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that will resonate with fans of L'Enclume:

smoked Maran egg yolk with yellow turnip,

tru‰ e and mushroom broth; Valley venison

with roasted parsnips, cavolo nero and

elderberry; baked quince with bay leaf, ginger

biscuit and brown-butter ice cream. The

whole place oozes class with its welcoming

vibe, tuned-in service and sense of style.

6 Midsummer House

Midsummer Common, Cambridge,

CB4 1HA; 01223 369299 £££ [13]

A masterclass of creative cooking

Long-serving chef/patron Daniel CliŠ ord

continues to deliver "fabulous food and

wonderful theatre" worthy of his twoMichelin-starred

status. Direct š avours and

freshness are the hallmarks of, say, beetroot

baked on open coals with quinoa, goats'

cheese and mizuna or slow-roast venison

with Swiss chard, sloes and blue cheese.

Desserts such as the signature pistachio

sou‰ é are "something to behold". "Top class,

Daniel", chimed one fan; we agree.

7 The Waterside Inn

Ferry Road, Bray, Berkshire, SL6 2AT;

01628 620 691 £££ [11]

Silky charms down by the riverside

This paragon of French cuisine de  es the

years with its "culinary journey in time".

"Complex interactions" and glossy saucing

pay homage to cuisine exceptionnel - from

an escalope of foie gras with ginger bread

and mulled wine sauce ("an utter wow") to

a medallion of lobster with white port sauce

and ginger vegetable julienne. Desserts such

as a "picturesque teardrop" of milk chocolate

lled with exotic fruit provide a   tting   nale.

Prices may be eye-watering, but the pleasure

of eating here is "immeasurable".

8 André Garrett at

Cliveden

Cliveden House, Taplow, Maidenhead,

Berkshire, SL6 0JF; 01628 668561 £££ [14]

Impressive food in a country pile

"The best hospitality of any place I have ever

been to", trumpeted one reader after visiting

André Garrett's sumptuous dining room. His

impressive, contemporary French cuisine

brings seasonal rewards aplenty, from a

salad of Devon crab with avocado, espelette

pepper, chickweed and lemon purée or the

rich slow-roast Anjou squab with wild garlic,

peas, black pudding purée and liver toast to a

classic sou‰ é Belle Hélène with marzipan ice

cream and warm chocolate sauce. In short "a

welcome addition to this famous house".

9 Artichoke

9 Market Square, Old Amersham,

Buckinghamshire, HP7 0DF; 01494 726611

££ [6]

Smart cooking in cheery surroundings

It's a tribute to Laurie Gear's "superlative

cooking" that one reader is happy to drive

70 miles for lunch at this increasingly

con  dent local star. Artichoke seems to get

everything right, with "friendly skilled staŠ "

and a well-oiled open kitchen adding to

the entertainment. The food is seasonal to

a fault, and many dishes have impressed

- but we're sold on the smoked cod with

radishes, beetroot and horseradish cream,

and the poached veal loin with green beans,

wild garlic, pickled girolles and a tru‰ e

cream cheese wafer. For afters, don't miss

the "terri  c" Brillat-Savarin cheesecake

with pickled pear and Poire William sorbet.

Brilliant-value tasting menus too.

10 Restaurant

Nathan Outlaw

6 New Road, Port Isaac, Cornwall, PL29 3SB;

01208 880 896 £££ [9]

Seafood star in a new home

Two-Michelin-starred Nathan Outlaw has

moved his š agship to new premises in

Port Isaac, but nothing else has changed.

His sparkling food still revolves around

sustainable   sh from the Cornish day boats

and punters can sample the catch in an

eight-course tasting menu (or more modest

set lunch). Consider bijou dishes such as

cured monk  sh with ginger and gooseberries,

or turbot with Hispi cabbage and seaweed

hollandaise, plus regional cheeses and topdrawer

desserts - "beautifully direct visual

displays" backed by perfectly matched wines

and sociable service.

11 Manchester House

Tower 12, 18-22 Bridge Street,

Spinning™ elds, Manchester, M3 3BZ;

0161 835 2557 ££ NEW ENTRY

Big, bold venture from a TV chef

A "must-visit", Manchester House looks

"absolutely amazing", with its "wonderfully

vibrant" industrial-lite dining room. Aiden

Byrne's cooking is "stunningly imaginative",

with many of his signature dishes on display

- note the prawn cocktail under a dome of

1 Casamia Bristol 2 The Elephant Devon

3 Hix Oyster Ÿ Fish House Dorset 4 The Loft Devon

5 The Seahorse Devon

5 More Reader Favourites...

THE SOUTH WEST from Square Meal's 2015 reader survey

The Waterside Inn

"IT DOESN'T HAVE TO

BE MOLECULAR TO

BE BRILLIANT"

PAUL ATKINS ON THE

WATERSIDE INN