THE LAWNS, THORNTON HALL HOTEL
by Si Hall & Nicky Rigby-Smith
The Lawns Restaurant at Thornton Hall Hotel is renowned for
superb international cuisine, offering an extensive selection of
wines from around the world to accompany their a la carte
and tasting menus. The room is beautifully styled, decadent
and is the ideal venue for any special occasion. Wirral Life
went along to try out the tasting menu.
Warmly greeted by the Restaurant manager, Meg, and John our
sommelier, we were seated at our table.
First out was a cold, crisp glass of champagne with canapés
that included Squid ink macaroons with cod roe; Beef tendon
crisp with a smoked emulsion and grated ox heart; and Curried
Aubergine. Exquisitely and delicately presented, this was a great
start to our dining experience.
Next out was warm, fresh brioche (made on the premises daily)
which was laminated in truffle, Old Winchester cheese and
Abernethy butter. Yum.
The amuse bouche was a set pea dashi with pea tartare and feta
mousse. Delicious with a lovely combination of textures.
Next course was poached lobster with a strawberry gazpacho.
Wow! This dish was a work of art. The lobster was divine and
the strawberry worked well on the palate. It was paired with a
Riesling - dry, citrus fruit and green apple undertones – forget
what you think you remember about Riesling, this is just how a
Riesling should taste.
The Smoked Eel with Jersey royals, lovage emulsion, pickle
hawabi and a golden cross goats cheese, carefully constructed,
cooked perfectly and tasted fantastic. It was paired with a New
Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which was ideal and didn’t overpower
the dish.
44 wirrallife.com
Beetroot with a golden cross mousse – one word, amazing! Paired
with an Australian Chardonnay which worked wonderfully.
A dish we were really looking forward to was the Yorkshire
Grouse. Caught wild, this was rich and divine! The Grouse was
soft, tender and served slightly pink. Paired with an Cabernet
Sauvignon from South America, the tannins were negligible and
the fruit perfectly complemented the jus. Excellent!
On to desserts and out came the homemade Twister with
prosecco. This will take you back to your childhood – and looked
exactly like the twister ice lolly you remember, but with a 'twist'.
Made with goats cheese. All credit to the Chef! Outstanding.
The Cherry puree tart with cherry jam, English cherries and a
woodruff sprinkling… the perfect autumn dessert, a generous
portion and just delicious. This was paired with a French dessert
wine - Coteaux de Layon.
As the cheeseboard looked so impressive, we couldn’t resist
the Chariot De Fromage course. We chose Lord of London,
Lancashire Bomb, Fau Marie – a French blue, Cerney Ash – a
Goats cheese, Comte - a hard cheese and Bosworth Ash. Served
with lavoche, fruit bread, quince paste and preserves.
If you’re looking for a fine dining restaurant in Wirral – then this
is the place. Reasonably priced at £85 or £130pp which includes
the wine flight. Impeccable service. Elegant surroundings.
The staff are warm, charming and knowledgeable, sommelier
John had a well crafted choice. The very talented Chef Richard
Collingwood has created an exciting menu, executed brilliantly.
It's great to have this high end cuisine available on the Wirral.
Five stars plus!
Booking advisable. Call 0151 336 3938.