Palm Court – A Nelson Flagship #Review
Stephen Wundke
27th July 2018
It is without question that over the past 5 years, the Nelson family have contributed substantially to the incredible level of food on offer from within our pub/restaurant sector across Cheshire. Their refurbishments of The Fishpool, The Pheasant Inn and The Bears Paw created a new standard of entry into this area of hospitality. They not only raised the bar with their interior design, but their understanding of pub food was so much better than many of their contemporaries, that their popularity with customers grew and awards naturally followed. So, it was somewhat surprising that their HQ – The Grosvenor Pulford, Hotel and Spa and the restaurant within, formerly known as Ciros, didn’t rate in the same manner as these flagship pubs – that was until now, as this was to be the last piece in the chain to complete a full house of outstanding eateries.
We had eagerly awaited the opening of Palm Court. It was a long time in the making and given the previously described attention to detail we really thought it would be worth the wait and in short it was.
Let me start by explaining the first challenge faced by the operators and indeed, all other hoteliers. Taking a restaurant that serves as a breakfast area for hotel guests in the morning and then giving it its own identity as a restaurant in the evening. Very few have achieved it, but Palm Court is most definitely an exception! A division of space has been created that allows restaurant customers to know they are entering a special place for their celebratory meal and separately but without the need for doors or sliding panels, is an area which houses the breakfast bar. It’s all been done using large plants, subtle lighting, panel decoration and some sumptuous settees adorned with opulent cushions. The colours work beautifully, tonal variations with taupe’s and lilacs set off by the dark vivid green of the palms which dominate the larger spaces. There is a light airy feeling from the glass roof of the new atrium, which benefits from a selection of blinds that absorb sound as well as providing shade when needed. They have also created a wonderful little glass walled room, which can accommodate 8 guests around an oval table where you can enjoy individually designed menus and indulge in some serious wine tasting! For guests who just want a quiet drink you can choose some lovely seating areas, providing comfort and style, both of which Palm Court has in abundance.
We were seated as a four on a roomy round table that allowed everyone appropriate views and were handed our menus.
We had previously decided we would all order different dishes to get a reall refelction of the menu and there was so much to choose from that we managed to find something from both the starters and mains that we genuinely wanted to eat without clashing! Now that really is a rarity!
Our starter choices included the most sumptuous Prawn Cocktail I have had in some time. To call it that is wrong, as it did include prawns but also lobster, crayfish and crab. It was divine, although I would encourage the Chef to add just a little more spice to his sauce, but that’s just me. Scallops were beautifully cooked, seared on the outside soft within, complimented by the salty belly pork, a very special dish. The duck leg was delicious and beautifully presented, the outside both sticky and crispy, the rich meat within falling off the bone, but the star of the starters was definitely the cheese souffle which created food envy not just at our table but around the restaurant. I think the souffle maker is going to be very busy. It rose and stayed risen, a cloud like souffle, surrounded by a rich cheddar cheese sauce, topped with black truffle and sticky shallots, mouth watering perfection! We all agreed this was an exceptional start by our chef and so far the cooking had been faultless!
Our mains demanded more from the chefs as we seemed to cover the continents with our choices. Izzy opted for the Jungle Curry, a delicious combination of monkfish and tiger prawns in a coconut rich sauce with enough spice to get the taste buds tingling, served with sticky Jasmine rice. Phil decided on the 8oz fillet of Welsh beef, which came with scorched tomato, blue cheese stuffed mushrooms, watercress and hand cut chips. The fillet was a good-looking piece of meat, but it was here that the only cooking error of the night was evident as the steak was medium and not rare as requested, however it was quickly resolved. I was lucky enough to order the Iberico Pork dish which consisted of a pork cutlet, lemon and chorizo croquettes, golden raisin puree and a rich Calvados jus and I would rate it as highly as any pork dish I have eaten. It was soft, flavoursome and the rich unctuous jus made it something very special. I would thoroughly recommend it. The final main course was Pan roasted halibut with stuffed courgette flower, curried mussels, fresh mango, Bombay flavours and yoghurt. This was a dish full of flavour and texture, just slightly let down by the discovery of one or two bones in the fish. If that wasn’t enough food we also ordered the rocket, parmesan, pine nut and cherry tomato salad and the hand cut chips with truffle and aged parmesan, which although rather indulgent were spectacularly good.
Only one of us had room left for dessert and that was Phil! He chose the banana souffle with salted caramel and banoffee ice cream. Our waiter advised that the souffles are freshly cooked to order and so there would be a short wait, the wait was worth it and it was clear that the ‘Souffle King or Queen’ had triumphed again! Phil was very happy!
It had been a meal of anticipation, excitement, pleasure and relief as we all realised that the flagship of the Nelson empire finally had a restaurant that it so richly deserved. Well done to everyone involved, you should be extremely proud.
Palm Court
Grosvenor Pulford Hotel & Spa,, Wrexham Road, Pulford, Chester, CH4 9DG
Palm Court, located in the heart of the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel & Spa in Chester, Cheshire is a unique and captivating dining venue offering quality British and European cuisine.
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