FOOD + DRINK
IN A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN:
THE CORNER HOUSE, CANTERBURY
by Sarah Green
CANTERBURY IS A BIT OF A HOTSPOT WHEN IT COMES TO GREAT DINING, BUT THAT SHOULDN’ T WORRY CHEF OWNER MATT SWORDER – THE CORNER HOUSE REALLY IS A LEAGUE APART.
The Corner House is in a building that dates from 1570. This charming setting starts any dining experience here off on a good note – the atmosphere of the past is most definitely still there, but the décor and styling of the restaurant offers a contemporary twist – the theatre of the open kitchen, for example, is a fun aspect that certainly creates a talking point.
The menu is one of those small but perfectly formed ones. Everything on it reads as being totally delicious, and any more choice than what is given would mean an evening spent reading rather than eating. We started with some nibbles consisting of some crunchy‘ proper pork scratchings’ and marinated olives. Because why not? Skipping over the pre-starter when enjoying the extra course allowed us to watch a bit more cooking( and sample one of the‘ Seven Deadly Gins’). Plus it was all very tasty indeed.
After deciding that we just had to have a bottle of Chapel Down wine to go with our meal, our starters arrived. Beetroot-cured salmon was something I had never tried before, and I have to admit to enjoying every last mouthful – the salmon was succulent and held all of its flavour and the sweetness of the beetroot helped it along. My partner went for the soup of the day:‘ beautiful cauliflower with roasted florets’. Now, he isn’ t normally one for a soup, particularly one that contains no meat at all, but he couldn’ t resist the sound of this one.
To the mains. When there is pork, beef, pheasant, fish and duck all on one menu, it is basically impossible to make the wrong choice, but it does make it a hard one. Fresh from his salad starter, my partner opted for the steak. That’ s steak with triple cooked chips. He went for the sirloin served with confit garlic, shallot and thyme rub, and the smell that drifted across the table was divine. However, my beef and mushroom suet pudding was just as divine, and between us we managed everything that was put in front of us.
Dessert includes a little something for everyone – even for those without a sweet tooth there is a mighty cheeseboard. We do, however, have sweet teeth, and so opted for the crème brûlée, and the Corner House’ s homemade brown bread ice cream. As desserts go, these oh so pretty, and utterly, devilishly delicious ones were the perfect way to round of a stunning meal( especially the ice cream!).
The Corner House, Canterbury, has a lot going for it, and the one thing it won’ t do is leave you hungry.
The Corner House Canterbury 1 Dover Street Canterbury CT1 2NA 01227 780793 www. cornerhouserestaurants. co. uk
cornerhousekent cornerhousecanterbury cornerhousecanterbury
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