The Bentley Restaurant
“After our fundamental need for nutrition, we look to cuisine to satisfy our more sophisticated needs. We want our meals to taste and smell delicious and to be presented in relaxing and aesthetic surroundings. We are proud to have created Bentley Restaurant that can compare amongst the finest.
Our stylish and stylised cuisine is continually evolving under the skilful hands of some of the best trained chefs in the country. Testing is constant and the search for something different, new and better is never ending. Led by Chef Lee Scott, whose kitchen functions with the discipline of an army, we prepare seasonally changing menus that depict the best international trends with innovative local twists. Each dish is created with passion, patience and the finest quality ingredients and so we look to source these from Isle of Skye Seafoods the local Grassmere Farms, C & G Neaves Fisheries and R Swanbrick Corn Fed Poultry and meat from the Yorkshire Dales.
And yet, every Chef must have something in their heart as well as in their hands. It takes more that ingredients and technique to cook a grand meal. A good cook puts something of himself into the preparation. He cooks with enjoyment, anticipation, spontaneity and is willing to experiment.
Our Restaurant Manager, and is team share this enthusiasm for quality and service and like the best host they hope to make you feel special, pampered and eager to return.
The Haycock way of life is about treating yourself well, celebrating even the small things and enjoying he best that is on offer. It is about being with the ones you love and those you want to court. It is a place to step back, take stock and toast your own success. Bentley’s restaurant is an experience you deserve.”
George Arizmendi
General Manager
... and the view of the Restaurant Critic at the Peterborough Evening Telegraph...
Once you've sampled the glut of curry houses, Chinese restaurants, steakhouses and pizza places the city has to offer, it is sometimes hard to satisfy cravings for a different kind of menu and a more sophisticated atmosphere.
Thank goodness, then, for the new Bentley a la carte restaurant which has been open at the recently-refurbished Haycock Hotel in Wansford for the past six weeks.
Thanks to new Chef Nigel Godwin, who has been named as one of the top 15 chefs in the UK by the AA Restaurant Guide, the restaurant offers the kind of menu that even the most seasoned fine diners would be eager to try.
And with its plush decor and chic furnishings, it offers a dining experience like no other in this area, but it does so without being stuffy, and the staff go out of their way to put guests at ease.
It is clear the emphasis is upon guiding guests through the exquisite menu to ensure they enjoy all it has to offer.
Hotel General Manager George Arizmendi said he wanted the restaurant to appeal to all kinds of guests. He said: “It’s all about a food experience. We don’t want our guests to feel uncomfortable if there is a dish they are not sure about. We want them to enjoy the combinations of tastes and textures and, hopefully, come back for more.”
And, referring to the restaurant's name, he added: ""The Bentley is a classic car, but anyone can drive it.""
He recommended I try the ""A Taste of Bentley"" menu, which costs £55 per person, and is designed for the whole table to enjoy.
This consists of nine (yes, nine!) courses which move seamlessly from appetisers to starters to the main course through to dessert and then coffee with treats, with a couple of fantastic palate-cleansers in between.
Nine courses seems a hefty challenge, but I can assure you the portions were perfectly sized to ensure you get a true taste of the menu without needing the Rennies afterwards.
It began with a dish of appetisers, including toasted cashews, macadamia nuts, cheese straws and foie gras cubes nestled upon a teaspoon of fig compote, followed by a mushroom soup served in a small cappuccino cup - a divine promise of all that was to come.
Three dishes which I noted were from the starters menu followed, including seared sea scallops with hot root beer and damson jelly with confit of belly pork and sautéed crayfish with butternut squash, toasted hazelnuts and a white pudding sauce.
Scanning the menu, I could not pick out any dish I had eaten before, but this is all part of the experience. The end of the starters is heralded by a shot glass of refreshing, icy Green Tea Granite. I eyed it dubiously, but was hooked after the first sip.
Then followed a succulent Roasted Chump of Lamb which sat on a perfect cushion of garlic creamed potato and was accompanied by sautéed sweetbreads and kidney with broad beans, peas and asparagus. I can't decide which dish was my favourite, but a hot contender was the Iced Rhubarb Vodka which was served after the main course. Again, it was served in a shot glass and was almost syrup-like apart of the tiny chunks of ice.
It nicely took the menu from savoury into sweet as the dessert, Manuka Honey and Whiskey Parfait with Earl Grey and Jivara Chocolate Beignet, appeared like a work of art on a square plate. And chocolate lovers will quiver with delight at the meal's end when coffee is served with chocolate truffles topped with slivers of gold leaf as well as to die-for soft and moist Hot Lemon Madeleines. For special occasions look no further. The food is the best you'll taste outside of London and the staff ensure your visit will be perfect.
5* Facts
Bentley restaurant, The Haycock Hotel.
Dress code is smart. