Feeling patriotic and nostalgic? The Alderley Edge Hotel has unveiled a new Brasserie with a novel 'retro classics' menu
The print version of this article appeared in the June 2012 issue of Cheshire Life
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Something decidedly different is on the menu at the Alderley Edge Hotel. This elegant venue, with its fine dining award-winning Alderley restaurant is now serving up something bolder, vaguely humorous and very British in its new Brasserie area.
General manager Ahmet Kurcer’s timing could not be better: how appropriate to launch this venture with its ‘Retro British Classics Menu’ while the country is awash with Union Jack flags and bunting in a wave of patriotism we’ve not see since, well, since the Coronation 60 years ago. And if the enthusiasm of diners in The Brasserie on the night I tucked in is anything to go by, this eaterie will be no flash in the pan.
The renowned Alderley Restaurant will no doubt continue to flourish as a refined and special experience. But the Brasserie is open day and evening serving dishes, bar snacks and cocktails at prices that allow customers to dine regularly. The ambience is relaxing and informal and the witty presentation of these favourite dishes – still using the best local produce and created by the hotel’s star kitchen team – is something of a talking point.
There’s a deliberate ‘back to the 70s’ theme. That decade’s best-loved classics – chicken kiev, beef and ale pie, prawn cocktail and Black Forest gateau – may seem familiar but there are surprises. For example, the French onion soup (�4.95) appeared in a cute lidded pot (and, as you’d expect it tasted excellent). The Alderley chicken Kiev (�12.50) had all the ingredients you’d expect but assembled in a different way; similarly the beef and mushroom pie with JW Lees Ale (�12.50) has a charm of its own as well as being hearty and tasty.
Desserts were a work of art. The syrup sponge and custard (�5) was a delight: the waiter brought a dessert plate bearing a classic Lyle’s syrup tin. Where’s the pudding, we thought? My friend prised off the lid and inside was the lightest, most delicious syrup sponge she’s ever eaten. I’m not sure I should reveal any more of these novelties: you should enjoy discovering them for yourself.
Mr Kurcer and his sommelier have carefully chosen a selection from their exemplary wine cellar to present Brasserie diners with a brief list of inexpensive recommendations, but diners can, of course, choose from the hotel’s huge regular list if they wish. Our table enjoyed a good bottle of New Zealand sauvignon blanc (�22) and a lusty French Pinot Noir (�28) from the Brasserie’s edited list.
Intriguingly, the d�cor of The Brasserie – next door to the more traditional Alderley - is rather French in style: mirrored walls, red leather seating and dark intimate corners. So there’s something of an Anglo-French feel here. But it works, beautifully. Je reviens.
Louise Allen-Taylor
For this review we were guests of the Alderley Edge Hotel.The Brasserie, Alderley Edge Hotel, Macclesfield Road, Alderley Edge, Cheshire, SK9 7BJ. Tel 01625 583033 www.alderleyedgehotel.com
