Hotels

After a visit to Cliveden’s lovely Berkshire hotel, and a discussion with Head Chef, Michelin-starred Chris Horridge, we took up an invitation to try their ‘With’ and ‘Without’ Tasting Menu at Waldo’s gourmet restaurant with alacrity.

On the nominated night, my sister and I began with a tiny but stimulating red pepper and mandarin jelly concoction.

Then we moved to curry oil drizzled haddock soup dressed with parsley, olives and a cod liver oil soufflé. The soup was heavenly… but the cod liver oil was less well received. Both of us hated it as kids and my palate carried a faint echo of the powerful taste through most of the exquisite dishes that followed.

At this point, the wine sommelier had poured Lesley a creamy Pouilly Fuisse, which she was well pleased by, while I had a pleasant Burnt Spur Sauvignon Blanc (2007) from Marlborough, New Zealand – just over 30 minutes by car from where we lived as children.

My third dish was a delight to the eye and entirely refreshing; a paillette of carrot puree, poached quail’s egg, winter truffle, crisped apple and dry kale.

Lesley pulled a face at her sweetbread but found she loved it; bean puree and crisp slivers of dried orange and apple accompanied this.

One of the highlights of the tasting menu came for me, at this point: scallops poached in coconut oil with stretched, dried roe.

By this time, I was also smiling over a mellow glass of Pouilly Fuisse. Lesley had mackerel with coconut cream, capers, coriander seeds and lime. She drank some Burnt Spur.

My red mullet with kohlrabi and a spot of orange was also superb. And one particularly interesting dish was the Anjou Pigeon, which Chris had researched from 1668; this involved cep-cinnamon dredging, garlic, baked onions, a liquid liver sauce (better than it sounds) and watercress puree.

About this point, Lesley had a flower pot brioche with a demerara reduction and risked something else she had never dared, before: oxtail, which she described as beautiful, with meat that fell off the bone and was matched beautifully with the sweetness of raisins.

Mint icecream followed for Lesley (envy) and I had a kind of Crème Brûlée without the naughty stuff – lime burnt cream without the cream. I coveted my sister’s pudding. The lemon verbena and banana icecream was another two-starred dish for her.

The cheese trolley at Waldo’s is simply stunning. I’d go there just for that. Being New Zealanders, we were in our element and the truffle cheese was glorious.

We went upstairs to the grand drawing room on the entrance floor for our cheese and coffee and ate lemongrass flavoured sweets afterwards.

Cost of tasting menu: £79 per person. According to my notes, there were eight coures but I might have missed something…

A final word, Cliveden is not only a top-ranked hotel; it offers full facilities to those who hanker after their own social and country club. There is a marvellous spa, as well. It is run by von Essen Hotels and owned by the National Trust.

See Waldo’s tasting menu here

Chris Horridge talks about food and the Michelin Star ‘club’

Travlark on Cliveden

Cliveden Hotel, Taplow, Berkshire, SL6 0JF

www.clivedenhouse.co.uk