Member Article

Restaurant review: The Wellington Restaurant at Wynyard Hall

Looming out from the darkness after the long drive down from Newcastle, Wynyard Hall certainly is an impressive sight. Spotlights add to grandeur of the pillars framing the entrance hall, while inside every detail of the restored decor was perfect - setting the tone for the rest of the evening.

On arrival at the Wellington Restaurant, we were led into the library and in front of a crackling fire made our choices for dinner. Wynyard Hall’s cocktails promptly followed, and I was very glad I chose the bartenders’ amaretto, pineapple and vodka recommendation.

After making our choices, our waitress for the evening guided us into the main restaurant, which can only be described as breathtaking. Enormous paintings of notable former residents line the walls, while a ceiling height window overlooked an antique grand piano, where a pianist sat tinkling the ivory keys. Despite being in such grand surroundings, the glow of the fires and the warmth of the staff set us both at ease immediately.

For starters, we chose the Scallops (£.9.50), and the Parfait (£7). The Scallops were accompanied by sweetcorn, beech mushrooms, Serrano ham and a thyme and leek salad - a seemingly long list of ingredients, yet together they created a visually spectacular plate of food. The saltiness of the ham contrasted beautifully with the sweet corn and the meaty scallops, each element complimenting the others perfectly. The Parfait was light yet creamy, and the accompanying mulled wine jelly was a real taste of Christmas.

For the main course, I opted for the Roast Cod with chickpea and chorizo cassoulet (£18), while my partner plumped for the Winter duck au vin with celeriac mash and buttered spinach. The cod and chorizo were natural partners, while the chickpeas added substance to the dish. I savoured every mouthful. The duck was rich and contrasted with the smooth mash - a simple dish but highly effective.

As we took a pause before the final course, the pianist approached us with his repertoire to ask if we would like to make any requests. It was a lovely touch.

After our recovery, my partner chose the festive mandarin and cranberry cheesecake (£7.50), and while I was tempted by a poached pear, it was the cheese trolley which really caught my eye. The waiter brought it to the table and as he explained the offering of around 12 cheeses, I sat salivating, amazed at his knowledge of the unusual fromagerie. While I can’t recall the names of the cheese before me (perhaps the accompanying port also recommended by the waiter is to blame), I do know they were so delicious that my boyfriend abandoned his own dessert to ‘help’ me finish mine.

As we left Wynyard and drove off into the night, both of us were left with the feeling that we’d had a truly magical evening. The food was faultless, the staff a delight and the setting truly magnificent, and I am very much looking forward to going back in the future.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .