We went to the iconic Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons ** of Raymond Blanc just outside of Oxford for dinner and honestly were a bit unsure what to expect. The reviews have been very mixed lately, especially since the new head chef Luke Selby took over and people claimed that the place would be in quite bad condition and would go under renovation starting next year. Also, the atmosphere always looks very “off”, almost cold on pictures that you see online.
We both were impressed by the evening as a whole, less so by the food, which – however – still was excellent. The estate is incredible, and while we did not sleep over, we certainly got a good impression of the amazing service and warmth of the hotel. It really gives “royal” country house vibes and the atmosphere is far away from being cold or anything unwelcoming. I believe there are over 250 staff for just 30 rooms and probably the same amount of tables in the restaurant, and you really feel it. The old manor is extremely luxurious and grand, and you start and end your evening by one of the many fireplaces in the lounges and are encouraged to take your time and relax. Time really is not a topic at Le Manoir, at least not in the evening.
The dining room does look a little dated, but the lighting is excellent, warm and intimate. I could imagine, however, that the place could indeed look a little dated and “cold” during lunch service, when the room becomes more visible due to the natural light from outside (it is a wintergarden).
Service was great throughout, although a bit impersonal.
The 7-course menu was really good and well balanced, focused quite a bit on vegetables (too much beetroot imo), but had obviously great and fresh ingredients. However, it’s really “not that special” and tastes like “something you already had before”. This is not a place you come to for its creativity or even brilliant execution of simple dishes, but more for the social and celebratory aspect. **In my opinion, it does not deserve more than one star.** There was nothing badly done, no flaw in service whatsoever, just very few “wow”-moments (rundown of courses below), even compared to most one stars I have been to. I do see, however, why Michelin is still rating it so high – it certainly is an iconic place, “Hogwarts of British fine dining” and truly a wonderful experience. We stayed for over 4 hours. Sadly, we did not see the estate, but the Christmas decorations looked really beautiful and I am sure it must be wonderful to spend a full day wandering through the gardens.
One aspect I would like to highlight is how accommodating the service was considering my partner’s halal diet. We had many problems in other fine dining establishments, but Le Manoir really took care of her wishes and even pre-ordered specific halal meat that would fit the menu. They asked about alcohol in the sauces and never made it a weird or difficult topic. Many French places behave horribly in that regard (absolutely worst experience was Le Coucou in New York), but this was British service at its best. The non-alcoholic pairing, however, was rather weak and consisted of externally sources juices – not what you would expect from a ** + green star place…
**Food (did not take picture of the menu and forgot specific course names):**
– Great flavors, refreshing, but nothing special and almost too little for 2-star caliber
*Bread*
– Absolutely incredible through and through; large basket with 7 different kinds of freshly baked breads to choose from. Even as a German I was impressed.
*I. Celeriac Consommé with Truffle*
– Good first course, cleansing and fall-appropriate, but also nothing special.
*II. Salmon, Caviar & Lime Sauce*
– Does not look special, but best salmon in my life. Absolutely incredible and the sauce had a perfect oily sourness to it. Best course.
*III. Mushroom & Truffle Risotto*
– A good risotto, sure, but one that I could get in any decent Italian restaurant.
– They introduced it as a signature dish. Seriously???
*IV. Cod with a Smoked Sauce, Mussels and Sweet Potato*
– Very well-balanced dish, incredible cod. Simple, but fall-appropriate and finely executed.
– The mussels were a bit random.
*V. Deer & Beetroot*
*- Deer was incredible, but nothing too unique that one would have never eaten before in this execution. The rest of the dish really tasted and looked sloppy.*
**skipped the cheese trolly, which look really good**
*VI. Pineapple Palate Cleanser*
– Truly interesting flavors of every part of a pineapple with interesting herbal touches. But no need for the cake-like biscuit-base that tasted too heavy.
*VII. Chocolate, Salted Caramel, Turmeric*
– Incredible chocolate hidden under a very light caramel sauce and even lighter turmeric ice cream. Tasted only like well-balanced chocolate, which was great, but “something on the side” would have been nice.
*Petit Fours and Teas*
– Many plus points for an incredible tea menu with 30+ different teas, partly freshly made from the garden.
– The sweets were average and underwhelming…
Paid 740 Pounds for 2, including non-alcoholic pairing and two aperitives. Way way too much for the food, but well worth the experience. Come here if it is a special occasion, don’t just come for the food.
