(ad – pr) As with my recent visit to Ox Pasture Hall, I have to confess that Aldwark Manor was unfamiliar to me before I was kindly invited along to try out their new restaurant, Chartwell. Neither golf nor spa days appeal to me, so its appeal was previously limited, but the arrival of well reputed chef Chris O’Callaghan to steer this new part of the Aldwark offering was all the motivation I needed to get a friend to drive me out there. It’s a surprisingly convenient buzz out of York to Chartwell at Aldwark Manor and an impressive location when one arrives, with Chartwell just by the car parking and ready for us. I was surprised at the scale of investment at Aldwark with new building in abundance and wax sealed menus waiting for us as we approached our table.
Named after The family home of Winston Churchill, Chartwell, and with menus given designations based on his preferred cigars and drinks the marketing here invites you to expect the unexpected… Opting to avoid an excess of intrigue we broke the wax seals and buckled up for the “Romeo” 7 course menu, taking its name from the Romeo y Julieta cigar of Winnie’s preference. One of the first things to draw the eye and most striking features of the dining area is a large screen embedded in a mirror that shows a variety of angles from the kitchen, acting as a subtly voyeuristic twist on an open kitchen viewed through a looking glass. The rest of the dining room is bright and welcoming with an expansive (and indeed expensive) feel amplified by slightly reflective table surfaces and swathes of books, which would feature later in our evening. First up was the customary round of snacks: in this instance featuring Lincolnshire poacher, sea trout and allium across a delicate tart; a nori wrapped parcel; and dressed trout. Delicate additions of emulsions, herbs and the odd bit of dehydrated crunch helped them all stand out and make a strong start to proceedings in advance of a bread course. Cheddar brioche with whipped roasted chicken butter sounds like an easy way to win me over, and so it proved. It was nice to see a relatively conservatively portioned bread course too; filling up on bread when there’s so many memorable dishes in prospect being an occupational hazard that can lead to a distressing waste of bread.
Steak tartare came and said its hellos next, using caviar and smoked eel to accent the perfectly uniform dice of meat as well as a small scattering of peppery nasturtium. I’m not sure what it says about me that I’m drawn to raw meat in such a way but this example will stay with me for some time. Barbecue scallop was next on stage showcasing a heady char of caramelisation against buttery scallop sweetness, apple notes and earthy cauliflower. After the tartare, this was another open goal confidently taken!
Next up was the meat course, centred around duck with plentiful notes of truffle as well as asparagus for freshness and lightly pickled mushrooms. The duck cookery was perfect with the fat rendered, skin crisped and flesh still pink and the elements served alongside it complemented rather than clashed with the duck. The pair of sweet dishes on which the menu ended focussed on passion fruit and strawberry with the former represented by a bite-sized, delicate tart and the latter a wide range of textures with the cheesecake element being particularly memorable.
Having finished our meal, we set about having a good nosey around the facilities, taking in the impressive amount of investment that has resulted in a wide range of dining options in addition to the higher end offering of Chartwell. The final surprise of the night came when someone emerged from behind the bookshelves I’d been noting earlier, an entire section of them swinging open without any external hint that they were movable! Making a beeline to check it out I found an entire other lounge bar tucked away. I guess they were right about expecting the unexpected! Fine dining restaurants in an estate such as this can be difficult to differentiate themselves from the competition but Chartwell at Aldwark Manor has done an effective job, not just delivering refined and well conceived food with a recognisable identity but also a dining space with personality.
