Bybrook, Bath Review

The Bybrook restaurant can be found located at the Manor House Hotel in Castle Combe. This Michelin Starred restaurant boasts a fabulous location in this picturesque village in the Cotswolds, and during a recent stay at the Manor House, we could not wait for dinner time to arrive so we could pay them a visit.

The Bybrook is a fine example of fine dining, with friendly staff ready to greet you on arrival and show you through to your table, which are complete with crisp white linen and polished cutlery. The Head Chef at The Bybrook is Robert Potter, and with him and the helm, we knew we were in for a very special dining experience indeed.

To begin our evening, we decided to order two fine glasses of perfectly chilled Taittinger Champagne as we browsed the menus. Guests of The Bybrook have the option of dining from the a la carte menu, or experiencing their tasting menu. Feeling adventurous, we opted for the tasting menu, and we’re exceptionally glad we did.

The tasting menu is served either as a six course, or seven course menu, depending on the addition of a selection of British cheeses. Although the seven courses did sound very tempting, we simply couldn't manage another course. We did, however, opt for the wine pairing, which was highly enjoyable.

First came the Porthilly oyster, which was prepared with a set leek and oyster cream and Yukon Gold mousse. This dish combined beautiful presentation and a wonderful marriage of flavours. It was well matched with our glass of Champagne which provided the perfect accompaniment.

For the second course, we were presented with the Perigord foie gras served with muscat grapes, endive, hazelnuts and walnut toast.This was a decadent and thoroughly delicious dish that provided a perfect balance of flavours and textures. This course came paired with a glass of 2014 Sauternes, Les Garonnelles, bordeaux, France, which is a fresh wine with honeyed citrus notes.

“Everything from the service to the presentation of the dishes was immaculate, and the food itself was outstanding.”

Next up was the fish course, which consisted of braised Gigha halibut prepared with buttered lettuce, sea purslane, mussels and seaweed beurre blanc. This dish was most delicious, especially paired with a glass of the 2016 Xanadu Chardonnay, Margaret River, Australia, which really brought out the natural sweetness of the perfectly cooked fish, and the savoury notes of the sauce.

For the main event we saw loin and faggot of Salisbury Plain fallow deer, complete with spiced butternut squash puree, cavolo nero, trompette mushrooms and sloe gin sauce. This hearty dish was beautifully presented and full of colour and was the real star of the show as any main course should be. It came paired with a glass of 2014 Chateau du Cedre 'Le Cedre', Cahors, France, which is a medium bodied wine full of red fruits on the palate, with a long smooth finish.

Moving on to our first sweet course, we were presented with their passion fruit mousse that came served with mango and coconut ice. The mousse was mouth wateringly good, and the mango and coconut ice made for a great palate cleanser. Our final course of the evening came in the form of an egg custard tart, served with poached forced rhubarb and rhubarb sorbet. This course was paired with a sticky glass of 2014 Charles Hours-Clos Uroulat 'Uroulat' Moelleux, Jurancon, France, which rounded off the evening with a great flourish.

We were so impressed with The Bybrook, which exceeded our expectations and has certainly left us wanting more. Everything from the service to the presentation of the dishes was immaculate, and the food itself was outstanding. We would highly recommend The Bybrook to anyone visiting the local area, although this restaurant is a destination in its own right.