August 2008, we held a very successful Privilege Card Holders lunch here. There were 51 of us, click here to see the photos

Visited October 2007

Two of us have recently learnt we are to be g'mothers again and that was as good an excuse as any for the 4 of us to get together to celebrate; in fact the fact that we all actually managed  to lunch together was worth celebrating as it happens far too rarely these days.  We chose the recently opened Hotel TerraVina, the pedigree of the owners promised  great food, wine and surroundings, we were not disappointed!

Anyone who can remember Busketts Lawn and thinks that by visiting  Hotel TerraVina they may get a sense of déjà vu..... wrong!  The only familiar feature is the front door; Nina Basset has designed and created a stunning modern interior where it is obvious every fixture and fitting is of the highest quality.  Once we had finished our lunch and made ourselves known Nina agreed to give us a tour so we could fully appreciate just how much she and Gerard have achieved.  The bedrooms are gorgeous some of them even having private roof terraces, all of  the bathrooms are the height of luxury.  We even got to see Gerard's pride & joy his vintage wine cellar, you can see his open cellar from the restaurant.  Another feature they have added is a veranda that runs the length of the restaurant, a wonderful spot for al fresco dining.  Do have a look at their web site to read more about Gerard and  Nina's past achievements and their vision for the future at Hotel TerraVina.

When we first arrived we were shown to the bar area where we very extravagantly chose glasses of Remy Massin pink champagne to enjoy whilst we made our food choices, very yummy!

The young bar man and all of the other staff we encountered were without exception charming, friendly and very efficient, a refreshing change from the snooty staff one  sometimes encounters in establishments of this calibre.

The menu is varied with a large choice of reasonably priced starters and mains (do check out the sample menu on their web site); it is made very clear that if you just want to pop in for a light lunch, just a starter and a drink for example, you would be made just as welcome as those like us wanting the works! 

We started as we meant to carry on so decided to ask Gerard to suggest our wine choice.  The white he suggested was a Joseph Burrier Macon Fuissé @ £23.50 a bottle, it was superior to our usual choice of a house white but not much more expensive!

Upon entering the restaurant you walk past its main feature the long open kitchen, see picture above of Rory the head chef and Gerard behind the counter, and tables are arranged around a long banquette seat in the middle of the room.  It was busy on the day of our visit but I am sure this arrangement would ensure the restaurant would never feel empty.

Our starters, Leek & Cornish crab lasagne, basil, Mushroom Tart, marinated vegetables, aged Parmesan, Rocket, figs, buffalo mozzarella salad and Serrano ham, and Smoked Salmon, horseradish, toasted dill bread.  We were all very happy with our choices but the favourites were the combination of figs and ham and also the mushroom tart.

Our mains, Pot roast chicken, pea puree, leeks & garlic gnocchi, Slow wood roasted vegetables, aubergine puree, ricotta cheese, Roasted Sea bass, parmentier potato, peppers, olives & carrots and Char-grilled rib eye of beef, Chateaubriand sauce and chips.  After lots of tasting the favourites were the chicken and the sea bass.

The very yummy puds, Fig tart tatin, honey & caramel ice cream, Caramelised lemon tart with raspberry sorbet, lemongrass panacotta, citrus & blackberry salad and a selection of English and French cheese.

By now we had thrown caution to the wind and as they were on the puds menu chose a Taylors, late bottled vintage Port to accompany the cheese  and on Gerard's advice to compliment the lemon tart and the panacotta a dessert wine, Samos, Grand Cru, Greece 2005 and with the fig tart Chateau Cantegrils, Sauternes, France 2004.

Well it would have been silly not to have taken advantage of such an expert's knowledge!  (If Gerard is not around he has a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic assistant; she told us all about the wines we were enjoying).

We finished our very special and delicious lunch with coffees on the veranda.  We highly recommend TerraVina and are sure it is going to be a great success! 

Cost: £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £  but this was a big celebration and as I said earlier it is easy to enjoy the delights of TerraVina for a LOT less!