Burlington's is Beech Hill Hotel's on site restaurant; however it draws people in to dine even when they aren't taking advantage of the rooms upstairs.
Burlington's Restaurant
Named after the local slate, this restaurant overlooks Lake Windermere and offers locally sourced produce and ingredients in all of its dishes. The menu has been created by Head Chef Lukasz who has combined both French and English cuisine in his culinary offerings.
When we arrived, we informed Beckie at reception of our booking and she asked us to take a seat in the lounge. The open area was filled with large leather couches circling a chandelier adorned with glass fruits- which made a spectacular centrepiece. Warmed by a roaring fire- this was the ideal place to enjoy drinks from the bar and ponder over the menu while enjoying some appetizers.
The restaurant is happy to accommodate people with allergies, intolerances and specific dietary requirements. When booking I told the restaurant staff that I was vegan and on the night I was given a separate menu that was entirely vegan friendly. This saved me having to ask the staff about the ingredients in the vegetarian dishes to establish if I could have them or not. I found this to be incredibly helpful when making my choices for the three courses.
The meat eater's appetizers were a mixture of pork scratchings, salmon and cheese toasts and mini sausage rolls.
The vegan appetisers consisted of melon, savoury crackers and mini pizzas all of which went down well with the drinks and staved off our hunger until our starters arrived.
The restaurant offers two, three or five courses depending on your appetite which you can decide on the night.
We were shown to our table by Mariano who brought our drinks through from the lounge. Sadly it was night time so we couldn't take advantage of the views, however if you can dine a little earlier it might be in your interest to do so as you will be able to see Lake Windermere peeping through the trees.
My dad and my husband both ordered the Roasted Wood Pigeon Breast- mashed sweet potato, crispy pancetta- picked golden sultanas for their starters. They both reported that sweetness of the sultanas complimented the strong taste of the breast meat and the mashed potato offered a creamy base and soft texture to the dish.
My mum had the Sticky Pork Cheek which I could see just broke apart with great ease. My Dad informed me that the cheek is a part of the pig that is used so frequently it tenderises the meat from the regular muscle use contributing to its crumbly texture. My mum had never tried this before and by the look on her face I think she will be having it again.
I ordered the Wild Forest mushrooms on herb toasted ciabatta. The mushrooms were so fine they almost had the consistency of cooked beansprouts- which were delightfully soft and buttery against the crispiness of the light ciabatta.
My dad had the Seabass fillet, fondant potato, marsh samphire ice salad and asparagus- dill beurre Blanc for his main course. He is a big fish fan so can be hard to please, however he said it was delicate, light and creamy and couldn't fault any of his dishes during the whole night.
My mum had the Roast Salmon Supreme accompanied by new potatoes, petit pois, sweet gem lettuce and pancetta served with warm aioli sauce. She was impressed by the flakiness of the salmon and the new potato mash which was a welcome change to mashed potato.
My husband's main meal was the most attractive by far. He enjoyed the Flame Grilled Fell Bred Beef Full Steak- rustic chips- grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, green peppercorn and cognac sauce. Presented on a long, thin plate- the steak was the centrepiece, lovingly surrounded by some neatly stacked triple cooked chips.
My Mediterranean Vegetable Cous Cous was simple and elegant- the cous cous was gathered in a circular shape with a bed of watercress by its side. Although there wasn't as much detail in the presentation compared to the other three dishes it certainly wasn't lacking in flavour. The pepperiness of the watercress complimented the soft granules and vegetables that were nestled inside.
For dessert my mum had the Sweet Shots- mini crème rule, melon and raspberry posset, Tobago dark chocolate mousse. Perfect for indecisive diners who simply can't settle on just one dish and not too heavy either.
Hot chocolate Soufflé- chocolate ice cream was my husband's desert of choice- which you need to allow an extra 15 minutes for. Presented very in a very minimalist style- this simple looking, yet complicated dish is something everyone has to try once.
I finished my meal with Caramelised Pineapple with blueberry sorbet. I have never tried blueberry sorbet before but it will be something I will have again if the opportunity arises. It was the perfect palate cleanser after the meal and the tanginess of the berries and the pineapple was tamed by the sweetness of the caramel.
Marlena, Kevin and Mariano were attentive; however they let us have our space between courses too.
I was most impressed by the atmosphere in Burlington's. Although the restaurant is of a very high quality, we still felt welcome and the guests who dined along with us were from all walks of life, which contributed to a very relaxed feel for the night.
If you are staying in the hotel already- dining in Bulington's is a must however it is worth driving a little bit out of your way to dine here if you are looking for somewhere to go for your evening meal. We travelled from Grasmere and it was well worth being more open minded to discover a place such as this.
We weren't rushed out after our meal either- we were invited to take our coffees and whiskeys in the lounge- this time by the large floor to ceiling windows at the rear of the room. It allowed us time to digest our food and our experience and enjoy another part of the reception area of the hotel.
Something to be taken as an observation rather than a criticism was the absence of any real ale. My father is a huge fan of real ale and was disappointed to find that there was none on offer at the bar. Perhaps this might be a consideration for the establishment in future to provide a selection of locally sourced ales?
I could not fault the restaurant for anything- Marlena, Mariano and Kevin were all approachable and were honest in their opinions of what was ordered. The food was beautifully presented, well cooked and flavoursome. The location was laid back, however everyone was respectful of each other in the lounge and the restaurant.
Thank you to all the staff both in front and back of house for a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Tagged in Vegetarian Vegan