Beaujolais Nouveau: The Ox Meets The Grape Escape Cheltenham

Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé!

Beaujolais Nouveau Day is something I look forward to every year (as if I don't celebrate wine enough on a weekly basis). It always falls on the third Thursday of November, where traditionally Beaujolais winemakers would race to Paris carrying the first bottles of the new vintage, releasing it at 12:01am just weeks after the grapes have been harvested and crushed. The sprightly cherry red Gamay, that's often served chilled, is still celebrated in this way with nouveau parties going on until the wee hours of the morning - hooray for wine!

This year, albeit a few days late, we marked the 2016 vintage with a very special evening of fine food and wine with two of the best independents in town; The Ox restaurant and The Grape Escape wine bar.

Ant and Zoe from The Grape had picked a selection of the best Beaujolais' - one nouveau, one white, one rose, and three other reds - whilst Head Chef Piotr pieced together a five course menu to accompany the wines. Not the usual way you'd do food pairings but hey, this is wine day!

As the thirsty folk of Cheltenham arrived at The Ox on Cambray Place, arrival drinks sure were flowing; Domaine de Grandmont Beaujolais Villages Nouveau 2016. Apparently earlier in the year, things weren't looking so rosy for the growers in Beaujolais. A damp, grey May was followed by an unseasonably colder June, and finished with a devastating hailstorm that laid waste to numerous vineyards in Fleurie, Chiroubles and Morgon. However, the late flowering and a warm and sunny July and August, turned everything around and resulted in excellent ripeness.

This years wine is fresh, clean and precise, with adolescent flavours of bubblegum and blueberries lurking behind the initial black fruitiness. A good year after all, and it's bonkers to think that the grapes for this wine were only picked on September 20th!

We sat on long communal tables - in true celebration style - and out came our first course of the night; Game & pistachio terrine, chutney and pickles paired with the beautiful Jean-Paul Thévenet Morgon 'Tradition Le Clachet' 2015.

Made from 75 year old vines that are cultivated organically, this wine has been fermented au naturel with naturally occurring yeasts and without the addition of sulphur. It's aged in used oak barrels (which are from the more famous Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) for 6 - 8 months, giving it a wonderful flavour. It has crunchy ripe red berry fruit, cherries, herbs and spice. Definitely my favourite wine of the night, and the terrine - made with venison, chicken livers, partridge and pigeon - was a cracking match too. The red fruits lifted the gaminess, whilst the charred sourdough and the earthy beetroot and tomato chutney played with the spice.

Next we ventured to a more unusual Beaujolais - a white! Only 1% of the wines made in the region are white, and this one was a winner; Chateau Thivin Beaujolais Villages Blanc 'Cuvée Marguerite' 2015 matched to The Ox smoked salmon, cucumber and wasabi yoghurt.

This Beaujo Blanc is 100% Chardonnay, grown on clay-chalk soil, and hand harvested with minimal intervention. It's casked directly after pressing, and left to ferment entirely before the wine is aged on the lees for nine months. This has given it a full, complex mouthfeel, reminiscent of a 1er Cru Chablis - ooh err! Lovely elderflower and white peach notes complimented the subtly smoked salmon, with the citrus edge heightening the tang of the yoghurt and the saltiness of the rock samphire. The wasabi was quite a punch at times, but being a mustard-fiend I didn't care.

The best pairing of the night had to be the roasted partridge, pearl barley, parsley root puree, crispy curly kale together with Paul-Henri Thillardon Chenas 'Les Boccards' 2013.

Made by a talented young winemaker, using parcels of vines in Chenas and Chiroubles, this is everything you'd expect from a decent Beaujolais. Strawberries, redcurrants and violet on the nose, with a burst of juicy red berries as you take your first sip. Its soft tannins and long length made it the ideal wine to have with our tender partridge, which came two ways. The breasts of the bird had been wrapped in parma ham to make a ballotine, whilst the confit leg meat was rolled together with herbs, coated in panko breadcrumbs and fried. The barley, puree and crisp kale added to the all the interesting textures, and it felt truly Autumnal.

The cheese course with house pickles, biscuits and chutney came with Chateau du Pavé Brouilly 2014. Made by English winemaker Chris Piper from a 3 hectare vineyard situated at the foot of Cote de Brouilly, this is another minimal intervention wine. The vines are cultivated using eco-friendly methods and the yields are kept low, creating delicious concentration. There's depth and structure with black cherries and raspberries, finishing with a touch of spice... Great for the brie and the cheddar, not so much for the stilton; gimme something sweet with that!

