Visited July 2006

The restaurant is situated on the London Road  in the middle of Fairford opposite the Market Square. You step into an area with comfortable  leather armchairs and little tables by the bar. The tables are off to the right in cosy private areas with only 4 tables by the window. There is probably enough room for about 30 covers.

The décor is simple and elegant in beiges and white with some unusual turquoise blue paintings that look like windows. The china is white and comes in all sorts of shapes, slightly quirky.

The restaurant is owned and run by a couple, the wife Erica, greets you, gives the menus and takes the order. There was one other waitress. There is a Table d’Hote for £20 for 3 courses with 3 or 4 choices of each. The a la carte menu was about £28 for two courses and £33.50 for three. With our pre-dinner drinks there were cheese straws and green olives. Erica helped with the choice of wine. She is an expert and knew her wine cellar well and made an excellent choice for us.

Before our first course we were given a tiny cornet made of fried bread with a tasty filling. Then a hot cream of onion and something else soup in a little cup. (Neither had been ordered but were part of the a la carte). The starters were very unusual combinations that certainly worked in our choices: Carpaccio of pigeon breast topped with pan fried foie gras accompanied by pickled cauliflower and something else we couldn’t determine! Tiny wild mushrooms (I forget the name) in a delicious sauce with a green vegetable.

We both chose fish for our main courses. One was sea trout with local crayfish tiny leeks and asparagus, garnished with pea shoots, the other was turbot with what seemed like whole oats and chicory and orange pieces. A little glass arrived with meadowsweet jelly with foam on top to clear the pallet. Desserts were cherry clafoutis with almond ice cream and fig tart made with very light puff pastry. Each dessert had an accompanying wine the clafoutis one was Vouvray. Petit fours came with the tea.

It was a pure delight. The food was exquisite, tasty and beautifully presented. Nothing rushed but we never felt we waited ages. It was all to the highest standards and a wonderful experience. I highly recommend it. I gave them a “Ladies who Lunch” card and said you would put something on your website about it. The chef has just won the top chef of the Cotswolds award. He trained with an Italian then Gordon Ramsey. He worked at Le Manoir aux Quatres Saisons in Berkshire and the Horn of Plenty in Devon . He only started cooking when he was 26. He had been a skipper of private yachts before!  

Erica and her husband used to run the restaurant at The Wykeham Vineyard in Shedfield so used to be in our territory!

Cost £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £

Yummy Factor 9/10

Guest Report F B from Gloucestershire