After a day enjoying the Yorkshire countryside, we decided to dine at Rudding Park’s Clocktower restaurant. The Clocktower offers casual dining in a series of connected rooms - we chose the conservatory, dominated by a 400 year old olive tree. The surroundings are elegant and casual, with comfortable wicker chairs and warm lighting. Service was friendly and very efficient.
To drink we decided upon a bottle of Panul Merlot 2013, a little young, but ideal for our rather eclectic choice of food.
"Excellent local ingredients"
To begin, my partner enjoyed a smoked salmon and prawn cocktail with avocado mousse, very fresh and with good flavours, but not as exciting as my rabbit and tarragon terrine which was accompanied by a heritage carrot salad and a sweet and intense carrot mousse.
For our main course, my partner chose a rather conservative fillet steak served with chunky chips, garlic and thyme, field mushrooms and a choice of peppercorn, mushroom or béarnaise sauce. Full of good flavours and attractively presented.
I chose what for me was a stand out dish; tandoori spiced whole grilled sea bream with Bombay new potatoes, spinach and coconut. Gorgeous to behold, and replete with intriguing and complex spice flavours. The sea bream could not have been fresher, and the warm tandoori spices married superbly with the tasty white fleshed fish.
We shared a wintery dessert of rich plum pudding served with a pear compote, poached plums and home made almond ice cream. This was so good that we almost ordered a second one, but, sadly, there is always the waistline to consider.
Altogether a very enjoyable meal, with excellent local ingredients, treading some well worn culinary paths maybe, but executed with finesse.
The Bill: £47 per head
