Restaurant Fraiche

Well, today we have been mostly been eating Marc Wilkinson's food. In fact I think apart from a very lite snack, that is all we will be eating.
A long overdue return considering its perhaps just an hour fifteen, thirty minutes (subject to traffic) up the road. Trouble is we rarely book too far in advance and getting a table here at short notice is nigh on impossible, except this time we got a cancellation. Having said that however, it still took us four perhaps five weeks.

Not sure how many days lunch is served, perhaps just Friday, Saturday, Sunday. More and more we prefer lunch service, late nights do not do it for us anymore especially if I am driving a long distance after a big meal. On the plus side of course some of the best bargains are to be had at lunch just to get bums on seats.


Some tasty spiced pecans were placed on the table for our pleasure whilst the kitchen cooked our food.

A bit of fun next, which was on the menu as The kiss The lips reminded me of something off a Rolling Stones album and they were in fact part of a bloody mary cocktail especially when our server sprayed some Grey Goose vodka over them. Fun.

Reading like a five courser on the menu, with The kiss as an extra header the first course was entitled Potato cream. coffee/ montgomery.

Montgomery is of course cheddar cheese and this dinky little pot of goodness came with some extremely addictive crispy poppy seed bites, and squid ink crisps.

One thing I really look forward to at Fraiche is the very excellent bread, and four little buns arrived as follows. Granary and treacle, five nuts, cheese, and mixed seed. Butters were unsalted Goats butter, and slightly salted Cows butter with Hawaiian sea salt.

Cauliflower cheese, Beaufort/ mint was plated similarly, and reminded me of a dish that we ate at Tom Aikens a couple of weeks ago. This rendition was roasted, pickled, raw, and poached cauliflower with mustard and mint dressing, rocket, olive oil powder and a beaufort cheese crisp. A simple vegetable given the royal treatment by a good chef.

We were looking forward to the next course, at least I was, perhaps not so very much for the Wild Cornish brill fillet but more the briney cockles, dashi broth, and oyster leaf.

Beautifully plated and eating rather well, subtle but complex we really liked this.


Second serving of bread next. Mushroom, tomato and olive oil, black olive, and organic oat. My, My.

I think Marc must know that quail is one of my favourite eats, I would like to think that this was why it was on the menu, although then again,perhaps not. This one was from all the way from France. Loire quail, parsley root/beetroot.

Now I'm fairly certain our waiter said that the quail was roasted? It was so tender I could have sworn it would be sous vide, but what do I know. Perhaps it was and then finished off in the oven. Whatever, it was cooked to perfection, truly excellent flavour. Did it have a glaze of some sort, not sure?
The dainty little legs were confit and by golly did that work.
Also on the plate were roasted shallots, parsley root puree, pak choi, poached beetroot, potato crisp and truffle. Excellent.


Another fun little diversion, and one that we have had before were the Fizzy grapes)

There was a choice of cheese (at no extra charge) or dessert. I tried the cheese which looked fabulous on the chariot.

Whilst the cheese choice was being explained to me, a surprise dessert arrived for my wife. Having the feel of a superior bath sponge, a feathery lite Chocolate cake with cherry toothpaste. 

We shared the cheese and in tune with the extreme generosity of the restaurant the normal four choice turned into six. Really spoilt for choice I chose bleu de basques, an artisan sheeps milk cheese. Some chabichou, Calvados camembert, A cheese washed in champagne? Plus? 

A cracker selection was served along with some jelly and various fruit. vis apricot, apple. 


Surprise, surprise Cilla (well we are close to Liverpool) a cracking dessert arrived next. Simply listed as Chocolate textures this did indeed look the part. Arriving in three pots for full effect, I could not wait to try a spoonful,(or three).
Witness, chocolate mousse, milk crumb, ? brittle and chocolate foam. Fresh cherry, chocolate clafoutis and a cherry ice lolly. Yum, yum 

Well, well, what a fantastic lunch. from start to finish not one hiccup and incredible value. Lots of extra bits and bobs, as good as any evening tasting menu currently on offer.

As it would happen, it was unbeknown to me until this morning that this was our wedding anniversary. OK, its a man thing I,m ashamed to admit forgetting. So we had a glass of champers each, three glasses of wine and a glass of port between us, no coffees, tap water.
All of the above food and with a tip the bill only came to £110. Incredible value.

Be prepared for a couple of months wait for a table, or do as we did and ask for a cancellation, but whatever you do . Go. 

                                             http://www.restaurantfraiche.com/