L'Enclume

[Pweaver1984]

So who has been to this restaurant??

I have only just heard about it on here, today.... I thought I was quite up with all the modern goings on with resturants, but this one seems to have slipped through.....

How long has this place been here, doing its stuff? How many can the place seat and where eaxtly is it locted??

[Gary Marshall]

it's in cartmel in the lake district

chef simon rogon is ex-mpw.

not been but know others who have, famous for long tasting menus and appears to be doing well

www.lenclume.co.uk i'm sure will answer your questions.....

gary

[jimbob]

Looks ambitious, and expensive, thats more the Gordon Ramsay RHR. In fact this is French Laundry money! Am I alone in finding:

tomato here one second, gone the next

and

then mixed with a bit of now

ridiculous?

Not saying the food is not great, I'm sure it is but....

Gourmand

Lakeland slate, five contrasts to get you going

*

Butternut squash and tangerine soup, Jabugo ham, crunchy bergamot

*

Peppered parmesan 'French Fries', Pineapple, thyme

*

Cubism in Foie Gras, two cold one hot, quince, bitter chocolate, pickled onion Turkish

*

Brushed tuna, smokey flavour, lovage squirt, apple wash in plastic

*

Half soft and scrambled eggs, smoked eel hyssop froth

*

A 'tuberous affair' cooked in clay, juices of the black diamond

*

Berni's crab, warm jelly hint of woodruff, sweet pistachio fudge

*

Pan fried langoustine, sour grapefruit drops, tomato here one second, gone the next

*

Diver-caught sea scallop, good king henry, ginger and green tea foam

*

Cubes from Land and Sea, eucalyptus hollandaise style

*

Poached brill, English mace, wild tree spinach, pickle from then mixed with a bit of now

*

Roasted bass, calamint flavours, nutty nougatine, swish

*

Bottled aromas, sweet cicely, passion pipette

*

White truffle custard 'Chinese style'

*

Fennel 'Irish Coffee' cumin rice crackling

'Challans' duck, painted lady, coffee bon bon, sour cherry juices, celery leaf

or

Mr Little's beef fillet, cepe Madeleine St Zita would be proud of, leaf of galiad

*

Monsieur Rabaud's cheeses from the trolley

*

Surrealist 'Slammer'

Perilla financier, wild angelica syrup, juniper ice cream.

Burnt cream pots, wild mountain sorrel, pimento, verbena, saffron honey.

Upside down coconut soufflé, test tube.

Hot chocolate mousse, spices, lapsang, yet another celebral application.

£95.00

Edited July 8, 2004 by jimbob (log)

[Gavin Convery]

Sounds great to me......translate into Spanish and it's probably even better

[Gary Marshall]

I agree

it will either be stunningly good or a shocker, these sort of places tend to polarise opinion, and its usually nothing to do with technique or execution but personal taste.

I suppose it's where you draw the line as to what is molecular gastonomy, i can't stand the fat duck but think anthony's is great, i'd no doubt hate el bulli too, i'd probably throw in a lot of the dishes at hibiscus too as being 'molecular gastrronomy' to the untrained eye and that's just the dogs dangly bits as far as i'm concerned.

no lab equipment at Anthony's though and i note tony, bosi & rogon all claim vociferously not to be molecular gastronomists/ chef's not scientists.

i really should go to l'enclume, i've never been to the lake district sounds daft that i'll jump on a eurostar to paris before i'll drive a few hours up the road!

A punch bowl/l'enclume double header seems on paper not an unpleasant way to spend a weekend. I note l'enclume has some cool star-at-harome-esque-bedrooms now too.

gary

[Gavin Convery]

Gary, You owe it to us all to get yourself over there sharpish....look forward to your report

[Gary Marshall]

i know

i've got a no3/anthony's double header next weekend but nothing else booked after that.

a boy's got to have something to look forward to right?!

and i'm very weak willed

gary

[YKL]

Gary, You owe it to us all to get yourself over there sharpish....look forward to your report

hear hear! this way we can all practically taste the food through your reports without the calories or possible hangover .....

cheers

Yin

[Andy Lynes]

From the "NEW, EXPANDED ‘TASTE AND TEXTURE’ MENU AT L’ENCLUME" press release:

"Simon Rogan's signature ‘taste and texture’ menu showcases different taste experiences, often using long forgotten herbs and obscure tinctures to achieve this. The new menu includes ingredients such as woodruff (Berni’s crab, warm jelly, hint of woodruff, sweet pistachio fudge), calamint (roasted bass, calamint flavours, nutty nougatine, swish), English mace (poached brill, English mace, wild tree spinach, pickle from then mixed with a bit of now) and leaf of galiad (Mr Little’s beef fillet, cepe Madeleine St Zita would be proud of, leaf of galiad) are grown especially for the restaurant by a local organic farm. The introductory menu, priced at £50 offers 8 such tastes, which are expanded upon in the intermediate (£75) and the full gourmand menus (£95). A short à la carte menu, offering four starters, main courses and desserts taken from the taste and texture menu, is also available.

