There are many fine restaurants in the UK, but none of them quite as iconic as The Waterside Inn in the historic village of Bray-on-Thames. This legendary granddaddy of fine-dining establishments in the country, opened by the Roux brothers Michel & Albert in 1972 (shortly after Le Gavroche in 1967), remains a family business today, in the good hands of Michel's son Alain and his Belgian sous chef Fabrice Uhryn. The Roux family was, and still is, synonymous with gastronomy in Britain. This flagship restaurant has held 3 Michelin stars since 1985 and is the only one outside France to have maintained this honour for so long. I made a special trip from London this afternoon for my birthday lunch, and as you can imagine I was very excited about my first visit.
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| The cosy waiting area |
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| Elegant table setting against an idyllic river backdrop |
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| View across the bright and spacious dining room |
The Waterside Inn is more than a restaurant - for guests who wish to experience the full extent of their hospitality (and who have lots of spare cash!), bed & breakfast packages are also available. This 'restaurant with rooms' concept is apparently quite popular in the Roux family's native France.
The cooking is unashamedly classic French as well - as you will see, nothing revolutionary (unlike its equally famous neighbour The Fat Duck by Heston Blumenthal), but always with great respect for the freshest seasonal produce available, and exquisite & elegant presentation. I was there just in time for the new spring menu, and went straight for the Menu Exceptionnel of 6 courses (tasting menu).
As they say, first impressions count, and both the front-of-house manager Diego and his team displayed a genuine passion for serving and provided me with a warm welcome. The overwhelmingly French presence and heavy French accents might seem pretentious to some, but once you look beyond that, you can tell that they really take pride in what they do.
On to the food - I was first served a most impressive canapé platter, really the biggest start to any meal that I've ever had at fine restaurants:
This was an nice assortment to really tickle the tastebuds and heighten one's expectations for the meal ahead, with (front to back): cheese sticks (very light, crispy and fragrant), roast duck on baby gem lettuce with a sweet and spicy sauce (very tender meat and delightful combination of textures with the refreshing & crunchy lettuce), Welsh rarebit with a spicy plum chutney topping (rich cheesy flavour was nicely enhanced by the slight spiciness of the topping), and cod brandade on potato chips with a crushed black olive topping (very fresh and savoury combination). A rose (for presentation purposes only) is artfully crafted from beetroot. If you look very carefully at the platter as a whole, you might even notice that the pieces make up the family name 'ROUX', in a most understated and elegant manner!
First course: flaked Devon crab and marinated sea bass served on a delicate carrot jelly lightly infused with ginger, with Royal Belgian oscietra caviar. Garnished with fresh sliced baby carrots, celery leaves, and a carrot & ginger macaroon.
Stunning presentation, with the freshness of individual components showcased in their full glory. The crab had a natural sweetness which was delightfully enhanced by the slightly salty caviar and sourish sea bass. The thin base of carrot jelly balanced the indulgent mound of seafood with its tartness, and the ginger infusion lifted the whole dish with a subtle spiciness. Despite the apparent luxuriousness of the dish, it felt incredibly light and was a nice contrast to the rather heavy canapé platter that had preceded it.
Second course: pan-fried escalope of foie gras Grenoble style, on a bed of beansprouts, with a caramelised slice of orange, sprinkling of sweetbreads & soybeans, and orange jus.
A straightforward combination that needs almost no elaboration - this was the most generous portion of foie gras that I've ever had, pan seared on the top for a really nice crispy charred layer. Pure delight on the inside - really rich and creamy. The orange was a good balance with its natural acidity, while the sprinklings provided an appealing crunch to the dish.
Third course: poached fillet of Dover sole flavoured with tarragon, langoustine tail, morels (a type of seasonal spring mushrooms), on a bed of spinach and peas, vin jaune sauce (a white wine of the Jura region in France which is yellowish in colour, hence its name).
My favourite dish of the meal. The arrival of this course struck my nose first with an incredible earthy fragrance, emanating from the generous use of seasonal morel mushrooms. Every bite, lubricated with the intensely perfumed sauce, was a delight. The firm sole fillet formed a kind of outer wrap for a light sole mousse within, that was studded with yet more morels. The langoustine tail was cooked to perfection and maintained a moist springy texture. Crunchy fresh peas and soft spinach were the perfect foil for this wholesome and healthy dish. I could have licked the plate clean!
Fourth course: spit-roasted Challandais duck studded with cloves, served on a bed of spinach, with a mead flavoured jus and poached baby broccoli & radish. Side of puff pastry, pumpkin purée and (dried?) oregano.