Last but not least, we had Lemon meringue, creme fraiche ice cream, candied lemon and yuzu cracker.  Domaine de Grandmont Rosé 2015. It's a pretty rare occurrence to come across a pink Beaujolais, but here we have one! We're told that the Gamay grapes are harvested in the dew of the morning to capture them at their ultimate freshness - how romantic - and this has locked in the zesty citrus and strawberry flavours. There's a natural sweetness about it with an off-dry finish; terribly easy to drink, but unfortunately not such a good match for dessert.

The tartness of the lemon and lime curds were exactly what we all craved after quite a rich dinner, but unfortunately it just clashed with the wine. Individually; delightful (I love the twist on a classic lemon meringue pie). Together; not so much. You can't win them all.

This exclusive event, with five courses paired to five wines (plus the nouveau), was a miniscule price of £45. Ridiculous value, right?! The Ox know what they're doing in the kitchen - the food was spot on from start to finish - and as ever The Grape Escape picked out some wonderful wines. Let's hope we don't have to wait until next November for another Cheltenham indie collaboration *HINT*... Now, go forth and drink brilliant Beaujolais!

Tasting Menu at Purslane Restaurant Cheltenham

The first Thursday of every month sees Purslane Restaurant in Cheltenham host their 'Taste' evening. For £45 per person, customers are able to take a tour of some of the options on the A La Carte menu, sampling five seasonal dishes plus a few added extras.

Despite always recommending Purslane, it had been ages since we'd actually eaten there ourselves (shamefully it was their special Lobster Night back in August 2014!). Armed with some vouchers given to us by Father Christmas, The Chap and I were very excited to be going along to the March event. 

With just a handful of tables, Purslane is an intimate space, though with decent lighting - none of that so low you can barely see what you're eating stuff here - and a tasteful grey and lemon yellow colour palette, there's a more friendly neighbourhood restaurant vibe about it. And being instantly greeted by the bubbly Parisian manager Stephanie, you get this impression as soon as you walk through the door. Coats are hung up, you're shown to your table, given menus to peruse, and relax; you know you're going to be well looked after.

Although the menu has a strong focus on seafood - all their fish are caught in Cornwall and served up the very next day - there are meaty dishes and veggie options too. The kitchen prides itself on sourcing as much as possible from nearby suppliers - vegetables from Vale of Evesham, an abundance of local cheeses and rare breed meats from the Cotswold Hills - and chef Gareth Fulford sure knows how to get the best flavours out of each and every one of them.

We began with homemade breads, taramasalata and seaweed butter. I'd remembered that their bread selection was good last time, and here we had slices of sourdough, treacly soda bread and a fennel seed roll. Serving seaweed butter instead of the straight up kind was a nice twist (and a good nautical nod); it had a fresh "green" flavour to it, whilst still having the saltiness you require from your classic bread 'n' butter.

The taramasalata was a dream too; not the blancmange pink kind you'd normally find in shops, instead, a desperately pale salmon colour, jujjed up with a pinch of paprika. Paired with a glass of Champagne, we were off to a fine start.

Our amuse bouche was an oyster, topped with saucisson and a green apple granita. I've had oysters in many forms, but none quite like this. Pork and apple, apple and shellfish, citrus and oyster; it all just worked, and kind of set precedence to our official first course.

Pressed suckling pig, black pudding, langoustine, celeriac and pickled pear. Although sounding quite hefty with double pig, it was wonderfully delicate and the langoustine wasn't overpowered. The creamy ribbons of celeriac and the sweet-sour pear kept it light, whilst the crackling added a welcome texture.

Our fish course was John Dory, monk's beard, sea kale, wild garlic and spaetzle. Monk's beard is all the rage right now; similar to samphire, but a lot less salty, I've seen it crop up in fish dishes all over town. And I'm sure that every chef is happy about the fact that wild garlic is just coming into its bountiful season too! Including it in this dish, along with the sea kale, made it like a foraged feast from both land and sea.

Of course, those were just counterparts to the beautiful fillet of fish and the buttery spaetzle (little noodle-cum-dumpling-kind-of-things - The Chap and I tried making them once...we don't talk about it now). With fish as their forte, it came as no surprise that this was a highlight, and Stephanie's pairing of un-oaked Chardonnay was a cracking choice.

