Occasionally I find myself wondering whether I am, in fact, ‘losing the plot’. I imply this, as if you’re willing to take a 600 mile round trip, to essentially ‘dine out’, there must be some degree of madness going on? Right?. Wrong. Because hidden away in the tiny hamlet of Summerhouse near Darlington, sits the North East of England’s first and at present only, two Michelin star restaurant. And while it may appear a touch indulgent to drive for five hours to eat; to drive for five hours to experience this level of dining seems perfectly comprehensible.
There is something so intensely pleasurable about stunningly plated dishes serving the absolute finest the chef has to offer. I think it’s something about the lack of decision making (and food envy), as well as having a group of people collectively enjoying the same dishes together that I absolutely love.
Like 90% of the Antipodean expats in London, we can talk your ear off about our jaunts to the continent. You want itinerary ideas? We’ve got them. You want restaurant recommendations? We can make you hungry. You want to hear some horror stories? We can make you laugh. But ask us about the UK and many of us might be silenced.
This place is no flash in the frying pan. Even though James Close is virtually self-taught, and has only been cooking for a few years, his food is confident, passionate, flawless. That’s why his Michelin star was renewed last month, still the only one in the North East, and why he has won our 2013 North East Restaurant of the Year and Best Fine Dining awards. James is constantly experimenting and improving. I first reviewed The Raby Hunt earlier in the year , and although I was very impressed, and gave it a rare 6 star accolade, I did report the odd weakness. A few weeks ago Mrs Diner and I returned to Darlington for lunch (it’s only half an hour away on the train), and James had bothered t
Suckling Pig: loin, celeriac, apple – James’ food philosophy is ‘Inspired by simplicity’, the classic combination of clean flavours showed this off to the full. The skin was to die for… so wonderfully crisp.
A hidden gem. A fabulous 2-Michelin starred restaurant set in the beautiful village of Summerhouses. Attentive service, great menu and a lovely relaxed atmosphere for such a high end experience.
We didn’t stay over as we’re fortunate enough to live local but I’m sure the rooms meet the same high standards as the restaurant.
Thank you James, Maria and your team!
We came especially for the dining experience as its rated as a 2 Michelin Star Restaurant and we were not disappointed. From starter to dessert was a travelling journey, with flavours bursting in your mouth ! Absolutely amazing tasting menu, accompanied by the wine which made such a difference to the whole experience. (do recommend that you pair the menu with the wine to get the full blast of flavours).Our Sommelier was superb and knowledgeable but most importantly pleasant and friendly. Nothing was too much effort and always accommodating us. The ambiance was exceptional, very few tables and cosy making the whole evening fabulous. Cannot honestly recommend this restaurant anymore that what i have and will most definitely come back. Bravo James and Maria !!
Absolutely faultless, from start to finish. Without any doubt the best dining experience we have ever had (not taking anything away from the service either)! Sommelier was fantastic, as was all other parts of service. We've already messaged friends to book again later this year.
What a great treat. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left, enjoyed every minute. Sitting at the kitchen table and being able to speak to James and all his amazing chefs just added to the experience. Everyone was relaxed, friendly and extremely knowledgable and the food blew us away in texture, taste, looks, serving suggestion and absolute attention to detail, but I guess that’s why you have 2 Michelin stars !!
Although all portions are relatively small after 15 courses you are full up and I can’t believe some of the preparation starts 2 or 3 days before you arrive. Breakfast was amazing as well. I don’t know how you can make simple foods taste so good. James - you and your team are ultimate perfectionist, artists and masters of food.
Best service I have ever had. Absolutely astonishing standards. Food is another level and a taste sensation. Wine pairings were superb. Breakfast was brilliant. Catered for dietary requirements with ease. Rooms were fantastic and the champagne on arrival was a great touch. This place is a literal 10/10.
Food presentation and quality is outstanding.
We had a reservation at the Kitchen table and unless you witnessed the hard work and dedication each and everyone puts in its hard to appreciate it.
The taste of each dish(all 15)was like nothing we’ve had before. We opted for the wine pairing which enhances your experience to another level.
I can’t recommend the place enough.
However,you must appreciate such quality and service comes at a cost.
In my opinion though,worth every penny.
We had a super experience at the Raby Hunt. James, Maria & team were great hosts, the food was delicious. Particular highlights for me were the Steak Tartare, Gunkan Tuna and the Wagyu beef. Go for the Chef’s table!
We went to celebrate my partners 50th, we went for the experience and we got one. Wow!!!
This was our 2nd visit and it didn't disappoint. Outstanding food, fabulous matched wines and incredible service throughout. One of the best dining experiences in the UK.
Absolutely fantastic tasting menu with a series of courses inspired by different countries. Well deserving of its 2 Michelin stars.
Just a wonderful experience from start to finish. It's Michelin stars are well deserved. I would highly recommend.
Looking forward to going back for a special treat another time in the not too distant future.
Amazing experience from start to finish! Attentive and charming staff, lovely intimate and relaxed atmosphere and most importantly the most amazingly delicious and inventive food so creatively presented! Well worth the trip! Much better value than London Michelin starred restaurants too!
![5]( "Recensione")
To summarize: good-to-excellent cooking, good but not top-tier service, slightly disappointing drinks selection, reasonable but not extraordinary value for money, good decor.
We came for dinner and had the 200 GBP tasting menu which has 14 courses. Some of these courses were extraordinarily good. One highlight was a New York beef pastrami inspired minature "burger" filled with foie gras and a wonderfully tender chunk of beef, coupled with a bun that literally oozed flavour. There were also some extremely delicate seafood offerings: a dish of raw razorclam and brown shrimp was alternately tender, salty and sweet in just the right amounts. An absolutely gorgeous piece of A5 Gunma wagyu was also on offer. Wagyu can be overpoweringly fatty, but this one was tender with just the right balance of fat and slightly crispy "maillard"ed skin. In the desserts section, a poached meringue was soft to the point of being unearthly, and is certainly the best sweet course I've tasted in 2020.
Something particularly unusual about Chef James' food is that he knows how to use a light touch of spice in dishes in a very impactful way. A course of Thai-inspired broth is kicked to the next level with sansho pepper powder, bringing a subtle numbing sensation to the palette, and a just few drops of japaleno on a ceviche added a lot of interest to the dish.
Some courses failed to reach these heights. For me, the squab leg needed something extra: eating the meaty main portion of the thigh was almost a chore without some sauce or salt to pump the flavour up a bit. (Though my wife rated this dish as the favourite course of the night, so this may just be me!). While his attempt at a nigiri was servicable it doesn't compare favourably with what is available at mid-level sushi restaurants. The other Japan-inspired dish, a langoustine tempura, also felt a bit out of place, lacking the essential fluffiness of a good tempura. I also would not have been sad to see the mille feuille replaced with something else. The bread "course" was nice enough but perhaps should be served on the side rather than as its own thing.
Overall, while the cooking was good and I see some unique ideas here which make it well worth a visit, it does fall some way short of perfection.
While the staff were friendly, there were some small errors: we were given incorrect information about the ingredients of a dish at one point (another staff member stepped in to quickly remedy the error), and they once tried to remove a course from the table before we had started eating it!
I tried the classic wine pairing at 115 GBP. All the wines were pleasant but not super memorable. Perhaps you would fare better with the more expensive "prestige" pairing at 295 GBP. We would also have appreciated slightly more choice of drinks: my wife doesn't drink wine but does enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail, but no cocktails are available. They also don't have much choice of spirits.
The decor is quite striking, with a persistent skull motif that is cleverly even reflected in the food: the final course on the tasting menu is a beautiful chocolate skull. Top marks here!
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes