50 B4 50-Hartnett Holder & Co

After months of promising ourselves a visit, we at last made it to the Hartnett Holder & Co restaurant at Lime Wood. This restaurant does not qualify for our 50 B4 50 Challenge, but it feels only a matter of time before it obtains a Michelin Star.

 

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Lime Wood, is a magnificent 5 star boutique country house hotel, just outside of Lyndhurst. The impressive complex started as a classical country house, formerly known as Parkhill, which around five years ago was lovingly renovated and extended with the odd contemporary twist to give a unique & relaxed environment.

 

We have been fortunate to have stayed in the past, and have dined a number of times in what was, The Scullery and The Dining Room Restaurant. When launched, the Director of Cuisine was Alex Aitken, former owner of Michelin starred Le Poussin, and he is now heading up the impressive waterfront restaurant, The Jetty at Mudeford, and Kings Arms in Christchurch.

 

After Alex moved on, Luke took over a Head Chef, quickly building a reputation for creating contemporary fine food with local ingredients at the centre of the dishes. He is also a very nice guy and has been involved with events at Milford on Sea Food Week.

 

Earlier this year the restaurant became Hartnett Holder & Co, when Angela Harnett joined Luke in running the restaurant. 

 

Angela learnt her trade under Gordon Ramsay in his first restaurant ‘Aubergine.’ She then joined another Ramsey protégé Marcus Wareing at Petrus. She won her first Michelin star at ‘Angela Hartnett at the Connaught’ in The Connaught Hotel, London. Today, she is Chef Patron in her own Michelin starred restaurant, Murano, a fine-dining Italian restaurant in Mayfair, London.

 

In 2004 she collected her first Michelin star, and in early 2007, she was awarded an MBE for Services to the Hospitality Industry. A familiar face, Angela appeared with Gordon on Hell’s Kitchen and is regular seen on many TV cookery programmes today.

 

When we entered the grounds there was an immediate impact from the beautiful surroundings and delightful garden sculptures. Entering the building it felt like we were coming for a ‘country weekend’.

 

A number of subtle changes had taken place since our last visit, and made everything feel comfortable, welcoming and oozing quality.

 

The biggest changes had taken place in the Dining Room. A complete refit had taken place, and what had previously been a stylish & formal dining space, we now discovered a relaxed central bar, comfortable red leather furniture and classic wooden tables. The room was unpretentious & gave us an immediate impression of what we imagined a quality shooting lodge may be like.

 

Everything was relaxed and comfortable, and all the tableware reflected the high quality of dining expected. The staff were formally dressed, and everyone friendly and helpful.

 

We hadn’t decided who was driving home, but my wife subtly told me when she ordered a gin & tonic. There were two menus, a two course lunch at £19.50 for two course and the a la carte. We could immediately see from the dishes Luke’s passion for local fresh ingredients and elements of Angela’s Italian heritage added to the best of British food.

 

We mixed it up, for our starters my wife had the enjoyable; Pizzetta, Quail Egg, Taleggio & Spinach. I had the Goats Cheese, Compressed Tomato & Basil. Sounds simple, but the dish was not as expected, and as clever as it was delicious. The explosion of multi-level flavours and unexpected textures made this one of the best starters I had ever tasted.

 

Chatting to our waitress we discovered that Angela Hartnett spent around two day a week in the restaurant, this was great to hear, bearing in mind how incredibly busy she must be.

 

For our main courses, my wife had a fresh pasta dish Agnolotti, Pappa al Pomodoro & Basil, and I enjoyed the Milanese Risotto, a rich tasty dish infused with saffron and three year old Parmesan cheese. Friends had told us that portions were not as big as they might have liked, if that was the case previously, it certainly is not the case today, as each portion was significant and more than ample.

 

Full and satisfied, my wife passed on sweet as usual, and as usual I didn’t. I went for the Amalfi Lemon Tart with nectarines, amaretto & almonds. At first glance it looked a lonely, albeit generous, slice of tart on a plate. Proving that first impressions are not always right, when I tucked in, the masterfully made pastry was perfect, and the tart filling wonderful. It was impossible not to pull a contorted face (& accusations of being an embarrassment), as the zingy lemon hit my taste buds, this was then followed by several layers of other delicate flavours. The plate certainly did not need any form of sweet cream or custard accompaniment.

 

There is no doubt we had enjoyed our visit, and will be back!

 

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50 B4 50-DINING CHALLENGE

Michelin Stars So Far: 21

3 Michelin Star

London | Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester - www.alainducasse-dorchester.com

2 Michelin Star

London | Hibiscus - www.hibiscusrestaurant.co.uk

London | Pied a Terre - www.pied-a-terre.co.uk
Buckinghamshire-Marlow | Hand & Flowers - www.thehandandflowers.co.uk (Twice)

France | Georges V Hotel, Paris - www.fourseasons.com/paris

1 Michelin Star

London | L’Autre Pied - www.lautrepied.co.uk

London | L’Escargot - www.lescargotrestaurant.co.uk

London | The Savoy Grill - www.gordonramsay.com/thesavoygrillLondon

London | Veeraswamy - www.veeraswamy.com

London | Quilon - www.quilon.co.uk
Hampshire | Terrace Restaurant (Montague Arms) - www.montaguarmshotel.co.uk

Hampshire | Vetiver (Chewton Glen Hotel) - www.chewtonglen.com/restaurant

*To read the review on any of the above restaurants, put 'restaurant name' in this blog's search box.

 

50 B4 50 Challenged explained: click here

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No Michelin Stars, but restaurants visited since July 2013 that are worth a mention:

 

Yarmouth, IoW | The George - www.thegeorge.co.uk

Nice fresh menu, excellent crevettes & lobster dishes. Delightful beachside dining on sunny summer days.

 

London | Dishoom - www.dishoom.co.uk

Described as a 'Bombay Café in Convent Garden. Completely different Indian dining, unexpected menu serving tasty spicy tapas style dishes.

 

London | J Sheeky Oyster Bar - www.jsheekeyoysterbar.co.uk

Excellent fish & seafood restaurant. Voted 3rd in Zagat ' Best Seafood Restaurants in London' after Wiltons & Scott's.

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