Eating Out

Restaurant Interlude

Leonardslee Gardens Brighton Road, Horsham, Surrey, RH13 6PP Telephone: 01403 289490

I think this is a first for me, in that I am going to do a restaurant review without mentioning the food too much, but before you turn the page and go to another article, please bear with me whilst I explain further.

Just recently my wife and I were invited to visit Restaurant Interlude, a contemporary restaurant in Lower Beeding, Horsham. The restaurant is set within the mansion house of the Leonardslee Estate, whose Grade 1 listed gardens re-opened in 2019, after being closed for 10 years. I mention the gardens as they provide the ingredients for the dishes, and the garden guides what the menu will be, with the aim to bring the gardens to life through the food. The man tasked with doing this is Chef, Jean Delport, and along with his team he has secured 3 AA Rosettes and a Michelin star to date, but I suspect that they won’t be resting on their laurels and will be striving for more.

The issue I have here is, that as a reviewer, by explaining the dishes I will spoil the whole dining experience for you, as Restaurant Interlude doesn’t just serve up amazing and innovative food, it creates a theatre around each dish, and by mentioning what happens is a little bit like giving away the end of the book before someone has started reading it, or saying who the murderer is at the start of a murder mystery! I will do what I can to do Restaurant Interlude justice, as it truly deserves it, and give you a flavour of what to expect without spoiling it for those of you who are in for a real treat when you go.

The first thing that may surprise you is that the restaurant only has one sitting which starts at approximately 6.30pm, which is because the tasting menu is 17 courses, yes 17!, (but don’t worry, some are small) and your journey through the produce of Leonardslee’s Gardens will take around 4 to 4 1/2 hrs. You are advised to not be late and that is clever, as you would ruin the surprise element of the courses as you would get to see what was coming before it came to your own table. There is another restaurant that has such theatre and length of dinner service located in Bray, and although not as accomplished yet, Restaurant Interlude clearly has its sights on reaching the same heights.

The mansion house is very much in the country, and luckily we had allowed ourselves additional time to find it as our sat nav insisted on taking us to the garden centre on the estate rather than the mansion house itself, which is just a little further up the road. Guests are recommended to arrive at around 6pm so they can enjoy a drink in the bar beforehand, and start the 17 courses with some amazing canapés. Chef Delport’s origins are from South Africa, and he brings a number of special treats into his menu from that culture and cuisine. With our drinks we were served a trio of canapés, a wonderfully rich and powerful venison biltong (which I understand is one of the South African border forces staple diet as they confiscate so much of it!), which had been left drying just long enough to allow the majesty of the meat to come through, but not long enough to be tough. The other two canapés are also firm South African favourites - a pillow shaped burnt shallot, which doesn’t on the face of it sound that appealing, but was delicious, although my personal favourite was the Slaphakskeentjies. Slaphakskeentjies, is a traditional Afrikaans onion salad which is as South African as a Braai, and was a lovely combination of the sharp onion and vinegar mellowed by the zing from some mustard. I really could have eaten more, but with such a number of courses awaiting I needed to pace myself.

Once the canapés and a glass of something cold and fizzy were completed we were led to the dining room to continue our fusion of the gardens in Horsham and the cuisine of South Africa. The dining room is just like you would expect the living room of a country mansion to be, with high ceilings and a set of patio doors into the garden, and an eclectic green wallpaper. The tables are well spaced and are covered with pristine starched white table cloths, and the staff are always there to help when needed, whilst letting you enjoy your meal with your fellow diners.

As I said, I will not elaborate more on the next 3 hours of gastronomic delight, as much as I would really like to, as it will spoil your own visit, but suffice to say the dishes were a lovely mix of meat, fish and vegetables, and all were served with a lot of flair. In fact, my wife took photos of every course as she was amazed by the beautiful presentation of each and every course, as all were picture perfect, and some were so intricate one can only imagine how long it took to chop and place some of the ingredients on the plates. The contents of each dish were expertly explained by the waiters, and diners were also provided with a little card explaining every dish and where on the estate the ingredients were sourced from, which was a nice touch. Indeed, the estate and its self-sufficiency also stretches to the wine, where a number of bottles of both white, red and sparkling are from the estate, and I can vouch for their quality!

When I go to a restaurant I want to be wowed, I want to have dishes I haven’t thought of and dishes I could not recreate at home, and here at Restaurant Interlude you have all of these along with some of the freshest and finest foods the English countryside can provide. If that wasn’t enough the restaurant is located in a grand mansion house, and the service is impeccable, which is a true recipe for success, and it is nice to see them receiving the accolades they have.

