The first thing you need to know about the Lygon Arms is that the name
Lygon is pronounced Liggon. Established in 1532, it was an
inn well before Shakespeare's day when it was
called The White Hart. It came into the posession of one of
Wellington's generals in the nineteenth century. His butler
later acquired the Inn and named it after his former master, General Lygon,
whose arms, right, are so much more elegant a device than a modern
logo! Please click the coat of arms for further historical details
The original buildings are of mellow Cotswold stone and inside there is a warren of panelled rooms, great fireplaces, dark oak beams, ancient portraits and antique furniture. The atmosphere is thick with history, but the building radiates warmth and well-being. The only ghosts here are the accumulated delight of centuries of hospitality, enjoyment and good living. Over the years, many additions have been made, and behind the gabled frontage is a very substantial number of interconnected buildings representing over five centuries of careful development.
Please don't miss the separate review of our stay at the Lygon Arms Hotel and Country Club
We were glad to find that the kitchens are under the direction of a top
English chef, Graeme Nesbitt.
If you've read any of my reviews
before, you will know that I am no chauvinist where the nationality of chefs
is concerned. But in such an archetypal English country Inn as this, it
would seem a little anachronistic not to have an Englishman in charge.
The local produce is rich and diverse with lamb from the Welsh hills, vegetables and fruit from the Vale of Evesham and plenty of wild game and fish. The cuisine is modern in style; quality ingredients are simply but carefully prepared with absolutely no corners cut. Presentation is elegant rather than over elaborate. I noticed that most dishes appeared to have been carefully assembled in the kitchen by the chefs.
The dining room is a large baronial style hall with a huge fireplace. The heads of various beasts are mounted on the walls alongside antique weapons and heraldic insignia. The tables are beautifully set with fine white napery, candles and flowers; the complete effect on a January evening was quite magical.
There is a daily Table d'Hote menu for Stg 38.00, but we decided to go for the a la carte which has minor revisions every day according to the availability of fresh produce. Some of the items are marked with a star: "denotes healthy option", the footnote informed us. I'm afraid we chose the unstarred options, and I can assure we have suffered no ill effects!
To begin the meal, I very much enjoyed a terrine expertly made from home preserved confit of duck leg - well pressed down and incorporating a layer of very smooth foie gras. It was beautifully presented on a bed of finely sliced white radish and black truffles, further enhanced with truffle oil. The accompanying relish was a lovely multi-textured compote of red plums - some of the fruit had been cooked down virtually to a puree and some remained slightly al dente. One of Roger Narbett's "signature" starters is made from cornish crab meat, delicately flavoured with Indian spices and sandwiched between circles of filo pastry. Three of the fattest, juiciest scallops completed the picture: they were coated in soy sauce and flash fried on a red hot part of the range. After a slight pause we shared an elegant cup of rabbit broth which had all the delicacy of a Chinese clear soup. The finely cut and shaped pieces of vegetable had been poached ever so gently so that they retained both colour and texture. The "appetisers and delicacies" are in the price range of six pounds for a cornish crab and red pepper bisque, to 13.00 for the filo crab.
One of the main dishes we tried was the tenderest piece of beef fillet
smothered in crispy leeks and floating on an intensely flavoured chorizo
and lentil jus, Stg 22.75. It came with the quaint sounding rumledethump which
is a kind of bubble-and-squeak made from mashed potato and cabbage,
enhanced with molten cheese. It's a Scottish way with spuds that complemented
the Scottish beef. I had loin of lamb with fondant potatoes and a tangy
shallot fondue Stg 21.00, plus a comforting risotto with minted peas - carefully
integrated into a harmonious whole. I don't know what the matter is with lamb
just at the moment, but these beautifully cooked cuts of fine looking
meat don't really have much flavour in their own right. We found just the
same thing last week at a first rate London restaurant. Lamb really ought
to taste of itself, rather than just a vehicle for sauces and garnishes,
however well executed. I wonder, with all these draconian hygene
regulations in force, whether meat is hung for long enough these days.
We finished this excellent meal by sharing a very good pear tarte
tatin. I knew this would be good, because we had enjoyed some
breathtakingly light but delicious cakes with our tea earlier in the day.
Also the sweetmeats (why say petits fours when there's such a nice
old English term) with our coffee were just as expertly finished. The
Lygon Arms clearly has a formidable team of pastry chefs. Desserts vary in
price either side of seven pounds. Another guest told me later that the
hot raspberry soufflé is fantastic, but be sure to order it when your
main course appears, as like all the best things in life, it takes a
little while to prepare.
The service was both efficient and very friendly - the wine waiter was young, enthusiastic and very French. So we drank a very fresh domaine bottled Graves from Graffier at Stg 15.00 a bottle, following this up with a 1996 Savigny-Les-Beaune Stg 38.00, which was far too young, but so delicious were its bramble fruits that we couldn't care less about such wicked vinfanticide! A glass of the noble rotted Chateau Liot 1989 Stg 6.00, was a perfect match for the darkly caramelised tatin. Lighter in style (and on the wallet) is a pleasing Muscat de Beaumes de Venise for only 2.60 a glass. The wine list is just about adequate to match the quality and variety of the cuisine. It's rather safe and didn't seem to me to reflect the personal interests or enthusiasms of a really keen cellar-builder.
Nevertheless, this was certainly the best meal I've had outside London (and one of the best anywhere) in the past few months. Country house hotels can be rather overbearing and oppressive, with manners that seem a bit put on and affected. The Lygon Arms manages to combine the friendly informality of true old English Inn with the highest standards expected of an international hotel, a balancing act that is hard to achieve, but is certainly worth the effort!
The Lygon Arms
Broadway, Worcestershire WR12 7DU
Tel: 01386 852255 Fax: 01386 858611
email: info@the-lygon-arms.co.uk
website: www.savoy-group.co.uk
Lunch and Dinner Monday to Sunday
12.30 - 2.00pm and 7.30 - 9.15pm
Dress code: smart
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