I've always thought that the word 'mushroom' really suits those little capped fungi; short and stubby, hidden away in the woods with an aura of uncertainty about them. Hop over the channel, however, and you find a much fancier word for them; 'champignon'. It stands proud, opulent but unassuming, and in a way this is exactly what Cheltenham's Michelin Starred restaurant does.
Oh, Michelin Stars in Cheltenham? Surely it’s a super swish regency styled affair that has pretentiousness as part of the dress code? Thankfully not; Le Champignon Sauvage lives up to its ‘wild mushroom’ name. With not one, but two stars, it’s comfortably nestled into its surroundings in the Suffolks – a blink and you’ll miss it kind of thing. It doesn’t need to shout about its existence, it’s been around since 1987 and has maintained a fantastic reputation as being one of the best restaurants in the UK. The keen eyed amongst you will also have spotted that Chef David Everitt-Matthias won Chef of the Year in The Good Food Guide 2014; that’s pretty bloody big.
I visited Le Champignon Sauvage for the first time way back in 2010; at that point, fresh from uni and still in my student overdraft, I was just beginning to find my passion for food and drink, though I’d not really experienced much in the fine dining department. I remember being bowled over by dinner, ordering a lovely bottle of Viognier, but generally feeling a little awkward... What a difference four years makes. This time, after reading rave reviews about the great value set menus, I was taken as a birthday treat for lunch, and every inch of my visit – even down to the Tic-Tac’s in the bathroom – was perfect.
The restaurant seemed much more open than I remembered; it's bright, roomy and has an interesting selection of art work dotted around (granted, I wouldn't choose some of it myself, but at least they spark conversation). You're close enough to neighbouring table to scout out the food - though it's not really necessary here, you
know everything's going to be good - but you're not too close to hear what dramas are going on in their personal lives.
Service runs like a well oiled machine thanks to the small team headed up by David's other half, Helen. No sooner are you sat down with menus to browse through, a selection of canapés are placed on the table to get tummies rumbling. With combinations of beetroot, horseradish, and goats cheese on crisp wafers, I was definitely ready for a decent lunch.
A three course set lunch menu sets you back at £32, which seems crazy cheap considering what and where you're eating. Not only this, but you get all the in-between-y bits too. After canapés came one of David's 'essences'; layers of intense savoury flavours - creamy, mousse-y, foam-y - as light as air. These kind of things play tricks with your brain; the daintiness of its appearance, and the textures it contains, make you anticipate something sweet, but there's no sweetness to be found. Freshly baked bread comes next; bacon and shallot brioche rolls all round for us - divine. We were even offered more, but declined as we didn't want to over do it.
There are a generous three options per course, making it incredibly difficult to choose. My starter was pigeon breast with baby gems, peas and pancetta, dotted with purées and drizzled with a glistening jus. The decorative shoots entice you in and it's full of classic spring/summer ingredients, bursting with flavour; gorgeous.
Three out of four of us chose the pork fillet for main course; rolled in Lapsang Souchong tea, it sat on a bed of mushrooms, parsnip and tenderstem brocolli. Hidden underneath, smeared across the plate, was a rich burnt orange purée, permeating the dish with marmalade aromas. Pork's not usually what I'd go for, but the smoky tea coating intrigued me. It was everything I hoped it would be; this little piggy did good.
Dessert was the toughest decision. Us girls went for a sweet option; I had compressed watermelon with quite a tart cream cheese, sable biscuit and the most refreshing cucumber sorbet; a sensible choice after a big lunch. My Mum had a panna cotta with muscovado and baby figs - equally delicious - but the both of us had massive food envy thanks to the other side of our table. The Chap and my Dad opted for a cheese board. The waitress then arrived with a heaving basket full of different cheeses, to which she knew every single one, and they could each choose 6. Judging eyes peered out from our side, as we desperately wanted to make sure they picked some good ones for us to try too.
The cheese boards came out with our desserts, neatly laid out in a row - from mild to strong - as a guide to which order you should eat them. An abundance of bread rolls, slices of fruit loaf, and a selection of crackers accompanied the cheese; this worked in our favour as there was more than enough to feed the two gents, and they happily let us have a nibble.
Note to self: ignore your sweet tooth next time and hit up the cheese.
I simply couldn't have wished for a better Birthday lunch, David Everitt-Matthias deserves his Chef of the Year crown, and all the other awards and accolades he's gathered along the way. Cheltenham needs to champion Le Champignon, because you couldn't forage a fault if you tried.
I was spoilt by being taken there for a birthday lunch in June, and had since been saying how lovely it would be to go back for dinner some time, but I was certainly not expecting it to be so soon... Especially as we'd only just been to The Hand & Flowers the previous week! The Chap did good. Very good.
