We were recently invited to experience the Hotel du Vin’s taster menu with wine pairings at its stylish hotel in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The hotel is located on an elegant Regency terrace in the centre of the spa town and overlooks the Stray which is one of Harrogate’s best known landmarks. The Stray covers 200 acres of grass parkland surrounding the town centre giving the town a uniquely green and relaxing feel.
Getting there:
By car: If arriving from the south take the M1 and A1(M) to the Knaresborough turn off and then follow signs to Harrogate. From the north leave the A1(M) at Junction 47 then follow signs for Harrogate.
By train: Harrogate is served by direct rail services from York, Leeds and London Kings across via the East Coast mainline.
Arrival:
On arrival, we were impressed with the hotel’s discreet appearance as we opened the door and stepped indoors. The entrance lobby was very welcoming with a reception desk to one side. Adorning the walls are a series of clocks all displaying the same time. I enquired about their significance and learnt that they represented locations in the UK that are home to both Hotel du Vin and Malmaison hotels.
Our dinner:
The restaurant lies beyond the attractive bar where we were welcomed by a friendly team member who was expecting us. We had the choice of either a window table or one in an alcove. I usually opt for windows but as it was falling dark we selected the cosy alcove from where we had good views across the restaurant.
We were seated at a large circular table with comfortable armchairs that was dressed with a white tablecloth and matching napkins. Our waiter introduced himself leaving us with a leather bound menu open at the evening’s tasting menu page so that we could refer to it as each course and wine pairing was brought out.
The hotel’s sommelier served our first glasses of wine, a Spanish Verdejo which he explained had a slight acidity designed to clean our palates before starting our meal. I found the wine to be refreshing with its citric flavours. To accompany the wine, an appetiser of smoked salmon served with treacle soda bread was served. This was beautifully presented and of a generous size.
Moving on to our starters, we enjoyed chicken liver parfait served with toast and accompanied by a glass of Australian Riesling. We were then asked if we would like a short break before the main course and we agreed that this would be preferable for all the remaining courses.
I’m a big fan of beef cheek Bourguignon and as this was the main on that evening’s tasting menu I’d looked forward to it especially as it was a cool, autumn evening. Served on a bed of creamy mashed potato, in a rich red wine sauce and accompanied with mushrooms and fresh vegetables it was very flavoursome and heaven on a plate. The portion size was just right as part of a five course menu and was accompanied by a glass of Beaujolais.
Continuing on to desserts, pots of chocolate mousse were served. I rarely select chocolate mousse from dessert menus as I find it to be too rich to my liking but as the serving was quite small it was actually rather nice. This was accompanied by a glass of Six Grapes by Graham’s port which we sipped slowly before the cheese board arrived.
Could we possibly manage to eat any more, I wasn’t so sure. After a longer break we tackled the cheese board which was garnished with grapes, fruit chutney and crackers. Our final wine pairing, a glass of Bordeaux.
Although we felt quite full at the end of the meal, I felt that the portion sizes were just about right and well balanced. As neither of us are fussy eaters it made a pleasant change to be presented with a menu and not to have to make decisions on what to select. Fortunately we weren’t driving, otherwise one of us would have had to skip the wines but obviously if you are staying overnight at the hotel this wouldn’t pose a problem. The restaurant had a relaxed atmosphere with friendly servers who attended to our needs when required. Other tables were mostly occupied by couples and a group of 6 girls celebrating a night out.
Well, there you have it – a review of our experience of the Taste du Vin menu at Hotel du Vin. The five course menu including wine pairings is priced at ￡59.95 per person which I thought was quite good value taking into account that we had a glass of good quality wine with each course. If you would also like to experience this menu, then you will find it is also available at other Hotel du Vin hotels throughout the country.