I will watch with interest in the next year or so, as I suspect this may become the first restaurant in Sussex to have more than 1 Michelin Star.

www.restaurant-interlude.co.uk

Coppa Club

17 Between Streets, Cobham Village, Surrey, KT11 1AA Telephone: 01932 500608

Cobham is an ancient settlement whose origins can be traced back through Roman times to the Iron Age, and it even has a mention in the Domesday book, but is clearly on a really positive path as it has recently had an addition to its name and has now moved up in the world as it is now being called Cobham Village rather than just Cobham!

Cobham Village has a number of good restaurants, and it was with high expectations that my wife and I visited Coppa Club on a Wednesday afternoon for a late lunch. The first thing I noticed was how inviting the outside is, with the outdoor seating sheltered from the road by greenery and a protective screen which allows the feeling of being outside whilst still shielding the diners from Cobham’s High Street.

Coppa Club states that it offers something to everyone, and unlike most restaurants which attempt to be something to everyone and are, in fact, nothing to anyone, Coppa Club succeeds. One reason for this is the actual space they have which incorporates two floors, but the main reason is the clever use of the décor and plants which creates different spaces on each level. As you enter the front door there is a real feeling of light and space which is created by a glass atrium in the centre of the room, with shelves bursting with tastefully decorated pot plants rising to the ceiling. To the left there is a cosy and slightly darker bar area full of retro chairs from the 1970’s, and to the right the downstairs dining area with cosy booths hugging the walls.

We arrived early and so decided to sit in the bar and have a pre-lunch drink as it is the perfect space to enjoy a pre/post dinner drink, or even to just come in and have a coffee during the day. The drinks menu is extensive with a wide range of cocktails and mocktails to choose from, and what was nice to see was that (apart from a few bottles) the majority of the red and white wines can be ordered by the glass for those who only want one glass rather than the entire bottle. Prices are also very reasonable with bottles starting at under £20. My wife chose the Porn Star Martini with the fresh passion fruit, making you forget that it is alcoholic, and the small glass of prosecco on the side, and as I am not really a cocktail man I selected a glass of the Italian Sauvignon Blanc which was crisp and light.

After enjoying a little bit of watching people coming and going, we were seated at our table and focused our attention on the food menu. As I said Coppa Club offers something for everyone, and the menu is a great mix of pub favourites and classic bistro dishes and will have something on it for every taste and age. To start we chose some Parmesan Croquettes (£4/£5.50) and were treated to croquettes with a crispy outer and warm, moist interior, all covered in a generous sprinkling of parmesan. They were very cheesy and very moreish and a great start to our meal. For our starters I selected the Buttermilk Fried Chicken with chilli mayonnaise (£6.50) and my wife chose the starter portion of the Bucatini Carbonara (£8.50). My chicken was succulent and perfectly countered the crispy coating, but the real joy for me was the chilli mayonnaise which packed a real punch, although it may be too hot if younger children are ordering it. The Carbonara was well cooked and was heartier and more flavoursome than usual due to the Bucatini pastas additional thickness and ability to hold sauce inside as it has a hole running through the middle of each noodle. The guanciale pieces (a cured fatty meat from a pig) provided a real saltiness to the dish and slightly dominated the milder flavour of the Pecorino romano cheese.

For our mains my wife continued with the Italian theme whilst I decided to go for a pub classic, the burger. There are 4 pizzas to choose from including a Margherita Buffala (£9) and one with Parma Ham (£13.50), but you can add a number of additional ingredients so you can really make any pizza you like. My wife’s selection was the Margharita, but with added pepperoni and I went for the Coppa Burger (£13.50) as I wanted to continue my healthy options!

All the pizzas are made with a sourdough base, which is one of my favourite doughs, so the dish was already on to a good start that continued with the added toppings, with the spicy pepperoni perfectly offsetting the creamy chunks of buffalo mozzarella. Many people think that a burger is a simple dish and it is, but to cook it well is far from simple. One of my pet hates is that many places ‘pad’ their burger with far too much greenery and unnecessary pieces of salad that add nothing to the taste, but I am pleased to say that the Coppa Burger passed my exacting standards with flying colours!

The most important thing about a burger is the beef patty, and this was meaty, had a good thickness and was cooked to perfection, and covered with mature cheddar and a small amount of crispy lettuce. The bun was lightly toasted and light in texture, but the icing on the cake was the sauce which was a mixture of ketchup and a small amount of mustard which elevated the patty without dominating the taste which I find mustard can do.