Wye Valley duck, breast and croustillant, heritage carrots and chicory was our main course. Not only did it look incredible with pops of bright yellow carrot puree against its sultry orange, brown and green tones, but every mouthful was equally a joy to eat. The tender pink strips of duck draped themselves over the chicory - like a drunk uncle at a family wedding - being propped up by the more sturdy croustillant (confit duck in a crisp casing).

What we notice is that whilst we had root veg galore, there was no starchy-carb-overkill, which would have easily seen us roll home. And that's what I find so great about a tasting menu; restaurants aren't out to fill you up in three over-portioned courses, they want to excite and tease your tastebuds with a number of delicious dishes, leaving you feeling satisfied not sick!

Our wine match for the duck was a Fleurie, which was full of red berries and spice, and it had just the right balance of tannins and acidity in order to lift the dish rather than overcomplicate it.

Yorkshire rhubarb, white chocolate delice and rose meringue was our pre-dessert, paired with a tawny port. The rhubarb came in four ways - jelly, ice cream, poached and puréed - a sea of pink and cream in contrast to the black plate; it looked amazing. Sweet and creamy vs. cold and tart, harmonised by the strong floral crunch of the meringue. Out of all the options on Purslane's A La Carte dessert menu, this is the one I'd have picked, and The Chap said he preferred it to our final course too!

Hazelnut fondant, malt ice cream, salted caramel and milk stout jelly. Fondants are more often than not in some sort of chocolate form; get them right and they're great, get them wrong and they're unsalvageable. As a lover of hazelnuts, but not of Nutella, this really appealed to me - and it didn't disappoint!

Cutting into it, its lava-like liquid centre oozed out onto the plate, putting the toasty ice cream, bitter jelly and the tongue tingling salty caramel in their places. This is a dessert that means business, and with the spirity heat of a glass of Amaretto, Purslane's Tasting Menu ended on a high.

Tea, coffee and petit fours followed (after a much needed break I hasten to add), and The Chap and I both said that this was the best meal we'd had out in 2016 so far! Fresh and clean flavours, put together with flair and imagination; I'm annoyed at myself for not returning sooner.

The next Taste on Thursday is April 7th priced at £45 per person - you can view the menu here. The Tasting Menu is also available on Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the month, priced at £55 per person, and the accompanying wine flight - 2 glasses of fizz, a white, a red and two dessert wines/spirit - is £35; quite a bit cheaper than some of the other fine dining restaurants in Cheltenham!

Just make sure you book before visiting Purslane, having only 12 tables you don't want to be turned away!

Tasting Menu at Lumiere Cheltenham

I'm not sure how it's ended up like this, but it seems that I visit Lumiere in Cheltenham once every 2 years. The first visit saw me and The Chap have a straight up 3 course meal, the second saw me surprise him with the Tasting Menu there (which you can read about here), and most recently a group of 6 of us went for dinner having the whole shebang - Tasting Menu (£80) with matching wine flight (£50). Having won the Cotswold Life Food & Drink Award for Restaurant of The Year 2015, against Purslane and Prithvi, it was guaranteed to be just as good as I remembered.

After a few glasses of English fizz at - you guessed it - The Grape Escape (see my previous post), we headed over and jointly decided to take the plunge without even attempting to look at the menu. Atmosphere can often make or break a place, and Cheltenham's fine dining scene can sometimes be a bit odd in this respect, but thankfully the restaurant was full and everyone was clearly enjoying themselves... We were also charmed with the pungent but pleasing aroma of truffle, which, as we soon found out, was thanks to the bread rolls (pretty much everyone opted for the truffle one out of the selection).

Some beautifully presented appetizers arrived at the table, though I cannot for the life of me remember what they all were. The inky puffed rice cracker with taramasalata was the stand out for me; there's just something about eating black foods, maybe it's the inner goth in me or something, but your brain kind of kicks in to tell you not to eat it, yet you ignore it and enjoy the eating experience even more. I imagine that that's what eating at The Fat Duck or Noma would be like, but obviously on a bigger scale.