The restaurant’s wine list has been compiled by Stephen Wilcock, Master Sommelier, and includes over 400 bins predominantly from France. Wines by the glass can be recommended to accompany courses."

[Bapi]

Gary, You owe it to us all to get yourself over there sharpish....look forward to your report

hear hear! this way we can all practically taste the food through your reports without the calories or possible hangover .....

cheers

Yin

Yin - what do you mean "possible hangover"?

Gary - as i said on another thread, I would be up for this trip and agree the rooms and I believe new annex look very nice- but ye gads man - never been to the Lake District and you call yourself a Northener?

I think his menu sounds very interesting but would have to concur that these are Manoir, RHR prices

Edited July 8, 2004 by Bapi (log)

[Gavin Convery]

I think his menu sounds very interesting but would have to concur that these are Manoir, RHR prices

If we all chipped in a fiver then perhaps it wouldn't be such a problem.....

[Suzi Edwards]

i really, really, really want to go here. the menu sounds a bit like veyrat's to me...might be wrong though.

hummmmm. how far is the lake district from leeds? would it be possible to go to both in a weekend if you didn't have a car?

[daw]

Tricky sans car - close scrutiny of train timetables required - pretty simple with wheels however.

David

[Gary Marshall]

hummmmm. how far is the lake district from leeds? would it be possible to go to both in a weekend if you didn't have a car?

looking at the route planner yesterday it claims to be not that far in miles from leeds but all back roads so a 3 hour trip according to viamichelin.

luckily i seem to be able to drive a bit quicker than they suggest you can

looks like it has something in common with ludlow, pain in the arse to get there!

gary

[MobyP]

hummmmm. how far is the lake district from leeds? would it be possible to go to both in a weekend if you didn't have a car?

Suzi -

if you get the reservations, I'll drive!

[Jon Tseng]

Could you do a double header with Juniper

Just from a "who can squeeze the most courses into a single lunchtime" point of view?

J

[YKL]

I am useless with Lake District geography but I do know that there is a Leeds-Settle-Carlisle route which would get you pretty close - Leeds - Settle - Carlisle link and there is also the Transpennine Express which I have used regularly to get across to Preston - and you can pick up all sorts of necessary connections from there - Transpennine link

Hope some of this helps.

Please don't mistake any of this for altruism - am just trying to facilitate some more glorious reviews!

cheers

Yin

[ladyh]

If you can get to Preston, you can get to Cartmel. Get train up to Grange-over-sands from Preston, and pick up a cab there. It only takes five minutes to get to L'Enclume from there

[Gavin Convery]

If you can get to Preston, you can get to Cartmel. Get train up to Grange-over-sands from Preston, and pick up a cab there. It only takes five minutes to get to L'Enclume from there

Have you been ladyh?

Can't believe there are no egullet members who have been to this place - it certainly pushes all the molecular gastronomy/dinner in a test tube buttons that would interest us.

[Bapi]

hummmmm. how far is the lake district from leeds? would it be possible to go to both in a weekend if you didn't have a car?

looking at the route planner yesterday it claims to be not that far in miles from leeds but all back roads so a 3 hour trip according to viamichelin.

Sounds about right in terms of time - We did a relatively similar( but reverse) trip two years ago and travelled from Sharrow Bay in the Lake District over to The Star Inn, Harome and that took about 3 hours. Seem to remember meeting some Blond Beelzebub like Yorkshireman for dinner at the Star - but my memory fails to recollect who he was.

As stated Tarka - I fear a car would be essential for your proposed trip

[Suzi Edwards]

i can't drive. so l'enclume will remain a distant dream for me.

i tend to take cabs everywhere and just factor it in to dining costs. but i thought the cost of getting to and from le manoir was a bit much and it is making me rethink my cabbing habits.

[Suzi Edwards]

hummmmm. how far is the lake district from leeds? would it be possible to go to both in a weekend if you didn't have a car?

Suzi -

if you get the reservations, I'll drive!

oh. i just read this. serves me right for just reading the last post in a bid to save some time/get some work done this week.

of course, other people do drive....right mobes, i'll be in touch about this. i think we're going to edinburgh for the festival in august so we should think about trying to squish this in. i'll pm you.

[ladyh]

no, i haven't been - my friend's mum went - by train, tarka! it's doable.

[PS]

Settle-Carlisle is the wrong side of Cumbria. From Preston along the West Cumbrian coastal railway is the one to go for - not the most frequent rail service in the world though.

[Suzi Edwards]

Forgive me, my geography is completely terrible. As the woman at the trainline has just pointed out to me.