Sugarvine - May 2006

"Everyone knows that Alderley Edge is awash with money. Sadly, such affluence means it also has more than its fair share of eateries with more style than culinary substance. Not so the Alderley Restaurant. Housed within the elegant environs of the Alderley Edge Hotel on the edge of the village, it boasts marvellous views right across the Cheshire Plain. The food, under the expert eye of head chef Chris Holland, is pretty wonderful too.

Until recently, the Alderley offered a traditional set menu and three-course a la carte. But now you can order as much, or as little, as you want to from an impressive list of starters, mains and desserts. Prices vary, too. So whether you want to push the boat out or steer the financial ship a little tighter, there are plenty of options.

The dining room itself is classically elegant – and the service very silver and attentive. Aperitifs are enjoyed in a country house atmosphere in a bar just adjacent to the restaurant. House champagne (Canard Duchene) is £32.50 a bottle, £16.50 for a half bottle, or £5.95 a glass. Making a choice here is difficult stuff. There’s a smoked haddock broth replete with Jersey Royals and leeks, seared scallops with peas and ham, and, unusually, Jambon Iberico with Manchego cheese and quince jelly. However, the Brixham crab omelette, served with cucumber and roasted pimento salsa, will not disappoint. The sweetness of the crabmeat perfectly complements the fluffy lightness of the egg. The house pate, complete with onion bread and caramelised apple, is a classic dish also done superbly. Fish is a major player here but starter choices also include a quail and rabbit terrine and vegetarian option of spinach and asparagus risotto with Cheshire cheese. Prices range from about £6 to £9.25 and most starters can be ‘converted’ into mains for a few pounds extra.

The same versatility applies to the main courses. There’s the Alderley take on fish pie and on Lancashire hotpot and much grander stuff like a beef fillet with Pommes Anna, porcini puree and Bordelaise sauce. Simple sirloin steak and chips, too, with smoked tomatoes and mushrooms. Fish here is shipped in fresh every day from Grimsby and the wild halibut with celery and apple mash and baked fillet of seabass with wild garlic, broad beans and peas are both winners. All mains are served with vegetables but if you’re extra-hungry side orders of mash and salad can be had for about £3. But it’s probably better to leave room for the desserts.

Inevitably, there’s sticky toffee pudding and, more surprisingly, jam roly poly with marmalade sauce. Equally retro is the homegrown rhubarb and apple pecan crumble, served with clotted cream. The cheeseboard, comprising the best of British varieties, is exemplary. Four cheeses cost a very reasonable £5 and an indulgent eight, £8.50. The choice includes Lanark Blue, Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire and Cromwell Bishop English Stilton. These come with fruit bread, biscuits and chutney.

Three courses with house wine and pre-dinner drink are likely to cost from about £50 a head but for five-star food like this it’s well worth it. Lunch, from a more limited but equally well-conceived menu, is £17.95 a head for three courses. The Alderley’s wine list is extremely comprehensive -- £1,400 for a 1959 Petrus, anyone? But there are also lots of affordable, interesting house wines at under £20 a bottle. You don’t have to be a celebrity to enjoy the Alderley’s fabulous food and romantic ambience."

Susan Press - Sugarvine