Sweetcorn Veloute, pancetta and parmesan straw was our amuse bouche, with a chilled glass of Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2007. Sweet, salty and smoky, the cheese straw added the crunchy element that is sometimes needed with velvety veloutes. And Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs will always have a place in my heart after we had a bottle of the '98, post-engagement, at 131 The Promenade. The '07 isn't quite as breathtaking - it needs a bit of time - but it's still a stunning English Sparkling Wine.

Laverstoke Park Mozzarella Sorbet, smoked watermelon, chorizo, apple and pickled green strawberries was next. Mozzarella has such a delicate flavour, making it prime savoury sorbet material. Light and summery, it paired wonderfully with the crisp Massaya Classic Rose 2013 from Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.

I remembered this next dish from our last visit, and second time round it was just as good; Diver Caught Oban Scallops, pork belly, carrot, orange, star anise, cumin. It's a combination of flavours that just can't go wrong, and the complex, mineral Fuchs Pinot Gris 2012 from Alsace cut through it with finesse.

The award for the most attractive course of the night has to go to the Wild Eyemouth Sea Trout, smoked eel, cucumber, keta, borage. A similar award should obviously be given to the bubble wrap plate; I really wanted to take it home! The trout was cooked beautifully, the smoked eel added some depth to the light dish, and the bursts of intensely fishy flavours from the salmon caviare made it a joy to eat. We were treated to another English wine; Shoreline 2014 from Lyme Bay, Devon. Obviously, from its coastal origins, it desperately wants to be drunk with fish and seafood, and this did it justice.

The Tequila Slammer was a real highlight when we came to Lumiere last, and I'm glad it's still a feature of the menu. Food and booze spliced together with some kitchen wizardry is my idea of heaven, and thankfully, it's nothing like doing shots of that unbranded tequila (probably turps) in sticky-floored clubs as a teen.That said, I'd quite happily do shots of this tequila sorbet; not sure how well that'd go down with the other diners though.

Butts Farm Limousin Veal, carvelo, grelots, borlotti beans, celeriac, morels was our main course, and by far the best of the night; the juicy hunk of veal was so good that I felt like I could eat it all over again instantly after (I'm greedy, I know). Deep, meaty flavours ran through the glossy sauce, whilst all the other components felt quite light, and the fruity, spiced Muddy Water Pinot Noir 2010 from Waipara, New Zealand, tied it all together.

Our first dessert was Strawberries, Champagne and Elderberry. Champagne and strawberries; how very British! And that tart elderberry meringue shard... So good.

Valrhona Chocolate, English cherry, beetroot, coffee; another stand out. Cherries, chocolate and coffee are probably my desert island dessert dream, and here they arrived in various tastes and textures. The earthiness from the beetroot added another layer of flavour, ensuring that this is definitely a dessert for grown-ups. Served with a glass of red Banyuls 2013 from the Rhone Valley; sweet, full of black fruits, with notes of cocoa, it was an obvious choice for the dish.

Lastly, 'Pearl Melba' Souffle, raspberry, sweet cicely and vanilla. I keep persisting, but I really just can't get my head around soufflés. All the elements of a good dessert are there, but for some reason I just don't like them. Light and fluffy, yep, I like that, but combined with the fact that it's eggy and hot, no. The Muscat de Mireval 2013 was great though; mouth watering-ly crisp and floral.

From looking back at my previous post on Lumiere's tasting menu, I'm quite surprised to see so many similarities; I'm glad I hadn't reminded myself before going! I suppose if it ain't broke, don't fix it, but still, after 2 years I'd probably expect a bit more variation. And, although I've got a really sweet tooth, having three desserts seemed like quite a lot, especially as there were sweet or fruity elements in a few of the other dishes too.

Nevertheless, all 6 of us had a fantastic time. It really is one of the best restaurants in Cheltenham, and I'd visit again tomorrow if I could... Though I'll definitely be hitting the a la carte next time.

Hibiscus: 15 Years and 8 Memorable Dishes with Claude Bosi

Last month The Chap took me to London for my birthday; he'd done his research, and where we were going was meant to be a surprise, but quite frankly he could not keep it to himself! I don't blame him though; he'd pulled out all the stops by getting a reservation at Claude Bosi's Hibiscus.

Coincidentally, we were going during the month that the restaurant was celebrating its 15th anniversary, and throughout June they were offering diners an extra special eight course tasting menu, based on guests' favourite dishes from over the years. Quite a few people had cast their vote in the poll, which was then whittled down according to season and availability, producing a menu of the finest summer combinations... A summertime "Greatest Hits" if you will.

