Sharrow Bay

[Harters]

Mrs H is toying with a night here for a special occasion we have upcoming.

Current menu looks classic and pretty good. But has anyone been lately and can confirm?

And do they still have a stuffy dress code - jacket & tie?

[david goodfellow]

Be great to get some recent reports.

Sharrow Bay was our introduction to fine dining, quite a number of years ago now.

In fact part of our honeymoon was spent at Sharrow when the fantastically hospitable Brian Sack and Francis Coulson were in charge.

I think many people will have fond memories of dining/staying here.

Fingers crossed for some recent visits.

[SaladFingers]

I had lunch there a few months ago and thought it was excellent. All classical combinations and beautifully executed. We went not realising how much it cost though and at more than £40, it was certainly one of the more expensive lunches I've had.

The good thing about going for lunch though was being able to enjoy morning coffee first then after lunch, wandering off into the beautiful countryside. As a way of spending the day, I can think of few others that can top it, really.

Later this year, we plan on dinner at Sharrow Bay, staying over then lunch at Rampsbeck Country House on the other side of the lake.

Maybe not as exciting as the opening of 21212 but still certainly a destination worth visiting as much for the location as the food.

Edited May 24, 2009 by SaladFingers (log)

[david goodfellow]

I had lunch there a few months ago and thought it was excellent. All classical combinations and beautifully executed. We went not realising how much it cost though and at more than £40, it was certainly one of the more expensive lunches I've had.

The good thing about going for lunch though was being able to enjoy morning coffee first then after lunch, wandering off into the beautiful countryside. As a way of spending the day, I can think of few others that can top it, really.

Later this year, we plan on dinner at Sharrow Bay, staying over then lunch at Rampsbeck Country House on the other side of the lake.

Maybe not as exciting as the opening of 21212 but still certainly a destination worth visiting as much for the location as the food.

←

It was magical on our first and last visit, and every one in between.

It will always be special, glad you enjoyed it.

I think it was always expensive, but we never came away feeling in anyway shortchanged

As strange as it may seem on our long journey back from 21212 we discussed our memorable visits and wondered if they still put the little pastry fish shaped decoration on the edge of the plate? it was a bit of a signature thing with them.

[Harters]

Well, we finally got there, some six months after we'd originally planned to be there. Mrs H's health prompted a cancellation in October.

The view out over Ullswater allows you to forgive almost all of the very few little quibbles that one may have about the food here. That is, once youve allowed the view to distract you from the hotels decoration which, if one was being charitable, one might describe as fussy. No surface is left unadorned by knick-knacks; no wall unfestooned by prints, pictures, plates and the like; no opportunity to hang a tassle is lost.

It's not a place that's going to suit everyone. But it is likely to suit folk who are not necessarily in their first flush of youth. So we were fine. A "smart casual" dress code is advertised but it's still very much a place where most men will be wearing jacket and tie. Not me though - smart casual is smart casual, innit.

The food here is not cutting edge. Its soft, gentle and elegant and what they do, they generally do well. In the best traditions of the country house, dinner is 7.30 for 8 and you join the other guests for aperitifs and canapés in one of the lounges. That said, Ive always thought of a canapé as something you can pick up and you dont need a fork for. Not here and the offering was just odd. A few prawns, dressed with marie rose sauce and a quenelle of guacamole. Very nice but not a canapé in my book.

The starters were, perhaps, the best plates of the meal. Saddle of rabbit sat on a potato pancake, which in turn sat on some wilted spinach and wild mushrooms. Very tasty bit of bunny. The other starter saw three scallops quickly sautéed and topped with a strip of crisp pancetta; a few asparagus spears and a drizzle of a vermouth and lemon sauce. Here, everything perfectly cooked with the sauce doing its job of bringing the other elements together.

The next course is soup or fish. We both took the plaice which came with a smoked haddock kedgeree. Fish was soft and bland (it is plaice, after all), the kedgeree providing a bit of oomph. Then comes a spiced berry sorbet a bit too much dessert-like this one.

Mains were both good, although not faultless. Beef fillet came cooked exactly as requested and was topped with a raviolo of oxtail (powerful flavour here) roasted shallots, cherry tomato. The red wine sauce was overly sweet and detracted.

An excess of sweetness was also present in the other main, in the form of their own black pudding, which accompanied pork fillet and some belly pork (no crackling), cabbage, potatoes, apple & sage sauce. Good plate of pig, in my view.

We took cheese as the next course (the menu has it at the end in the British style). About 10 British & Irish on offer. Between us, I think we tasted almost all of them all in perfect condition. They came with biscuits and celery who needs more.

Sharrow Bay claims to have invented the sticky toffee pudding so that was my dessert decision made. Without doubt, this is the finest version Ive tasted light, yet deliciously rich. Perfect caramel sauce. Less than perfect, was a rhubarb jelly with vanilla custard and ginger snaps. There simply wasnt the sharpness that you expect and want from rhubarb.

Coffee was served in the lounge along with indifferent petit fours.

Dinner costs £70, although we were staying for two nights on a dinner inclusive basis. And herein lies the major issue. Come the second evening, we look at the menu and see that little has changed from the previous. The starters are identical. Plaice still forms the fish course (kedgeree replaced by brandade). The mains and desserts unchanged, except the pork replaced by lamb. Now, Im not saying that we struggled to find something to eat but it was very much second choices. I dont necessarily expect a complete menu change every night but even local bistros manage to offer more choice than this.

That said, the benefit of staying two nights is that you get to eat two breakfasts. Sharrow Bay may well have invented the sticky toffee pudding description; it may well have also invented the phrase Full English. Faultless.

Service had also been faultless both from hotel and restaurant staff.

Edited April 24, 2010 by Harters (log)

[david goodfellow]

John,

Agree the breakfasts are memorable.

One dinner included Lobster Thermidor which was to die for. Our fantastic waiter noticed how much we enjoyed it and joked "would you like another one" and yes he was good to his word another one appeared

I also remember Brian Sack dishing out hampers for guests (ourselves included)FOC with whatever choice you wanted from a large kitchen selection.

That would never happen anywhere today.

Nice problem to have perhaps, but on the third day we began to flag a bit as the food was so rich and plentyfull. We just craved simplicity for a change.

Going to make the effort to return soon.

I just hope the return is as good as the memories.

[sped98]

Pics were taken during Sunday lunch yesterday. A very enjoyable bargain 7 courses..Appetiser , Starter , fish , sorbet , Main , pudding , coffee n treats for a very respectable £45.00.

Our appetiser was a mini Shepherds pie.Minced lamb topped with creamy mash.

Starter of Seared scallops on Thyme and fondant potato , Roasted shallot puree and Noilly prat and Lemon sauce.

Salad of Smoked Duck breast , Spiced poached pear , Cashel blue cheese , Walnut dressing.

One of Chef Mark Teasdales signature dishes , Dressed crab , Tortellini of Lobster , Caramelised scallop and Scallop veloute

Roasted Butternut squash soup with spiced apple compote

Fillet of Plaice with smoked Haddock Kedgeree

Sharrow Pink grapefruit sorbet

Fillet of Brill , Shrimp risotto , Seared scallop , Buttered spinach and Scallop veloute

Medallion of Veal , Seared Foie gras , Buttered savoury cabbage , Dauphinoise potatoes and wild mushroom sauce.

Vanilla creme brulee , Rhubarb and ginger shortbread biscuits

Cashew nut parfait with Caramelised bananas in Rum.

Selection of Sharrow petits fours

The hotel and restaurant.

The fantastic view from the lounge over coffees.