Core by Clare Smyth

I wonder what more I can say about this restaurant but when you keep going back you find it’s quite easy. This was our fifteenth visit and once again the food , wine , cocktails and service was nothing short of impeccable. The standard they have set from day one has just been outstanding which has led them to earn the highest accolade of Three Michelin Stars.

We arrived on saturday and given our usual friendly welcome by Michal before taking up a seat at the bar to enjoy one of Ale’s fabulous cocktails. During this time it was nice of Rob , Tiago & Marion to come and say hello. Once we’d finished our drinks it was then time to head into the dining room but not before stopping at the kitchen for a quick chat with Clare where we could personally congratulate her and the team on their amazing award.

We were then escorted to our table which was a booth in the corner that gives you a fantastic view of the whole dining room. Once comfortable Rob came over to say that they had created a special tasting menu for us that would feature a some old and new dishes. To this we said thank you and couldn’t wait to see what was to come. It was now time to meet head sommelier Gareth and choose a bottle of wine to pair with the menu. Here he had an advantage as he knew what food we was having. But we needn’t have worried as once again he recommended another amazing wine. This time it was a Rall 2019 Grenache Blanc which was an absolute delight and complimented the food perfectly.

Now on to the food itself which started with a fabulous array of snacks which included the Caviar Sandwich , Foie Gras & Madeira Tart , Chicken Wings , Pea Gougeres & Jellied Eel. This led us to the first course the Isle of Mull Scallop Tartare with a sea vegetable consommé that was beautiful and just the perfect way to begin. This was followed by the classic Potato & Roe with a dulce buerre blanc & herring and trout roe a dish you simply never get tired of eating as it’s just amazing.

Next to arrive was a new version of the Morel Tartlet with wild garlic , fluffets farm egg yolk & vin jaune. This was delightfully rich yet balanced with a light aftertaste. We then moved on to the fish course a fabulous Roasted Cod with morecombe bay shrimps & swiss chard brown butter. Now it was time for the main course and in my opinion the dish of the day. The Lamb , Hogget & Mutton with celtuce , savoury and black cardamom was absolutely stunning. This was paired by Gareth with a fantastic Domaine Chandon De Briailles red wine.

After a little break we decided to have an additional Cheese Course to share featuring a seven year old Davidstow Cheddar , Colton Stilton Basset and a Goat’s Cheese. These were accompanied with crackers , raisins , pickled , white wine gel and the amazing fig rolls. To pair with the cheese Gareth had something special up his sleeve a fantastic 1963 Fonseca Vintage Port.

Now it was on to dessert which started with the Core Apple accompanied with a cider brandy cocktail. This led us to a new dessert a English Strawberry with meringue & lemon verbena that was absolutely delicious and the perfect way to finish

We then moved back into the bar area for coffee , petit fours and one last cocktail to bring to and end a truly outstanding lunch. I really can’t recommend a visit to Core highly enough as personally I think it’s the ultimate dining experience. The food created by Clare , Jonny , Antonio and all the team is stunning. The service led by Rob , Tiago & Marion is as professional as it could be with all the time providing some light hearted banter to the proceedings. Finally there’s no better place to start and finish than with a cocktail from Ale in the bar.

Thank You Clare , Rob , Jonny , Tiago , Marion and all the team for another memorable visit and look forward to seeing you all again soon.