A sumptuous dining room, a high-end hotel and some of the best service I’ve had all year was the setting for yet another of our out-of-London luxury escapes. The Restaurant at The Vineyard Hotel has an interesting and quite topsy-turvy history. The head chef here is Daniel Galmiche, who took over from John Campbell (now at The Woodspeen) back in 2010. At the time the restaurant held two Michelin stars but since John left, they of course lost both. It’s definitely not of two Michelin star standard now, but it’s very close to one star dining and the food currently is superb. French in style and very classical. The dining room is nice too – it feels very expensive and opulent in all its grandeur.
This is, of course, exquisite fine dining. What made it for me were the extra little bits, the things I have never tried before and the flourishes and finishing touches. It is unlikely I will ever have another sugared celery leaf but I will never forget it. At the same time I can’t wait to start pouring pearl barley into every soup I ever make. It was a great experience to have the wine paired to the food and I can't wait to try more wine in the future. The enthusiasm, expertise and interest in wine shone through and if you've ever wondered what all the wine fuss is about, this is the place to find out.
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