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Tucked away at the back of the gorgeous Moddershall Oaks hotel and spa is a cosy in-house restaurant with a delicious menu.
This is an intimate restaurant with a strong country flavour. With fresh organic ingredients and creativity, it’s a high quality, exciting menu on offer. Afternoon teas are popular here, adding a lavish treat to a spa day or couple’s retreat. There’s also an adult-friendly lunch menu (meaning diners must be aged 11 or over).
We arrived for dinner. The restaurant had a warm, relaxed atmosphere with three other parties dining.
We started with chicken liver parfait with capers, raisins, apple, date and rosemary biscotti for my partner; and a venison tartare with apple, celeriac, parsley, hazelnut mayonnaise and a soft-boiled quail’s egg for me. The parfait was smooth, slightly tangy and well matched with the fruit. The venison tartare was gamey, tender and bold.
For mains we tried a honey-glazed duck breast with duck leg croquette, fennel, chicory and thyme jus; and a fillet of bream with sweet and sour tomato, samphire, citrus, spinach, peas and salsa verde. The duck was sumptuous, herby and rich. The bream, meanwhile, was light and bright, making it the perfect contrast to the duck.
Other items on the menu worth a look include a chargrilled 28-day aged 8oz Staffordshire sirloin steak with wild mushroom stuffed tomato, parmesan crust and smoky triple-cooked chips; and pancetta-wrapped pork fillet with girolles, confit potatoes, spinach and herb cream. There’s also an entire vegetarian menu for those who prefer to steer clear of meat and fish.
By this point we were stuffed, so skipped the desserts, although an ample sweet menu was on offer at a reasonable price (£7.50). Desserts include a trio of cocktails, chocolate and caramel delice, and a lemon posset with citrus meringue.
As well as an excellent wine menu, there are drinks recommendations with the food menu, making it easy to pick the right tipple.
The verdict
The restaurant at Moddershall Oaks is a fantastic experience with excellent service, reasonable prices and a warm atmosphere.
Read more about Moddershall Oaks in our hotel and spa review.
Moddershall Oaks is located near Moddershall, Staffordshire, ST15 8TG.
For more information about Moddershall Oaks country spa retreat visit moddershalloaks.com.
