My family and I recently had the pleasure of ‘Al fresco’ dining at Easthampstead Park Hotel, and I must say, the experience was delightful.
A beautiful country house hotel set in the scenic Berkshire countryside and just an hour outside of London, it is surrounded by 80 acres of woodland, parkland and formal gardens.
As we drove up the impressive tree lined driveway, we knew we were going to experience something special.
With dishes created to inspire and delight, chic dining in Wokingham has never been more accessible and affordable than the culinary experiences on offer at Easthampstead Park. We decided to make the most of the balmy weather and opted to sit outside on the terrace overlooking the expansive manicured gardens and water feature.
They are dedicated to serving the finest local and seasonal produce, yet prepared in a stylish and simple manner.
For starters, I chose the chicken liver and cognac pate with toasted brioche and red onion jam, priced at £11 off of the A la carte restaurant. The pate had a lovely smooth texture with a hint of cognac and the red onion jam was a perfect accompaniment. My husband chose the soup du Jour, served with a warmed bread roll, he said it was delicious and perfectly seasoned.
My son and daughter shared the habanero and mango chicken wings served with ranch dressing and celery sticks at £9. A very generously sized portion, a perfect mixture of sweet and spicy, tender and juicy which were very much enjoyed.
Moving onto the main meal, I finally settled on hake fillet with celeriac puree, roast celeriac, braised shallot, picked almond and lemon caper butter for £28.
The presentation of this dish was a delight. The Hake was cooked perfectly, both meaty yet tender. The creamy smooth and buttery celeriac mash with nutty undertones was the ideal accompaniment to the hake with the pickled almond and lemon caper butter giving the dish an extra zing and rich flavour.
My husband chose the filo wrapped braised beef shin with dauphinoise Potato, Jerusalem artichoke puree, baby turnips, baby carrot and red wine jus at £32.
‘absolutely mouth watering’ was my husband’s comment after his first bite. The beef was succulent with a rich, deep, and velvety flavor which melted in the mouth. The filo pastry that encased it was light and crispy. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and the red wine jus made the perfect accompaniment.
My son, after much deliberation, chose from the bar menu 10oz sirloin steak served with mushroom ketchup, grilled cherry tomatoes, triple cooked chips, watercress served with a peppercorn sauce for £36/
The steak was cooked to request, medium/well done, my son described it as ‘melt in the mouth’. The chunky triple cooked crisps were crispy and light. Every mouthful of this dish was devoured.
My daughter chose the infamous Easthampstead cheeseburger, 8oz beef burger with mature cheddar, baby gem lettuce, tomato, gherkin sauce, coleslaw and chips for £19.
A beef burger suited for those with a big appetite! Juicy, succulent and flavoursome. My daughter enjoyed this immensely.
After feeling rather full, the four of us decided to share two deserts between us. We chose the white chocolate cheesecake with cocoa nib tuile, hazelnut crumb and raspberry ice cream at £10.
We all agreed that we have rarely seen such a beautifully presented sweet. A rich, but not overly sweet creamy filling sat perfectly on a creamy biscuit base, cocoa nib tuile added some textural contrast with the refreshing raspberry ice cream bursting with flavour. A definite winner.
The fig and almond tart with fig puree and cherry sorbet for £9. Boasting a crisp, lightly-sweet, buttery shell, the filling was sweet and sticky with a subtle almond flavour. The refreshing cherry sorbet was vibrant in flavour.
The service we received was excellent, we all felt that our waiter deserved a special mention. He was friendly, attentive, with great attention to detail. We were given just the right amount of time to rest in between courses and anticipated our every need.
In summary, we would highly recommend dining at Easthampstead Park. The food, both taste and presentation is of a very high standard and the service is exemplary, topped off with a beautiful view of the gardens. Dining on the Terrace is a must during the summer months.
