and it had a gorgeous ‘Rouge Noir’ [fans of the iconic Chanel lipstick will get this] centre that was beautifully tonal with the browned outer. When Phoebe had said that there was crackling in this dish, I’d anticipated a piece of it on the side; but, no. What transpired to be the crackling were tiny pieces of rendered fat that resembled Rice Crispies; pork fat channelling the 90s supermodel waif vibe; what next?! Though it was small, the flavour was mighty…and wickedly crisp. Now, if you’re like me, Celery doesn’t really conjure up much excitement, if we’re going to be totally honest here. Chef had chopped the vegetable super-finely and pierced it with Mustard Seeds for a smattering of razzle-dazzle and, by golly, it was a tasty injection of genius. Who knew Celery could be so damn sexy? Not me, that’s for sure!
Another thing I didn’t know, was that His Nibs would eat Smoked Eel, albeit in a sauce rather than in its natural state; yet here he was, scooping up the unctuous Eel, Creme Fraiche and Pickled Cucumber liquid and smiling as he did so. The rose-pink fillet of Chalk Stream Trout, topped with Tempura Nori and Dill fronds, sat regally in a lake of the sauce, and the two polar-opposite elements of this dish married together absolutely seamlessly. I also liked the artistic touch of the pickled Cucumber rounds’ cool temperature within the warm sauce: very clever.
Whilst we’d been indulging in this dazzling array of food, Paul and Adam had silently been topping up our wine and water glasses, making sure that all we had to do was immerse ourselves in the mesmerising feast. Phoebe returned, this time bearing Chatsworth Beef Fillet and Creedy Carver Duck dishes.
The Duck Breast was that stunning pink tone, contrasting vividly against the dark, seared skin that had been scored in an attractive diamond pattern. Kohlrabi and Pak Choi were the vegetable partners and both were nicely crunchy; where the Pak Choi was sweet and grassy, the Kohlrabi was lightly peppery and this toned in with the bolder Szechuan spiced sauce. Before you gasp that there may have been too much spice, let me reassure you that it was assuaged by the sweetness of Chatsworth honey.
His Nibs has had Chatsworth Beef before and has always remarked on its marvellous depth of flavour and incredibly tender flesh. I’m pleased to say that, yet again, this was the case, and The Man’s palate rejoiced as those flavoursome fibres hit them. A halved Roscoff Onion had been seared on its outer, which served to intensify the inherent sweetness that this particular variety of pink Onion is prized for. Keeping up the flag-flying for Onions was crunchy, charred Spring onion, and they added a delightful pop of verdancy on the plate. The undoubted star of the show, though, was the Vanilla and Peppercorn Sauce that had been drizzled around the fillet. Never before has a sauce brought me to silent reverence, but this beauty did! A fragrant softness was at the forefront, hitting the palate first with its Vanilla persuasion, and a few seconds later the punch from the peppercorn hit me. This was a sublime balance that would have had medieval alchemists weeping at its magic and artistry; bravo, Chef.
At this point in the evening, our senses were reeling, so we were jolly glad to have a palate reset/cleanse in the form of the Grapefruit, Thai Basil and Lychee pre-dessert course. The pastel Panna Cotta formed the base layer, topped with Sorbet and decorated with micro herbs and the elements worked in tandem to provide a twirling fantasy of tastes, temperatures and textures that did an expert job of refreshing our mouths.
Chocolate Marquise and Forced Yorkshire Rhubarb were the linchpins of the duo of desserts offered on this Signature Menu. A slice of decadently rich Chocolate Marquise was adorned with pale gold pieces of Miso Caramel, tiny segments of Blood Orange, cubes of an impossibly rich Guiness Cake and the most intoxicating Coffee Ice Cream you could imagine. Shades of Caramel and brown made this a visual delight, matched by the flavours that ebbed and flowed between intensely sweet and citrussy sharp. This was the only course that we largely stuck to our usual biases: him, Chocolate; me, Rhubarb.
Oh, the Rhubarb! If you don’t already know, I have been stanning/fan-girling/obsessing over Rhubarb since probably forever. I’ll eat it raw, straight from the garden, cooked, hot, cold, frozen; basically, in any edible form! I’m just going to say that if you sit on the Rhubarb appreciation fence, this dessert will tip you over into the fan club. Sharp and clear, yet alluringly fragrant, the Rhubarb was augmented perfectly by two spices: Cardamom in the airy Mousseline, and Ginger in the tiny cubes of cake and partnering the fruit in a compote. Over my lifetime [so far], I’ve had literally hundreds of puddings and desserts, but this may possibly be my favourite Rhubarb one. Magnificent is all the description I have.
There was just one more trick that Adam had up his sleeve for us; whilst I finished my glass of wine and His Nibs had a black coffee, Adam came over with some Orange and Sea Salt Fudge for us that Chef had made. What a thoughtful surprise, and a most delicious one, to boot. You could smell the Orange as you picked it up, even before it got anywhere near our mouths and its silky richness melted on the tongue almost immediately.
Throughout the evening, we had wanted for nothing; Adam, Paul and Phoebe did an absolutely top-notch job of ensuring that we never needed to ask for anything, it was offered before we opened our mouths. Each course was described in detail and any questions answered with a smile, despite them having probably been asked scores of times previously by others. Hot Wings very happily awarded again to the team at The Cavendish Hotel, and certainly given for the Signature Menu!
You can choose to experience this as a guest of the hotel or as a ‘walk-in’ (obviously one who has booked a table though!). To make a reservation, telephone 01246 582311 or visit the website www.cavendishhotelbaslow.co.uk and hit the ‘book now’ button and select ‘restaurant’. You can scroll through the website and view all the different menus available in both restaurants, as well as see the provenance of the food you’ll be eating on the list of suppliers.
The Cavendish Hotel reopened its doors in July 2024, following a total refurbishment by renowned interior designer, Nicola Harding, in close partnership with Laura Burlington.
Since then, the pristine hotel has been named ‘The Times and The Sunday Times Best Place to Stay in the UK’ 2025 and the ‘Best Place to Stay for the Central Region’, with a focus on the essentials of comfort, great service and value, as well as personality and warmth. The Cavendish, the guide says is, “an impressive top-to-toe refurb has added extra sparkle to this arty escape in the Derbyshire Dales”. The judges particularly praised its 28 impressive bedrooms, its cosy bar and elegant dining room, its sensational food, and striking Peak District views.
In addition, the hotel was crowned ‘Best Hotel’ by Visit Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby Awards. as well as securing the ‘Taste’ Award for the region with the Garden Room restaurant at The Cavendish. This means that the hotel will now go on to represent the region at the prestigious, Visit England Awards of Excellence, shortlisted for the ‘Taste of England’ Award. So it has been an incredible year so far for this warm and welcoming property.
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