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We went to the iconic Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons ** of Raymond Blanc just outside of Oxford for dinner and honestly were a bit unsure what to expect. The reviews have been very mixed lately, especially since the new head chef Luke Selby took over and people claimed that the place would be in quite bad condition and would go under renovation starting next year. Also, the atmosphere always looks very “off”, almost cold on pictures that you see online.
We both were impressed by the evening as a whole, less so by the food, which – however – still was excellent. The estate is incredible, and while we did not sleep over, we certainly got a good impression of the amazing service and warmth of the hotel. It really gives “royal” country house vibes and the atmosphere is far away from being cold or anything unwelcoming. I believe there are over 250 staff for just 30 rooms and probably the same amount of tables in the restaurant, and you really feel it. The old manor is extremely luxurious and grand, and you start and end your evening by one of the many fireplaces in the lounges and are encouraged to take your time and relax. Time really is not a topic at Le Manoir, at least not in the evening.
The dining room does look a little dated, but the lighting is excellent, warm and intimate. I could imagine, however, that the place could indeed look a little dated and “cold” during lunch service, when the room becomes more visible due to the natural light from outside (it is a wintergarden).
Service was great throughout, although a bit impersonal.
The 7-course menu was really good and well balanced, focused quite a bit on vegetables (too much beetroot imo), but had obviously great and fresh ingredients. However, it’s really “not that special” and tastes like “something you already had before”. This is not a place you come to for its creativity or even brilliant execution of simple dishes, but more for the social and celebratory aspect. **In my opinion, it does not deserve more than one star.** There was nothing badly done, no flaw in service whatsoever, just very few “wow”-moments (rundown of courses below), even compared to most one stars I have been to. I do see, however, why Michelin is still rating it so high – it certainly is an iconic place, “Hogwarts of British fine dining” and truly a wonderful experience. We stayed for over 4 hours. Sadly, we did not see the estate, but the Christmas decorations looked really beautiful and I am sure it must be wonderful to spend a full day wandering through the gardens.
One aspect I would like to highlight is how accommodating the service was considering my partner’s halal diet. We had many problems in other fine dining establishments, but Le Manoir really took care of her wishes and even pre-ordered specific halal meat that would fit the menu. They asked about alcohol in the sauces and never made it a weird or difficult topic. Many French places behave horribly in that regard (absolutely worst experience was Le Coucou in New York), but this was British service at its best. The non-alcoholic pairing, however, was rather weak and consisted of externally sources juices – not what you would expect from a ** + green star place…
**Food (did not take picture of the menu and forgot specific course names):**
*Amouse Bouche: Beetroot Macaron; Beef Tartare Tart; Shrimp Taco*
– Great flavors, refreshing, but nothing special and almost too little for 2-star caliber
*Bread*
– Absolutely incredible through and through; large basket with 7 different kinds of freshly baked breads to choose from. Even as a German I was impressed.
*I. Celeriac Consommé with Truffle*
– Good first course, cleansing and fall-appropriate, but also nothing special.
*II. Salmon, Caviar & Lime Sauce*
– Does not look special, but best salmon in my life. Absolutely incredible and the sauce had a perfect oily sourness to it. Best course.
*III. Mushroom & Truffle Risotto*
– A good risotto, sure, but one that I could get in any decent Italian restaurant.
– They introduced it as a signature dish. Seriously???
*IV. Cod with a Smoked Sauce, Mussels and Sweet Potato*
– Very well-balanced dish, incredible cod. Simple, but fall-appropriate and finely executed.
– The mussels were a bit random.
*V. Deer & Beetroot*
*- Deer was incredible, but nothing too unique that one would have never eaten before in this execution. The rest of the dish really tasted and looked sloppy.*
**skipped the cheese trolly, which look really good**
*VI. Pineapple Palate Cleanser*
– Truly interesting flavors of every part of a pineapple with interesting herbal touches. But no need for the cake-like biscuit-base that tasted too heavy.
*VII. Chocolate, Salted Caramel, Turmeric*
– Incredible chocolate hidden under a very light caramel sauce and even lighter turmeric ice cream. Tasted only like well-balanced chocolate, which was great, but “something on the side” would have been nice.
*Petit Fours and Teas*
– Many plus points for an incredible tea menu with 30+ different teas, partly freshly made from the garden.
– The sweets were average and underwhelming…
Paid 740 Pounds for 2, including non-alcoholic pairing and two aperitives. Way way too much for the food, but well worth the experience. Come here if it is a special occasion, don’t just come for the food.