Claude Bosi originally opened Hibiscus in Ludlow, before relocating to London in October 2007. It has held two Michelin stars since 2003; has five rosettes in the AA Restaurant Guide 2015 (retained since 2003); it has a 9/10 rating in the Waitrose Good Food Guide 2015, and is ranked 5th in the UK. Flippin' heck.

Bosi brings together classic French cooking with modern techniques and the best ingredients from the British isles; a formula that has proven highly successful. And so, the celebratory £135 tasting menu - the crème de la crème of Hibiscus' 15 years - was one that we couldn't miss. And although we weren't going to go down the wine flight route (especially at an extra £95 each), after a chilled glass of Billecart Salmon Rosé from the Champagne Trolley - YES, A CHAMPAGNE TROLLEY - we were totally sold on the idea. We're weak, I know.

Looking back on it now, it probably wasn't the wisest decision, especially as our table was at 9.30pm, which was also way too late to embark on a mega tasting menu (we didn't have our final course until gone midnight!). No doubt these factors fueled the fire with the snooty people on the next table, and unfortunately their "we're so much better than you" attitude completely ruined the end of my spectacular birthday meal, leaving me exiting the restaurant in tears (the wine flight definitely didn't help with that either, haha). But enough about that, it happened, and we're actually returning to Hibiscus next month to make sure we leave with a smile.

The menu kicked off with Foie Gras Ice Cream, mango and sherry vinegar caramel, served with a fine flute of Alfred Gratien Champagne Brut, 2000. Since posting a picture of this on Twitter, I received a backlash of animal rights comments from randomers, but hell, it was worth it! A mini cone filled with sweet mango puree, topped with an unexpectedly light liver-y ice cream, swirled with a tangy caramel, and sprinkled with what can only be described as 'savoury crunch'. It gave your typical cornetto a run for it's money.

Next was the Clarence Court Egg with pea, coconut and Thai curry. I've had a "filled egg" at many a restaurant now - it's particularly favourable around Easter - but just like dippy eggs and soldiers at home, it still brings out the child in me. Fresh and fragrant, it made sure I was ready for more food, and the fantastic bread that came out (courtesy of Mikael Jonsson of Hedone), slathered with salted butter, certainly hit the spot too.

The delicate and dreamy Devonshire Crab dish, with gel like pearls of elderflower and new season almond was served with a 2013 Karner Gabor Rizling from Hungary; a beautiful match, and a beautiful wine! (No surprise - we're riesling fiends!)

The Spring Onion Ravioli was one I was looking forward to after seeing some photos of it on Social Media. With broad beans, lime, Moroccan mint, and a creamy sauce, the humble pasta pillow was elevated to new heights, and it confirmed that I should definitely order ravioli when eating out more often. It was partnered with a crisp glass of Les Enfants Sauvages Cool Moon 2012,  from the Roussillon region of France; the floral, stone fruit nature of the blend of Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc, ticked all the boxes against the very 'green' flavours in the dish.

Although the Cornish Cod ‘Grenobloise’ isn't the most attractive plate of food you'll ever see, I must remind you that you should never judge a book by it's cover. Grenobloise is a classic French sauce, composed of capers, nutty brown butter and lemon - simple - but Bosi's version sees a cream coloured foam covering the entire plate. It's a rich-but-sharp sauce that, thanks to the aeration, doesn't leave your mouth feeling coated with butter, therefore, letting you really enjoy the other textures in the dish (i.e. the meaty flesh of the cod). It was matched with a glass of biodynamic Eugenio Rosi, Anisos, 2011, Trentino, Italy; the honey, blossom and nutty flavours complimented the cod 'Grenobloise' wonderfully, and the bitter finish cleansed the palate.

The next dish was Native Lobster with fresh cherries and black pepper sauce; a plate of food containing lobster and cherries totally has 'Lucie' written all over it. There were also some little deep fried lobster ravioli served alongside, which I could've scoffed all night long. The wine match for this was an orange wine, tasting a little sherry-like, Domaine Julien Courtois Savasol, 2008, from the Loire Valley, France. It was probably the only wine of the night we were unsure about.