Classic French cooking has been given a really cute twist here, in terms of presentation, with the puff pastry in the shape of a duck. The duck slices were incredibly thin and even - takes great skill with the carving knife to pull off, I imagine! This was a really hearty and substantial dish. The duck, very tender and still slightly pink, was very nicely enhanced by the savoury mead jus with just a slight hint of sweetness. The poached vegetables were a fresh and delightful balance. The puff pastry was buttery, flaky and feather-light, and its sweet & creamy pumpkin purée filling worked very well with the naturally rich meat.
Now for a slight diversion - this was the cheese trolley for the adjacent table. I'm not a particular fan/connoisseur of cheese myself but this looks like a nice variety they've got.
Palate cleanser: lime blossom sorbet, in a pool of elderflower infusion.
This was an unexpected little piece of heaven - Alain Roux really lives up to his reputation as a master patissier! After all the indulgent dishes that had preceded it, this sorbet was like a breath of fresh air, with just the right amount of acidity complemented by the unmistakable sweetness and aroma of elderflower. The texture of the sorbet was incredible - firm on the outside, maintaining good shape throughout without melting in the bowl even as I took my time with pictures, yet completely smooth, melt-in-the-mouth, and without the slightest hint of ice crystals on the inside, once I started eating. I really didn't want this to end so quickly.
Dessert: hazelnut florentine with ivory (white chocolate) mousse and passion fruit coulis.
Huge expectations had been built up for desserts, and this first one didn't disappoint. The presentation again made a rather strong impression with its geometrical layers. Food-wise, I thought the use of the word 'mousse' was a bit of a misnomer - the white chocolate component was in fact more like two solid dollops of cocoa butter cream/spread (not that I was complaining!), so thick, velvety and luxurious that any more would have been too cloying. This was well complemented, in terms of taste and texture, with the crunchy and sticky hazelnut biscuit. The passion fruit was a welcome balance to this rich dessert with its characteristic acidity and aroma.
Dessert: warm rhubarb soufflé enhanced with raspberries. A chunky sauce of fresh Yorkshire rhubarb and raspberries was poured into the centre cavity.
This was a nice contrast to the first rich dessert. The soufflé was feather-light and fragrant, baked using fresh eggs from the area, and the use of naturally tart rhubarb and raspberries ensured that this rather large portion did not feel in the least overwhelming. The chunky sauce added another textural dimension and a nice bite to this dessert. The form was rather disappointing though - most of the soufflé seemed 'stuck' to the ramekin and the one corner that did rise made the soufflé look quite ugly, especially with its contents spilling over the edge. Probably a case of not carving out enough space between the mixture and the ramekin in order for the soufflé to rise evenly while baking. Admittedly this is one of the most difficult desserts to make in the classical culinary repertoire and I'm probably being picky, but surely one could expect more from a world-class kitchen.
It was at this point that I received a nice extra from the kitchen for my birthday, a small piece of tiramisu with the words 'Happy Birthday' written stylishly in chocolate. I had mentioned to Diego my purpose in visiting the restaurant a few courses earlier, so this was a very thoughtful gesture:
Finally, to finish the meal, an stunning array of mignardises (or petit fours). I was pleasantly surprised when they brought out the two-tier platter - actually I was already quite full and then there was all this plus tea! - but it was too good to waste so I just took my time with the delightful pastries. For tea, I chose to have Chinese Gunpowder green tea to aid digestion after this indulgent meal.
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| Imagine a full afternoon tea set right after lunch! |
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| Almost too good to be true. |
Top layer: almond & pumpkin seed nougat (soft, chewy and crunchy), raspberry cake, lemon madeleine (both very moist and light), butter pastry (flaky and crispy).
Bottom layer: blackcurrant jelly, passionfruit tart, Valrhona dark chocolate ganache, hazelnut nougat, mini coffee canele, milk chocolate macaron. How could I find fault with any of these little gems?
Part of the attraction of The Waterside Inn is its idyllic riverside location, and no visit would be complete without a walk round the beautiful terrace, and a couple of pictures:
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| Accommodation cottages by the river |
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| The private dock |
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| Must be nice to sit out here in summer! |
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| One of the two gazebos available for having tea/coffee/aperitifs while enjoying the river view. |
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| Don't lean too far back! ;) |
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| Spring blooms I |
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| Spring blooms II |
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| Life must be so hard for them... |
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| Overview of the dining room and terrace |
It was an afternoon of pure escapism, surrounded by excellent cuisine, beautiful surroundings and fresh countryside air. Why isn't life like this more often? I can't wait for my next visit when my family visits me over the Easter break!
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