ANDRE GARRETT AT CLIVEDEN
Cliveden House, Taplow, Berkshire, SL6 0JF
Telephone: 01628 607100
Cliveden has undergone the most amazing refurbishment of its main restaurant and now has the celebrated chef, Andre Garrett, at the helm as Executive Head Chef. Andre was awarded his first Michelin Star as Head Chef of Galvin Windows Restaurant in Park Lane. His experience is second to none having also worked at Chez Nico’s in Mayfair, Nico Central, Orrery, Guy Savoy in Paris and the Ritz. He also won a Roux Scholarship. His passion for seasonal British ingredients is evident from the various menus he has compiled. I was thrilled that dishes from culinary classics have been included and refined with up-to-date expertise. The fine cuisine, the superb selection of wines, the faultless service and wonderful ambience all combine to create a great dining experience.
On arrival at Cliveden one enters a magnificent hall, rather like a large sitting room, for pre-lunch or pre-dinner drinks (especially a glass of Tattinger champagne!); a very imposing but comfortable area with stone fireplaces and warming logs, suits of armour and fresh flowers. A lovely painting of Lady Astor adorns the main fireplace. There is much history connected with Cliveden. Royalty and aristocracy have been associated with Cliveden for over three hundred years. At one time, the house was bought by William Waldorf Astor, America’s then richest citizen. Cliveden became a hub of society where notable guests from Charlie Chaplin to Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt to George Bernard Shaw would be entertained, or perhaps provide witty entertainment!
The spectacular restaurant is a south facing room with impressive chandeliers and six sets of French windows offering panoramic views over the Terrace and River Thames beyond, a very grand setting for any occasion. This is an ideal venue for business lunches, special occasions and those ladies who lunch (and who will be very well looked after!). After lunch, what could be better than a stroll through the magnificent grounds down to the river?
The à la carte lunch menu consists of three courses with coffee and the famous bonbons trolley at a cost of £65. The lunch menu, or Market Menu as it is called, costs just £28 but coffee and the bonbons are extra. The evening tasting menu costs £95 with an additional £75 for wine pairing. The evening à la carte menu is £65. Lunch is served from 12:15pm to 2:30pm and dinner from 7pm to 10pm (last orders for the tasting menu being 9pm).
For lunch my guest and I chose starters of the Ballotine of Foie Gras with Cumbrian ham, salt-baked celeriac, golden raisins and hazelnuts and a Tartare of South Coast Mackerel with black radish, smoked eel beignets, cod roe and English caviar. The Head Sommelier, Guillaume Gorichon is very informative and offered to choose our wines for each course. For the Ballotine he recommended a Vin de Constance 2008 from Klein Constancia in South Africa, and for the mackerel he chose a Gruner Veltiner 2011 from Austria.
My main course was a Dover Sole (Veronique) Verjus with salted grapes, fennel, chicken jus gras and a delicious pomme puree served in a small copper pan. With this course Guillaume proposed an Albarino 2011 from Rias Baixas in Spain. My guest chose the Fillet of Cumbrian Long Horn Beef with smiled bone marrow containing oxtail (crumble), roast carrots and pomme mousseline, accompanied by a Chateau Caronnes Ste-Gemme 2005 from Bordeaux.
For dessert I chose the chef tester - a Souffflé, this being a Rice Pudding Souffflé with agen prunes, vanilla and Earl Grey (not the Lord!). My guest chose the Mille-Feuille with passion fruit, mango and fromage frais sorbet.
Finally came the bonbons trolley, a vast choice of sweets including nougat, macaroons, mango marshmallows, honeycomb, white truffles with cranberry jelly filling, chocolate orange and more - all prepared in the kitchen. A very fitting finale to a gourmet experience.
This restaurant and a visit to Cliveden House is a truly wonderful experience; do put a date in your diary for a visit!