It’s not every day you get invited to eat dinner in a dome.
Reminiscent of miniature versions of the rainforest and Mediterranean biomes at the Eden Project, the dining pods are new additions to the grounds of Treloyhan Manor - now luxury self-catered suites and lodges in Carbis Bay, near St Ives, West Cornwall.
What makes this dining experience even more impressive is that it’s not just the domes that are a first – it’s the first time that Treloyhan has served food for guests in its current set-up, ever.
The Manor Grill is a field kitchen, meaning that while all the food is prepped indoors it is then cooked on a grill in the gardens, just metres away from where it is served.
Inside each of the two Hypedome pods is a trio of tables for four, with additional seating dotted around the garden for true alfresco dining when the weather allows.
Estate manager Leanne Hemming said it’s been a considerable operation to get everything in place ahead of Friday’s launch night.
“We tried to get Manor Grill off the ground last year, but there’s so much that goes into it,” she said.
“It has been a huge effort, but we have done it and we’re here! It’s so nice to see it all happen.”
Sadly, when we visited on opening night, the Cornish weather was typically not playing ball – a ‘pea souper’ of a night would perhaps be an apt expression, given the occasion, with heavy drizzle and thick fog.
Every cloud (and there were many on Friday) has a silver lining though, and what we lost in sea views we gained in giving the domes a proper test of their weather-proofing.
Thankfully I can confirm that their intricate construction was successful (indeed we marvelled at the mind-boggling amount of tiny nuts and bolts required in their making; they may look like something out of the Crystal Maze, but building them must have been worthy of The Krypton Factor), with not a drop of rain entering and we were perfectly warm.
This is the whole thinking behind the domes, with Leanne explaining: “With the weather in Cornwall the way it is, we know it’s such a shame to be booked for dinner and then, typical Cornwall, it rains and your plans are scuppered.
“Now you can still experience amazing local produce and it feels like you’re still outside.”
A whole new team is in place to cook and serve the food, led by head chef Matt Beswick, who has worked all over the world as a private chef and most recently has been helping out at Kota Kai in Porthleven.
The menu features the likes of St Ives smoked mackerel pate with pickles and beetroot chiffonade (£16) to start, while mains include flame-grilled garlic butter tiger prawns with spicy Zhoug dressing and fresh tomato salsa (£32), and a mezze of hummus, Baba Ghanoush, tzatziki, roasted vegetables, salsa and pitta bread (£25).
For our main courses we chose the grill-fired Moroccan spied lamb rump, served with sweet shallot couscous and red pepper romesco (£38), and a dish from the specials – house-cured smoked salmon fillet with red paper sauce, yoghurt and cucumber dressing, and house salad.
All main courses are served with parmesan and truffle topped fries, and a house-dressed salad garnish.
I asked for my lamb to be cooked medium and it came out pink in the middle, beautifully tender, and plentiful in portion size. The chargrill gave just the right amount of crispy edges pieces to give flavour and texture, without overpowering the dish.
Underneath, the red pepper romesco – a smoky Spanish sauce made from roasted peppers and tomatoes – gave contrast.
Served with it was couscous that was buttery and flavoursome, thanks to the sweetness of the shallots, and came with a generous topping of coriander and microherbs, while an additional mixed tomato salsa added freshness – along with a good kick of fresh chillies in places.
It felt slightly incongruous to serve the chips on the side of what was arguably a complete meal, but that’s not to say I didn’t thoroughly enjoy them.
They were beautifully crispy, with the parmesan (cheesy but not overpowering) and finely grated truffle definitely making them an ‘adult chip’. Consider them a culinary diversion to keep the palate interested!
Meanwhile, the salmon dish consisted of a fillet of hot smoke salmon, resulting in a flaky texture similar to if it had been baked, with the yoghurt dressing cutting nicely through the richness of the fish.
Desserts are all £12 and include a chocolate brownie served with Cornish clotted cream ice cream and caramel sauce, and raspberry ripple posset with lemon drizzle shortbread and ginger praline.
The grilled Cornish strawberry skewers came with chunks of honey-marinated halloumi and balsamic glaze, and were something of a revelation.
Although we’d never considered halloumi as a pudding, the honey brought out the creaminess of the cheese rather than the saltiness, particularly when paired with the strawberries.
The portion size is generous and could happily be shared between two.
Meanwhile I went for the grilled apricots in a passion fruit parfait, with fruit compote and white chocolate shard.
It is a frozen parfait and passion fruit is the dominating flavour, which was fine for me as it’s one of my favourites. The white chocolate shard was chunky and added a nice sweetness, with the compote bringing some extra fruitiness – although be warned, if you’re one of those people who only has to look at a raspberry to get seeds stuck in your teeth, this may not be the dish for you.
Overall, the whole meal felt high-endm and fitting for the location.
Soft and non-alcoholic drinks are available to buy, while guests wanting to drink alcohol are encouraged to bring their own to enjoy with their meal.
At the moment just lunch and dinner are being served, although once settled in the plan is to extend to brunches as well.
The domes and outdoor grill are the latest additions in the evolution of Treloyhan Manor, which was built by St Ives shipping magnate Sir Edward Hain as his private family home in 1892, having been designed by Silvanus Trevail – arguably one of the most famous Cornish architects of the 19th Century.
During the Second World War, the manor house was used to house pupils evacuated from Sussex, before becoming a guest house shortly after the war ended.
Methodist Guild Holidays then operated the manor as a Christian retreat until 2021, but this closed during the Covid pandemic.
In 2024 Treloyhan reopened following a £25 million renovation, incorporating five new lodges.
However, while private chef dining was offered inside the manor’s luxury accommodation, many guests mentioned they would like somewhere to eat on-site – and The Manor Grill was born.
With a Manor Coffee Co van also arriving soon, serving the likes of Moonlight Matcha and Rodeo doughnuts, it’s an exciting time in the manor’s 134-year history.
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