Both of us agreed that the tenderest hunk of Milk Fed Veal with girolles, apricot and chervil was THE BEST course. The fact that it came with our only glass of red wine probably influenced this; Broc Cellars “Syrah 13.1” 2012, Sonoma County, California. The sweet meat melted in the mouth, and the earthy mushrooms were backed up by the black pepper, spice, dark fruit, and powerful tannins from the wine. Neither of us wanted it to end.

Photo Credit (as mine was blurry): Genuiness Blog

Our first dessert was Gariguette Strawberry, celeriac and szechuan pepper; a mini trifle of sorts. The combination of strawberries and pepper is not an alien concept, however, the nutty celery flavour with the szechuan Asian punch, felt inspired. It was partnered with Vial-Magneres Banyuls 2009, Roussillon, France; tinged gold, with full fruit flavours, it ensured us that we were in 'sweet' territory, then the final course sealed the deal.

A deliciously dark chocolate tart case, filled with a mousse of New Season Peas, infused with mint and topped with pop corn, toyed with our taste buds. The most perfect quenelle of snow-white coconut sorbet added an extra dimension; an English garden with a twist of the Caribbean! And with just enough naughtiness from the chocolate, freshness from the peas and mint, and creaminess from the coconut, it was a stellar end to the tasting menu.

Upsetting experience aside, Claude Bosi's Hibiscus rightly lived up to it's reputation; every course was a delight! And I'm just thankful that we get to go again in a month's time...

Hibiscus, 29 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London W1S 2PA

The Vineyard Stockcross with Daniel Galmiche

"Eating out is one of the greatest pleasures of life. I have made it my mission to communicate this."  

Daniel Galmiche

Last month saw The Chap and I mark our 6th Anniversary. In true Lucie & Scott fashion, a celebratory foodie jaunt was needed, and considering next year we'll probably be in full-on-wedding-saving-mode, we thought we'd be a bit extravagant.

Following a recommendation on good food and good wine, we found ourselves at The Vineyard in Stockcross, Newbury. It holds no Michelin Stars, but headed up by Daniel Galmiche (the French chef you might recognise from BBC's Saturday Kitchen, and whose quote above is one I wholeheartedly agree with), the food still gives you that fine dining, gastronomic experience you'd expect from such places. Described as being "the champion of classic cooking with a contemporary twist", and having seen him produce some intricate dishes on the TV, I was very much looking forward to seeing what was on the cards for dinner.

It's not just the food that lures people to The Vineyard though - the name's a bit of a hint - there's a ridiculous wine selection to boot. 30,000 bottles, 3,000 bins and 100 wines by the glass. See, ridiculous! And with a glass floored wine vault taking pride of place at reception, leading to a huge painting depicting the Judgement of Paris wine tasting that took place in 1976, this is a wine-lover's paradise.

Also, every weekend, the sommelier team hand-pick a special bottle of wine to open for guests to sample. Each 'Iconic Wine' is chosen for its prestige and critical acclaim, and is available by the glass at cost price. Ok, so cost price is generally around the £30-40 mark per glass, but you're not going to splash out on the bottle when it's over £200 on the menu, so it gives you the chance to try something pretty special without hitting the 3 figures.

We had the Icon Wine included in our overnight package and, on the weekend we were there, it was the Joseph Phelps Insignia 2000, Napa Valley. 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc. A rich ruby purple colour, it was full of black fruits, cinnamon, spice, roasted espresso and tobacco. With soft, supple tannins showed off the sweet blackcurrants, and despite a bit of earthiness, it had no hard edges on the finish. A whole hour passed before we finished our glasses; it was clearly so good that we had to savour every sip! 

An afternoon spent in the '5 Bubbles Spa' - where I had a rather expensive, but enjoyable massage - and some unexpected macrons delivered to our room (my faves!) then we were ready for dinner.

The restaurant takes a slightly more unusual approach to your typical tasting menu; essentially, you create your own! Split up into your starters, fish, meats, and desserts, you can pick 4 or 5 dishes from the list, with a minimum of one dessert, and then you get your custom-made dream menu. Got a sweet tooth? Get a couple of desserts. Not a fan of fish? Pick out of the other options. Choose whatever you like! 

The Chap and I had two of the same dishes, but everything else different, which meant we got the best of both worlds; tried a good proportion of the menu, but didn't get too much food envy! And for the first time, we went for an accompanying wine flight.

