The Alderley Edge Hotel - Review

The Alderley Edge Hotel is going through something of a transformation. Gone are formal bow-tied, waist coated waiters as are the old ‘three-course meal’ option, along with separate lunch and dinner menus. With a new menu offering a modern approach which ‘combines à la carte and table d’hôte into a wider range of smaller, high quality dishes that offer the flexibility for customers to scale their meal up or down to meet health, weight or dietary concerns’ – which I think translates as basically meaning you are as welcome now for a simple pasta dish and a glass of wine in the garden as you are for a gourmet meal in restaurant.

The greeting was welcoming yet formal, with the choice of perusing the menu over a drink at the bar, or being seated straightaway. We opted for the latter and were led to our table. The décor at the Alderley Edge Hotel is classic with a cotemporary edge. The restaurant’s style is a cut above other Cheshire establishments, the clientele were predominantly business people, largely, I suspect, due to our mid-week visit. The only fault with regards to the setting/ambience was the lack of hubbub or background music for the majority of the evening which made us conscious that we felt the need to whisper. 

We opted to leave ourselves in the hands of highly acclaimed head chef Chris Holland, who chose our six course taster menu. We also ordered a bottle of the Villa Rosa Chardonnay, one of the house wines from the fantastically extensive wine list.

A quick mention for the bread rolls that we had to eat, simply so that we could sample the three unusual and delicious homemade butters served with them. A nice touch.

Upon ordering we were presented with two aperitifs, which due to the late hour of this midweek visit disappeared rather quickly. Shortly after arrived our first course, Veloute of Chicken and Chorizo Parsley Air, the presentation – in a shot type glass was interesting and unusual. Having never tried parsley air before I was pleasantly surprised, the veloute was sharp with the chorizo giving it a firm flavour.

The second starter dish was the pot roast foie gras with madjool dates and a rhubarb coulis. The foie gras was velvety and smooth; the coulis was a welcome addition to the dish adding a complimentary contrast in flavours which gave the dish some needed balance.

Our third taster plate was Local hand dived scallops, ham hock jelly and English pea puree. Not usually a fan of scallops as I find them rather bland, which was the case here, although the ham hock and pea puree brought the dish some life,  without which it may have been only average.

The equivalent of our ‘main course’ was our final savoury dish, a Duet of Lamb, best end and rump, with sweet garlic custard and rosemary fume. The lamb was perfectly pink and succulent. The garlic custard, was a sweetly delicious and novel accompaniment which did not overpower the taste of the excellent meat. Served with small roast potatoes this dish was a highlight.

For dessert a trio of tiramisu arrived. Now tiramisu would be some way down my list of favourite desserts, but after finishing this it had certainly moved up a few rankings. The trio, which consisted of a serving of ice cream, a slice with shortbread and a more traditional looking tiramisu, was simply excellent. Each of the three complimented the other well. The ice cream was creamy and all three dishes were rich and flavoursome, yet still light and refreshing.

The Alderley Edge Hotel should be commended for their new and novel approach. The menu was extensive and the dishes we tried were creative and on the whole excellent. The standard of service deserves its own mention as it was simply outstanding, and helped to set the restaurant apart from its contemporaries.

Whilst the prices might be slightly higher than other good restaurants in the area it is definitely worth splashing out for. We will be visiting again.

By Daniel Maycock
April 2006

6 Course Taster Menu £45p.p
Villa Rosa Chardonnay £15