I have already waxed lyrical about Salt this year (Blog 298) and was sufficiently enthused by my evening there, wallowing in the pleasure of the tasting menu, that I rated it 🌞🌞🌞. Since those early days, back long before the pandemic lockdowns it has matured into a provider of very fine food. The present Head Chef there is Laura Kimber and she has a very firm hand on the tiller. Likewise, Salt’s exceptional restaurant manager, the splendidly named Aurélian Molliere, who was appointed there in November 2022 having previously been restaurant manager at Buckland Manor, has the front of house running at tip top level, embracing the intention to be relaxed but at the same time to serve the diners with perfect poise and style.
An autumn 4 course menu has been introduced there at a very reasonable price of £65 (sans gratuity) and as my reservation was relatively late, and having visited Libertine Burger earlier in the day (see previous Blog), I opted to have this lighter menu if only to address the issue of my overnight gastrointestinal comfort.
Though a menu of limited size, all the extras were pleasingly presented to make this feel like the full monty - hors d’oeuvres of fine olives and toasted almonds, 2 delightful amuses gueules made up of a crispy, flavoursome cheesy little tartlet and a splendid piece of pork ‘scratching’, some excellent bread with cultured butter and then a delicate heritage tomato starter, and afterwards a second starter of tasty Roscoff onion, very nicely cooked with pickled onion to bring sweetness and bite and crispy onion for texture.
The main was a beautifully and accurately cooked piece of Gigha halibut with sea herbs and for dessert a very pretty dish centred on plump blackcurrants, delightfully seasonal, with a soothing yoghurt sorbet. Two pleasing petits fours - a fudge and a jelly - were served with coffee. A well rounded fine meal.
This four course supper was an excellent illustration of how multiple courses are not necessary for enable a chef to highlight their abilities and are kinder not only on the digestive system but also, of course, the pocket. The absence of meat was of little concern to me - I very often prefer fish for my main course but it may be a sign of things to come. This was a great pleasure and reminded me of just how good a restaurant Salt is.
Rating:- 🌞🌞🌞.
The following day, back to Shipston on Stour by bus through the quiet and beautiful south Warwickshire countryside for another lunch at the Bower House. Unlike my previous visit which had taken place on a miserable wet day, I arrived in bright sunshine set in a blue sky, and the town was looking very appealing.
Here too I chose the set three course lunch, finding it appealing because of its highlighting of Japanese ingredients which I did not really expect to see being offered as a theme running through the meal. It represented exceptionally good value bringing with it a glass of house wine, bread with two types of tasty butter and petits fours to accompany the coffee (at an additional price). I indulged myself in a delicious Bower Sour to kick things off.
The starter was a dish of tasty aubergine gyozas, very nicely cooked, with a mushroom and soy dip giving a real zing to the dish.
I thoroughly enjoyed the main of stir fried roast breast of duck and vegetables and udon noodles. It was delicious and I felt very happy with my meal. The dessert of ‘Japanese crème caramel’ - a very good crème with slices of mandarin orange - was enjoyable though I suspected that the dish was more a playful invention of the chef rather than something whose origins can be pinpointed to the vicinity of Tokyo!
The petits fours rounded off the meal very happily. The Bower House is such a pleasing restaurant to visit and its unpretentious but enjoyable food together with the excellent service and comfortable atmosphere make a trip out to Shipston to dine there very worthwhile.
Rating:- 🌞.
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