After such a feast it is difficult to see how there was any room for a dessert, but when the menu arrived there were just too many tempting dishes to refuse. I am a dedicated lover of chocolate so the Flourless Chocolate Cake with caramelised white chocolate and coconut yoghurt (£8.50) was calling to me, but I actually went with another British Classic, Sticky Toffee Pudding with crushed honeycomb and vanilla ice cream and toffee sauce (£6.50) and I wasn’t disappointed. The sponge was light and the sauce heavenly, as it was so wonderfully rich and full of toffee flavour. The honeycomb added some texture and the vanilla ice cream a delicate accompaniment. A perfect end to a lovely meal.

The service at Coppa Club was friendly and our waiter was genuinely interested in how we were enjoying the meal, and struck the perfect balance between giving us enough the right amount of time to enjoy our meal without constantly asking if everything was ok.

We dined on the ground floor, but Coppa Club also has a second floor which houses their outdoor terrace and also 5 signature Coppa Club Igloos, which are individually heated with sound systems, and are perfect for special occasions with friends and family.

Cobham Village is a lovely place to live, and Coppa Club provides a great restaurant/ bar/coffee house where you can visit, at any time of the day, for a meal, a drink or just a coffee, be well catered for, and dine well for a reasonable price.

www.coppaclub.co.uk

Hakkasan

17A Bruton Street, London, W1J 6QB Telephone: 020 7907 1888

Hakkasan has always been one of my favourite restaurants in London, with its dark wood décor, subtle lighting and trendy vibe, originally conceived by renowned designer Christian Liaigre, coupled with outstanding Michelin-starred food, so I was delighted to be invited to visit their Mayfair restaurant to sample their special 20th Anniversary Celebratory Set Menu, that was launched on 21st July, and is available in both the Mayfair and Hanway Place restaurants in London.

Since the first Hakkasan opened in Hanway Place in 2001, the brand has expanded globally with 10 locations around the world, including the two in London, as well as establishments in the United States, the Middle East, India, China and most recently, Turkey. With menus currently overseen by Group Executive Chef Andrew Yeo, Hakkasan has become renowned for its modern take on authentic Cantonese cuisine which places a focus on using the finest, meticulously sourced ingredients and blends traditional Cantonese recipes with modern influences.

Priced at £110 per person, the set menu starts with Hakkasan’s signature Dim Sum Trio (scallop shumai, langoustine har gau, abalone and chicken parcel), which are beautifully presented and little parcels of deliciousness, and were served alongside the Steamed Hand Dived Scallops with browned butter black bean sauce and served in their shell, and Oatmeal Dover sole. Having been to Hakkasan a few times I did also order their Prawn Toast, which are a must as far as I am concerned, and slightly different from the usual flat prawn toast with sesame seeds on top!

These starters were followed by Stir-Fry Black Pepper Beef with merlot, Golden Mixed Vegetable Yam Ring with macadamia nut, which I had never tried before. The vegetables were crunchy, the yam had a potatoey taste with a crispy exterior, and the macadamia nuts complemented the dish perfectly. The stand-out dish however, was the Supreme Stock Braised Lobster, encased in egg noodle nests and served with lobster wontons. The sauce was rich and creamy, and although it wasn’t overflowing with lobster pieces, we did have a couple of pieces each and a large lobster claw that we fought over! To finish, we enjoyed the delicious Sake, Vanilla and Plum Dessert, again beautifully presented and showcasing why Hakkasan has a Michelin star. No deep fried toffee banana or lychee on offer here!

What is more, the twentieth anniversary also welcomes the return of the classic Hakkatini cocktail, served in a vintage style tall martini glass with a flower garnish, available in addition to the set menu. For those who can’t resist Hakkasan’s muchloved Pipa duck, it is also available to order on this set menu as a supplementary option.

Although £110 per person is slightly on the high side, the quality of the food and the creativity that goes into these dishes, will leave you feeling that you have enjoyed a top quality Chinese meal with a difference, at a standard that is way higher than your average Chinese restaurant, so it is definitely worth a visit, whether celebrating its 20th Anniversary or choosing from the À la carte menu. My other recommendation from the À la carte menu is the Black Cod which I have enjoyed previously, and even their Egg Fried Rice is the best I have ever had!

Hakkasan is a restaurant oozing trend, with a traditional, modern vibe, with fabulous service and delicious Cantonese cuisine.

www.hakkasan.com

Stoke House

81 Buckingham Palace Road, Westminster, London, SW1W 0AJ Telephone: 020 7324 7744

Despite the lockdown being relaxed a few months ago, I have still not really fully started coming back to London as often as I used to, and it wasn’t until I visited Stoke House Steak restaurant, near to Victoria station, that I realised what I have been missing, as pre-pandemic I would be out most nights with friends and colleagues in places like this enjoying the food, drink and company in a contemporary and stylish environment.

