The wonderful Berkshire town of Ascot has gained a hugely positive reputation for such a relatively small town. Many families and visitors are drawn here with the incredible landscape of rolling countryside reaching out to the horizon and the discreet refinement of a village charm to accompany it.
For some time now, there has also been a compact and quiet, yet confident, gastronomic scene in the town. These restaurants all place an important emphasis on sustainability and superb service to produce a collection of culinary delights that can easily rival anything currently being created in the nearby capital.
Here is a guide to the very best amongst them.
Woven by Adam Smith
Woven is the excellent result of chef Adam Smith’s experience, knowledge and innovation gained as a Roux Scholar, one of most prestigious culinary competitions in the world for young chefs. Augmented by his time at The Ritz and The Devonshire Arms, Adam has created this place as a celebration of provenance and seasonality in what he describes as ‘a tapestry of British ingredients and craftsmanship’.
The stunning Coworth Park hotel that houses the restaurant is surrounded by 240 acres of Berkshire parkland between Ascot and Sunningdale, with wildflower meadows and polo fields all within view. There is an appropriate symmetry with this backdrop through the interiors shaped by the bespoke studio, Martin Hulbert Design, showing subtle metallics, organic textures and motifs that use woven materials to great effect. An open kitchen and wine room are very much the hub, with the dining room opening out on the rural vista beyond for a striking panoramic view. This quintessentially English atmosphere is carried along in fine style by the Michelin-star-awarded menu of modern dishes executed incredibly well. Highlights such as Cornish turbot served with lobster and salsify or the salt-aged Yorkshire duck with beetroot and smoked eel display Adam’s keen eye for clever pairings and heart for local produce in a great way.
Woven is formal with an attendant warmth that many believe is leading the way for country house hotel cuisine in the 21st century.
Bluebells Restaurant
The fact that the original team that opened Bluebells Restaurant back in 2006 are still running the place is testament to its quality, character and place amongst the fine dining community of Ascot. Taking its name from the wild bluebells that populate the nearby Berkshire woods, this place brought all of the precision and artistry of the capital to the countryside and has been positively blooming ever since.
Chef Stephen Ellis delivers on a broad brief of a modern European menu that relies on elements of French technique and the seasonal produce of the great British countryside. His experience at The Ritz, L’Ortolan and Driftwood in Cornwall is artfully applied to balance flavour in an impeccable way. The seared Orkney scallops with cauliflower puree, pancetta and brown butter are a fantastic demonstration of why this independent restaurant is thriving in a world dominated by the competition from bigger hotel chain affiliations. It has duly earned itself some serious accreditation through Michelin Guide recommendations and AA rosettes, with consistent quality and attention to detail as standard here. The dining room is a modern and elegant affair with emerald walls and rose gold accents holding the clean lines of the tables and furnishings in an almost minimalist way that lets the food remain the focus at all times. Bluebells Restaurant is confident, welcoming and generous in everything from the service to the servings to provide fine dining without fuss.
The Barn at Coworth Park
A day spent strolling through the Berkshire countryside in all of that bracing fresh air will often encourage the craving for a traditional, hearty meal full of robust flavours and substance. The Barn at Coworth Park is the sister restaurant to Woven, which understands that particular mission quite well and has created the perfect place in response to it. The Barn is English country dining that manages to make rustic ingredients and original farm-inspired recipes into luxury gastronomy, with chef Adam Smith overseeing Head Chef Nathan Gee for an incredible experience.
The setting of exposed timber beams and masculine stone floors tempered by the soft leather chairs and warming open fires tells one everything they need to know about this place. Dishes such as the Hereford beef burger with Montgomery cheddar or the Sunday Roast with its famous duck-fat potatoes represent a menu that is relaxed while remaining refined at all times. With the reassuring elevated service from The Dorchester standards, there is never any compromise at The Barn, which lets you know you are a guest at a restaurant of the highest quality. When this is aligned with the spectacular views of the countryside from every seat, one immediately understands why this place has been rewarded with some very credible industry recognition.
Latymer
Pennyhill Park is a 19th-century country house hotel that lies just a 10-minute drive from the centre of Ascot into the heart of the beautiful Surrey woodland. Here you will find Latymer, a restaurant that ranks amongst the most acclaimed fine-dining experiences in the country with one Michelin star and five AA rosettes. The kitchen is under the stewardship of Head Chef Steve Smith, who previously earned similar recognition for his work at Bohemia in Jersey and The Devonshire Arms in Yorkshire, using his ingredient methodology at every part of his culinary journey.
Latymer promotes sustainability as a defining influence in the food that it serves. The tasting menus here follow a philosophy of discovery where the courses apply the available produce to create something unique and ever-changing. Recent highlights have included Herdwick lamb with morels and wild garlic, and the Yorkshire rhubarb with white chocolate and pistachio. There is also a neatly orchestrated choreography to the service here that highlights the attention to detail in every dish, with an accompanying narrative that makes for an engaging and intimate eating experience. This is world-class dining in a thrilling location that attracts serious attention from food lovers all over the planet.
If the first taste truly is with the eye, then Ascot restaurants are in a commanding position from the outset. Working from this foundation, these places have all built their own style, atmosphere and personalities that share the overriding theme of high quality. The results are a feast for the senses in every way possible that demand some serious attention and attendance, from anybody searching for a fine dining experience.
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