Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant reviews by a professional chef are completely unbiased and written off the cuff for no financial or other reward.

These reviews are the personal opinions of the writer after eating at the establishment reviewed.

4th January 2009.

Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Church Road Great Milton
Oxford OX44 7PD
(0)1844 278881.

Well who would believe we would be eating at the fabulous Manoir once again. After 20 years our children treated us to a Sunday Lunch at Raymond Blanc's establishment. What a fantastic change..the first visit was somewhat awesome but not for the same reasons.

Way back then, although bookings took 3 months as they sometimes do today, the staff were a little...well snotty to say the least... we arrived as a family two adults and two teens. Of course the teens dressed as they felt appropriate...student style but not jeans..one even wore an evening dress...with leggings! Anyway we were appropriately dressed if not a trifle 'modern' for the era. The girls would have done Stella McCartney proud today. The greeting we got on arrival was 'Do you 'ave a reservation'? On eventual confirmation of this whilst we stood with dripping umberellas in the reception we were then shown into an empty reception room that reminded me of a railway waiting room somewhere near Chingford in the '50's

The fire was as miserable as the weather and the canapes that eventually arrived were soggy and nowhere near as appealing as those offered at some smaller restaurants.

The dining room was divine and waiters danced around with all sorts of amazing looking plates and tureens...one of which did a belly flop when a waiter tripped, it revealed a gorgeous pigeon in salt crust pastry...all glistening on the breast with big salt crystals...that was my choice too. The only thing I remember about that meal was the tiny amount of pigeon that came out of the big crust. We all enjoyed the evening despite the problems but always felt it was incredibly expensive for what we had.

20 years later what a difference! incomparable..the rooms were wonderful as we trapsed through the beautiful venue. Lovely wafts of wood smoke from the multitude of open fires..the flowers, the warmth of the ambience and the attention was a delight. This time there were 5 adults...the two teens grown up and ourselves and one spouse plus two children under 10.

The canapes in the very comfortable salon were exquisite...I have never tasted or seen such fabulous canapes.Such a variety and such a concentration of texture and flavours.

We drank a really crisp and refreshing New Zealand Sauvignan Blanc and it was so good we stayed with it throughout the meal.

At the table a huge bunch of flowers awaited me..lovely selection of tropical greens and lillies and red red roses.

More little complimentary starter/tasters arrived...(I love that)

The children were given egg mayonaise which were presented as dear little mice with a peice of cheese.

Needless to say they ate every morsel!

We had a wonderful selection of starters and main courses. I had venison which was the best I had ever tasted and the Aigre Doux sauce...which had bitter chocolate in was quite out of this world.

What about these angel wings of crispy pear wafers...unbelievable!

It did not finish there either...off to another cosey room with a bar for some delightful coffee and a transparent pot of rose tea for me...the little frivolites that came with that were just so 'extra'...we were full to bursting but the intense explosions of flavour in each one was too much to resist...we really did not want to leave...it was so cosy and so welcoming.

As to the cost....don't even ask...we didn't...it was the most delightful 40th wedding anniversary gift anyone could ever have been given.

Thank you kids and thank you Raymond for the ultimate family dining experience of all time.

Fay Olinsky