Judith Halliday checks out the food and the service at one of the county’s leading venues
FINDING a restaurant that offers the very best cuisine and impeccable service combined with a relaxed dining experience and welcoming atmosphere is no easy task.
Gone are the days of hushed voices and wondering which knife and fork to use just because the venue you’ve chosen boasts five stars or a chef who’s made a name in culinary circles.
Those concerns certainly have no place at The Terrace Restaurant at Highgate House, where award-winning head chef Lee Gaskins has put together a
Judith Halliday checks out the food and the service at one of the county’s leading venues
FINDING a restaurant that offers the very best cuisine and impeccable service combined with a relaxed dining experience and welcoming atmosphere is no easy task.
Gone are the days of hushed voices and wondering which knife and fork to use just because the venue you’ve chosen boasts five stars or a chef who’s made a name in culinary circles.
Those concerns certainly have no place at The Terrace Restaurant at Highgate House, where award-winning head chef Lee Gaskins has put together a range of dishes that tempt the taste-buds but which are served in a pleasant, contemporary restaurant that is both sizeable but at the same time cosy and friendly.
I visited on a busy Saturday evening with my husband, Jeremy, and daughter, Molly, who had a night off from her part-time job as a waitress at a four-star hotel and who was keen to ‘check out the opposition’.
Although we had a reservation time and arrived pretty much exactly at that time, we were still invited to go into the bar for a drink before moving to our table.
The bar was less busy, but had a definite buzz, and we enjoyed a leisurely drink before only moving into the restaurant when we were ready to eat.
The Terrace menu that evening was, as always, unfussy and straightforward. Three starters, four mains and three desserts to choose from – avoiding a lot of dithering and presumably ensuring the kitchen team treated every order as a signature dish.
The dishes change regularly, using fresh seasonal produce and Lee’s professional touch. At the end of last year, Lee was voted Aspire Chef of the Year in the Carlsberg Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards, a category that recognises the excellence of Northamptonshire’s chefs, aged over 25. This was the second time Lee had won the award, taking the title in 2011/12 as well. On the same night, The Terrace Restaurant was also a finalist in the Restaurant of the Year category.
We chose a Taverna Nova 2012 Montepulciano D’Abruzzo from the wine list, but wine buffs can really immerse themselves in their selection by studying the feature wine wall, a glass fronted display of all the wines on offer.
Moving onto the food, we found the starters had both something for the traditionalist and something for the more adventurous.
It was a little too warm for the Cream of Vegetable Soup with warm crusty bread, so Jeremy and I went for the Crispy Wrapped Goats Cheese. This was a piece of goats cheese wrapped in filo pastry and served with a walnut salad, with tiny chunks of apple and a cider vinegar dressing.
Molly chose the Maple Glazed Confit of Duck Leg, which came with soy and sesame noodles and an epice dressing.
Both dishes got the seal of approval, getting the meal off to a perfect start.
For the main course I toyed with the idea of Asparagus and Onion Cheddar Quiche with herb potatoes and a red onion salad, but in the end decided to go for the Pan Fried Breast of Chicken with creamed wild mushrooms, braised leeks, sautéed potatoes and a tarragon infused sauce.
Tarragon is one of my favourite flavours with chicken and, while it usually comes in a creamy sauce, this was more of a gravy and it was the perfect accompaniment.
Molly and Jeremy both chose the Roast Rump of Lamb, which was coated in a tomato and thyme crust and served with fondant potato with a red wine and bacon sauce. The lamb was tender and just pink and the plates were almost cleared.
Jeremy’s joke with the waitress over whether Molly and I were allowed dessert as we had both left some vegetables, fortunately (for him) ended well as we’d both seen the White and Dark Chocolate Torte on the menu and weren’t going to give up without a fight. We were even more determined to enjoy it when it arrived with a delicious topping of hazelnut brittle.
Pear Tarte Tatin and Fresh Fruit Salad were also on the menu, but Jeremy fancied cheese and biscuits, which weren’t listed, and was told this was no problem.
The Table D’Hote menu at The Terrace Restaurant is available at £19 for two courses or £24 for three and is served every evening.
And what about the service in the eyes of the ‘expert’? Even taking into account the fierce rivalry, and the fact that not allowing my daughter chocolate torte is NOT something to joke about – Molly admitted it was up to the very best standards.