Stoke House is one of a number of restaurants that have sprung up in close proximity to Victoria Station, as the area has undergone significant redevelopment over the last 10 years. Indeed, the new developments around here are like ’marmite’, as it appears that you either love them or you hate them, and would rather have kept the older styled buildings which have all but disappeared. For once I sit in the middle of this debate, as I love the older style buildings with their character and charm, like the Victoria Palace Theatre which has survived and is now surrounded on all sides by the redevelopment, but I also love the more modern sleek, all-glass buildings which herald in the new age for London.

Stoke House has a contemporary chic vibe with a large glass frontage allowing plenty of light into its airy, spacious interior, offering its diners the opportunity to watch the hustle and bustle of London from the comfort of their tables. Large, curved wooden benches snake their way around the side of the room providing comfortable and segregated space to enjoy your meal or drinks. The room is laid out around a central bar stocked with every drink you can name and I am sure a few you couldn’t! The large open kitchen covers one side of the room and is decorated with a vast array of copper pans and is flanked by the well-stocked salad wall which enables Stoke House to offer a wide selection of salads and sides for those who like healthy options. What is unusual for central London, is that Stoke House also offers a large outside space which can seat 90 people with the obligatory blankets and heaters, to protect you from the wonderful English summer weather!

Stoke House is a modern British steak house which only serves the freshest cuts from the finest breeds sourced from UK Farmers, and is cooked on site using a blend of woods to give it its unique taste, so its menu is unashamedly focused on steak and meat, and although the menu is small, there is always something for a devotee of meat like myself to choose.

For starters my companion and I decided to share a portion of Stoke House Wings with BBQ sauce and peanut sambal (£7) and Salmon Rillettes with pickled fennel and sour cream (£7.50). The portion of wings was generous, but I personally prefer the sauce to be a little more cooked into the meat, packing more punch, rather than just spreading it on top of the wings, as it gives so much more flavour and also makes it far less messy to eat. The salmon rillette was fresh and creamy, and served with a light sour cream and toasted bread which provided the opposing texture to the soft salmon and sour cream. The salmon was fresh and creamy, but unfortunately there was just a little too much lemon juice in the rillette for me which unfortunately slightly overpowered the salmon. This was a shame, as with slightly less sharpness this dish would be a winner.

Our main courses, however, were great. My companion chose the Rib Eye Steak 32 day dry aged (£26) which came with roasted new potatoes and a green salad, and I went for the Short Ribs with pickled chilli onions and Cornish sea salt (£15). With that I also had some garlic and thyme roasted new potatoes (£4.50) and Mac & Cheese (£6.50). The steak was just how you would want a steak to be - marbled, smoky, tender, well cooked and a generous size! But for me, my short ribs were the dish of the day as they had been slow cooked for 24 hours and were so succulent, tender and that subtle addition of the salt really brought out the taste of the meat rather than dominating it. The portion of roasted new potatoes was large and could have served 2, which was a pleasant surprise, and the Mac & Cheese is a must. Again, the portion could serve 2, indeed, its size is such that it could have almost been a dish in its own right as it is so moreish. Mac & Cheese is a simple dish so it is strange that many restaurants get it so wrong with an insipid sauce, but here Stoke House excels as the pasta bathes in a rich cheesy sauce and is covered by a crispy cheesy top, absolutely delicious. Stoke House prides itself on its salad wall and so it would be remiss of me to not mention that it also has a number of salads (£8-12) which you can also add chicken or salmon to if you want.

After our meat feast we had to relax for a few minutes to allow enough room for dessert, so we soaked up the atmosphere of people having fun again in the elegant surroundings. For dessert we opted for the Eton Mess (£6.50) and the Chocolate Brownie (£6.50) and both were a lovely end to the meal. Eton mess is a quintessentially English dish, but here it was given an Italian twist by churning air into the cream while it freezes to give it that semi-freddo (half-frozen) effect which went perfectly with the strawberries and sweet meringue. The brownie was rich and fudgy with a slight crisp to the edges and was served with a caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream, and I love ending a meal with a chocolate delight!

Stoke House states it is modern British Steak House serving traditional cuts of delicious meats, and having visited I would have to totally agree, but don’t take my word for it, go there yourself you won’t be disappointed.

www.thestokehouse.com