Our amuse bouche sums The Vineyard up; it was simply a glass of wine. Crisp, fresh, and somewhat peachy, the Californian Honig Sauvignon Blanc 2013 set the tone for the evening. 

My first course seduced me with it's prettiness; confit foie gras, gariguette strawberry, sesame nougatine and hazelnuts. Foie gras and sweet strawberries is a combination I'd not had before, God knows why, it was amazing! Paired with a tart and flowery Franck Peillot Altesse, Roussette du Bugey, 2012. 

The Chap had pressed rabbit and parsley terrine, confit carrot and mustard, with a gorgeous German Riesling; Joh. Jos. Prüm Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, 2012. 

It was *snap* with our second course - both obsessed with scallops, both love the flavour of truffle - hand dived Orkney scallops, baby artichoke, black truffle. Plump, caramelised, and possibly erring on the 'under' side of caution, the scallops appreciated the gentle punch of truffle with the floral/mineral Tuscan white; Frescobaldi Vermentino Ammiraglia 2013.

We then doubled up on our fishy dishes; me with Brixham lemon sole, shellfish emulsion, pak choi salad and a delightful 10 year old Muscadet - Pierre Luneau-Papin Muscadet L D`Or 2005 - and The Chap with a much more striking plate of line caught halibut, tomato, shallots and aioli. His wine was a stunner too, a tropical white Rioja, Inspiración Valdemar Tempranillo Blanco 2013. 

The super seasonal rack of spring lamb with asparagus, celeriac and morels was an obvious choice for us both for main course. Surrounded by springtime ingredients - wild garlic, those firm green spears, root veg and earthy morels - the lamb was still glistening rouge in the middle; a sight that puts a smile on any carnivore's face. It's partner in wine-crime was the Prats + Symington Post Scriptum de Chryseia Douro, 2012; cherries, plum, black tea and spice shined bright from this tasty Portuguese number.

I always find dessert a tricky option, mainly because I want ALL of the menu, or failing that, I'd ideally like to mix and match the various components. Having eaten and drank quite a lot, I surprised myself by choosing something light; confit apple, bergamot sorbet, arlette. So kind of like a "deconstructed" (yuck - I hate that word) tarte tatin - glossy caramelised apples and a piece of sugar crusted pastry - served with a fragrant, zesty sorbet, and a bit of cream that tied the whole dish together.

The wine match was a honey hued glass of Ferrari-Carano Eldorado Gold 2008, California. Never having dessert wines when we go out, this felt like a mega treat; oh how the other half live (.. I'm just jealous). Dried apricot, nutmeg, and maple aromas complimented the sticky apples, and the caramel, pear and vanilla flavours rightly out-sweetened the sorbet. Need I say more? Mmmm.

The Chap had the other dessert that I was contemplating - rhubarb and vanilla parfait, rhubarb roulade, tarragon dressing - a rhubarb riot! The contrast between sweet, sharp, and semi-savoury (thanks to the tarragon) was playful, and it's fun candy pink and white appearance suited it down to a tee. Paired with it was Justino's Madeira Colheita 1998, Portugal; dark brown sugar, dried fruits and toffee notes were balanced by a surprising acidity, making it slip down all the more easily.

Petit Fours arrived at our table; a lovely touch seeing as they're usually an additional cost. More macarons (not that I'd ever complain about that), intensely rich dark chocolate truffles, and chocolate shells filled with a tingly mint ice cream.

Having a lady tinkering on the keys of a grand piano throughout the night, and with the restaurant being full of people nattering away, having a great time, dinner at The Vineyard felt like a very relaxed affair. Not an ounce of stuffiness, not a single raised eyebrow, just service with a smile, and smiles that were very much reciprocated.

The next morning, we just about managed to drag ourselves out of our comfortable bed to check out the breakfast. That extra effort was duly rewarded with some crackin' Eggs Royale and a hefty continental spread.

Before saying farewell, we had a quick tour of the wine cellar, making us green with envy... The flat below ours surely wouldn't mind us knocking through their ceiling to create a snazzy cellar, would they? I really want one!

Anyway, one visit to The Vineyard is certainly not enough. As soon as we got into the car we discussed the possibility of returning the following week for their Californian Wine Weekend (though sadly we couldn't go). We have, however, agreed that the Judgement of Paris wine flight and dinner combo is something to be added to our bucket list, so we will make it back at some point. It is only an hour away after all...