Lawns Restaurant – Taste Cheshire Review #Review
Gaile Wundke
16th June 2015
We visited The Lawns on Friday 12th June with a reservation time of 7.30pm.
The restaurant is approached through the bar area, where we were warmly greeted and shown through to our table. Menus were promptly delivered and our wine order taken.
We had the option of the à la carte menu or the Chef’s tasting menu, we opted for the latter.
As our wine arrived, so did a little dish containing a crisp savoury biscuit topped with tiny dots of horseradish cream and equally tiny cubes of fresh pear, together with a croquette of shredded duck topped with a reduced apple puree, both were delicious.
We were then presented with four freshly baked miniature loaves of bread, with plain and truffle butter and an amusé of artichoke and mushroom which was small in size but big in flavour.
The next course was a tortellini of crab in a seafood bisque, the bisque was served separately and poured over the tortellini at the table. Sadly, the waiter only poured half the contents of the jug and then took the rest away, which was a shame as it was rich and delicious and we would have liked the option of a little more such was its rich velvety taste.
For the next course we were given a choice between a truffle risotto with goat’s cheese or asparagus with shaved truffle and watercress. We decided to have one of each, so we could sample both! The risotto was rich and silky with a distinct flavour of truffle and the goat’s cheese complimented the flavours well. The asparagus was perfectly cooked, simple and delicious.
Red Mullet and Baby Squid
We finished our ‘starter’ courses with a ham hock and pork terrine with tiny peas and mint.
The fish course was a dish of perfectly cooked crispy skinned red mullet, baby squid and tiny potato croquettes and to finish our main courses we were presented with a dish of lamb with girolles, broad beans, baby gem lettuce and pomme purée.
Lamb with Girolles, Broad beans and Baby Gem Lettuce
Sadly we were unable to sample dessert as we had to leave to collect our son from a party, but we did just manage to sneak in a pre-dessert of vanilla pannacotta with lavender meringue. It was sublime and we knew that by leaving we were no doubt missing out on a show stopper! However, it has given us the perfect excuse to return!
Our experience at The Lawns Restaurant was first class from start to finish. Excellent service, attentive but not intrusive, beautiful surroundings and the most delicious, skilfully cooked, well presented food that we’ve had in a very long time. The Michelin inspectors will no doubt be knocking on the door very soon. Matt Worswick can certainly create flavour in a dish and he will no doubt show some people a trick or two when he appears on the Great British Menu. A star in the making.