A Forge of Nature – The Forge opens in Chester #News
Victoria Hayes
24th May 2021
The Forge is a the latest opening in Chester and it’s a true sensory experience from start to finish.
From the moment you enter, you are enveloped in warmth, not just from the open flames, smokers and grills but from the excellent staff and the scent of melted butter in the air.
Everything about the place is sumptuous and before you have even tasted a bite, you know you are in for something special.
In the week that indoor hospitality was allowed to reopen, Briony and I were absolutely thrilled to be invited to a preview of this place which truly trumpets everything we love about hospitality. To begin with, the delightful staff have clearly been extremely well trained and have enormous pride in both the place and what they are serving.
The delightful cocktail trolley arrives at our table and our cocktail were a vibrant start to our feast. What a treat to be served at the table, a measure which is actually very “covid friendly”, without trumpeting it as a “covid measure”, instead, it just felt like an absolute luxury service. A service I wish I had in my own home!
The Forge is the latest in a group of extraordinary restaurant and dining experiences by restaurateur and chef Mike Robinson. The new restaurant is a collaboration with Castlebridge Hospitality and is the fourth restaurant Robinson will run. Located in the ground floor of the Hotel Indigo, right in the middle of Chester City Centre, its ideally situated for a gorgeous weekend break with a truly special foodie experience.
The focus is happily on British ingredients, and on the invite only soft launch we attended we were truly treated to a tour of the country in terms of the very best foodie delights from all over the UK. From Orkney to the Cotswolds, there is no doubting the excellent provenance of everything this kitchen presents. Unsurprising really if you note that Mike Robinson is probably the UK’s most prominent game chef and champion of game cooking. As a chef, restaurateur, hunter gatherer and conservationist he is obsessed with wild, sustainable ingredients. Something that of course, we are more than happy toget on board with.
The Forge has its kitchen front and centre in the middle of the lovely, elegant space. Incredible dry aged beef and wild venison can be seen in the maturation cabinets, awaiting their turn on the amazing forge grill, to be lovingly grilled and roasted over oak and beech logs. The Wild Fallow and Muntjac venison comes from Mike’s herds on estates whose deer he sustainably manages, helping actively to control the damaging effects of overpopulation.
Head Chef Curtis Tonge; who trained under Chef Lisa Allen Goodwin of Northcote, has worked at Taste Cheshire member The Chef’s Table alongside Liam McCay, as well as Simon Radley at The Grosvenor, is heading up a clearly enthusiastic young team with an absolute eye for perfection.
Every plate, every ingredient is cooked to excellence. The buzz from the service of the open kitchen provides an energetic backdrop to dinner, and the excitement only increases as you see your plates approach your table.
Our server Amy was top notch, full of knowledge and passion for the food she brought us. Nothing was too much trouble and you can tell that in this “new” restaurant, “old fashioned” service is held in the highest esteem. The devil is in the details as I am always quoted as saying but in this case, those devils were angels. The small things, like the way the sauces were poured at the table, the way my napkin was folded for me while I visited the facilities are what really makes the difference. Asking Amy for recommendations was absolutely the right move for us, for the menu presented us with so many delicious sounding options.
The warm salty spongey focaccia we began with is apparently Mike’s own recipe and he should rightly be proud of it. Served with vibrant wild garlic butter, it perfectly set the tone for the delights to come.
To start, I enjoyed Warm Jersey Royal potatoes with chargrilled asparagus, cubes of smoked eel and a butter milk sauce. Despite my best efforts to slowly savour this, I confess to devouring it with embarrassing speed. The combinations of smoky, salty and creamy were a delight and I quickly realised that despite the fine dining element of this restaurant, to me it is really serving the ultimate in elevated comfort food.
Briony was treated to hand dived Orkney scallops baked in the flames with XO sauce, dashi, apple and roe, beautifully presented in shell which was opened for us at the table, in a lovely piece of foodie theatre. Yet another hint, that this is a special occasion place, one to cherish memories from. Briony describes the dish as both refreshing and textural. Spheres of flavour from the caviar and apple offset the spice of the xo sauce.
For mains, I could not resist selecting the much heralded deer dish. I admit, when something on a menu is particularly hyped, I always approach it was some level of scepticism. Nothing surely, can be as a good as it’s hype. I am there fore in equal measure disappointed and thrilled to report that the Grilled haunch of wild fallow deer was nothing short of stunning. Paired with “dirty mash” which given the opportunity I would quite happily eat a whole vat of. Gorgeous rich bone marrow and deer gravy enrich and finish this dish perfectly. We opted for the summer veg alongside, which provided small burst of freshness to offset the rich dish. The whole main course was like a delicious cuddle on a plate and once I finished every scrap I wished my stomach had the space for me to do it all again.
Briony also opted for meat, however she went for the beef. Pave of dry aged Hereford beef rump which also came with bone marrow, sticky ox cheek, creamed spinach, hassleback potato and wagu gravy. The cheek just melted in your mouth and the beef was incredibly tender. The creamy spinach was one of her favourite elements, simple yet rich. The gravy was elevated with peppercorns and helped bring the elements together, although Briony said each element was excellent both alone and combined. When the plate arrived, her first thought was that the portion seemed quite small but afterwards declared it to be really filling and more than enough.
Wine pairing was probably my hardest choice of the evening. Partially due to the fact that Briony and I chose such different dishes, but also due to the extensive wine list. I adore being spoilt for choice and settled on a Montepulciano D’Abruzzo on the basis it both went with everything and happened to be an excellent bottle of wine! Rich notes of black fruits, particularly blackcurrant and blueberry. Moderate tannins and acidity, a great pair with meat and surprisingly with dessert.
I was going to pass on dessert, I will be honest. A main course and starter as good as those, provide the perfect opportunity for dessert disappointment. But Amy assured me that the Cherry Bakewell Soufflé was “worth the calories” and by now I knew better than to doubt her.
Wow. Soufflé’s are tough to pull off and this one excelled. Light and fruity with cherry compote, almond and marzipan. Served with a small dish of ice cream which it didn’t need, but I finished anyway (I do these things for you guys really you know!).
Dessert for Briony was pure indulgence, sticky toffee pudding. With sauce to pour over the top, the surprising burst of flavour came from apple rather than the usual dates. It was almost a combination of a crumble as well as a sticky toffee pudding and the delicious caramel had a malty flavour which elevated it to sweet delight.
Please visit The Forge for a fabulous, hearty, foodie, memorable experience. Reservations and more information can be found here:-
The Forge Restaurant — Chester (theforgechester.co.uk)
Taste Cheshire was gifted dinner, cocktails and wine by The Forge restaurant in exchange for writing this review. However, we absolutely stand by all the comments we have made in this article, if you don’t believe us, or even if you do, we enthusiastically encourage you to “Forge your own opinion” by visiting them yourself.