Most people might not know where Bailiffscourt Hotel and restaurant is, nor what would await them at the bottom of the winding driveway.  Neil Hopkins takes a look.

‘Wow’.  That’s an accurate record of my first impressions of Bailiffscourt Hotel. It’s definitely got an enormous ‘wow’ factor:  the ancient building dominates the landscape, its softened sandstone colouring coming alive in the dying light of day.  Set in acres of green open space – so quiet that you could believe that entire world has melted away – Bailiffscourt is an incredibly impressive building.

 

 

This impression continues once inside.  The historic building has been sympathetically adapted to the needs for modern day life, without losing any of the charm of the original fixtures and fittings.  It’s this respect for heritage that marks the hotel out as being something truly unique.

Our dining experience began even as we walked through the door, when we were greeted warmly and shown into one of the comfortable lounges to peruse the menu with a drink.  And what a menu…  It’s incredibly sophisticated, almost exotic at times and one can tell that a great deal of thought has gone into the selection of food – there is truly something for everyone.  One thing that I did notice and appreciate immediately is the fact that the head chef is credited on the menu – so often one goes out to eat and has no idea who’s behind the creations.  This provided an impressively personal touch.

Once we’d ordered, we enjoyed the amuse-bouche that had been laid before us while our table was being prepared.  There was never a hint that we’d be hurried through to the dining room, we were free to make our way there in our own time.

Once shown to our table and seated with a fine glass of wine in my partner’s case (I was driving so stuck to mineral water and fresh orange juice), the hors d’oeuvres were delivered in the form of an exquisite leek and potato soup.  Creamy and delicate, the soup had obviously been prepared from fresh ingredients – you just don’t get tastes like that from anything pre-prepared. 

And now for the really impressive bit.  As the soup was cleared away, out came the cutlery for the next course – and the appropriate cutlery was delivered to the correct person without the waitress having to ask us.  From the entire experience, this one simple aspect has stuck in my mind almost more than any other; I do not think that I have ever dined anywhere with such attention to detail.  It might be a small thing, but the fact that a soup spoon was placed by my plate and a knife and fork by my partner’s really impressed me.  I suspect that the Maitre d’ made a note on the order pad as to what each of us were wearing so that we could be identified at table…

I can thoroughly recommend the celeriac soup; once again creamy and light, bursting with flavour and just the hint of spice.  Accompanied by a range of delicious breads, this was the perfect forerunner to the main course.  My partner decided to give the Goat’s Cheese Crottin a shot – and what a choice that was.  Even though we both love Goat’s Cheese, nothing could have prepared us for the strong yet refined flavours of this baked cheese.  Presented beautifully on the plate, it was almost a shame to cut into it.  But cut in we did – and were rewarded with a slightly soft cheese gently sliding onto the plate, exciting the nose and palette with a rich aroma. 

Main courses consisted of an open lasagne with roasted vegetables and a crisp fried mushroom duxelle agnolotti pasta with rocket salad.  Once again, the chef had exceeded my expectations.  The open lasagne was not only a joy on the eye, but on the tongue as well.  The roasted vegetables peeked coyly from beneath their shredded pasta covering and were done to perfection, bathing in a subtle sauce that enhanced the inherent flavours of the fresh vegetables.

Equally, the fried agnolotti was delightful; light on the tongue and stomach, but uniquely satisfying at the same time.  It was served in the perfect portion as well – while we both could have eaten it over again, to do so would have been sheer gluttony and would have destroyed the delicacy of the dish.

As for dessert, caution was thrown to the wind.  Since my partner wasn’t driving, the lemon tart with gin and tonic sorbet was a definite.  Gin and tonic sorbet might sound like something that people may look twice at, but it melted on the tongue and, for something with the potential to be overly sweet, wasn’t.  I could also imagine the bubbles in the tonic bursting on my tongue as the sorbet melted.

My dessert of choice had to be the rich chocolate tart, with raspberries and raspberry sorbet.  Not one for the calorie conscious, the chocolate was rich and dark but perfectly balanced by the natural sharpness of the raspberry.  A perfect pairing, without a doubt.

Dining at the Bailiffscourt is an experience to be savoured in every way imaginable.  From the welcome we received to the impeccable service, I can’t remember ever dining somewhere with such a sense of style and effortless panache.  We were looked after to the highest of standards, the food was excellent and the ambience relaxed and refined.

For something truly special, there’s nowhere else in my mind to compare to the Bailiffscourt Hotel and Restaurant.

For more information or to make a reservation, contact the Bailiffscourt Hotel and Spa on 01903 723511.  You can also look at their website www.hshotels.co.uk