Superb Cotswolds lunch at Michelin starred Lumiere, Cheltenham

Right on  time we were invited to take our places when we were served Canapes either enjoyed with the Woodchester Blanc de Blancs or we were offered a glass of Sanzianna Pinot Grigio (more on that later).

The Canapes offered one at a time started with a combination of Stinking Bishop, Pear and Chive, deliciously prepared with just the right amount of Stinking Bishop to get the tastebuds going without being overpowering.

Next was a chalk stream trout with green strawberry and gooseberry, beautifully presented on a glass topped box

The canapes were finished off with a truffled ‘Mac and cheese’ with black garlic and Old Winchester, tasty and just filling enough not to be desparate for what is coming next.

Sourdough was then presented with an Ampersand Cultured butter and a creedy carver chicken butter, both lovely but needed restraint for what was to come next!

The starter was a Mevagissey sea bass served on top of a slightly foamy sauce of St Austell mussels, Vadouvan, sweetcorn and Coco beans. The Vadouvan was used exquisitely to give a wonderful spicy undertone without masking the delicate flavour of the lightly grilled sea bass.

The main course was squab Pigeon serving the breast, perfectly cooked and then the leg which was removed from the bone,

cooked pulled and then reformed around the bone and coated with a fine breadcrumb mix which was delicately deep fried. This was all served with Girolle, blackberry, a lovely white beetroot and a delicate sauerkraut.

This was paired with a Sanziana Pinot Noir, a classic Pinot Noir but perfect for lunch as not too heavy, it developed well in the glass with the benefit of a bit more aeration in the glass.

The dessert finished the menu off beautifully with a delicate amalgamation of biscuit based topped with a rich mousse of Valrhona Manjari 64% single origin Madagascan bitter chocolate, a lighter mousse of oat milk infused with Cotswolds Whisky and a tangy jelly of Woodfield Raspberries. We were all fascinated that it was finished off with a ‘stick’ of pulled chocolate, explanations of how it was pulled were given, whether any of us will try it is another matter as it sounded quite technical!

As if we did not need any more the Petit Fours arrived, I think the picture speaks for itself!

I promised to talk about the wine a bit more, Sanziana for those that don’t know is a Romanian wine from a vineyard located in the West of the country, it is said to be one of the oldest in the world. Wonderful to have two wines from the same estate, The Pinot Grigio was a wonderful pair to the sea bass, light yet with just enough character to hold its own, certainly a wine that could be drunk on it’s own. The Pinot Noir was a classic, all the right notes of a classic Pinot Noir but it needed plenty of time to breathe to soften the tannins which really brought out the character of this wine. Both wines are surprisingly affordable and I believe a number of those present will source some for future enjoyment.

The service was impeccable, unobtrusive yet always present and the explanation of each dish was perfect.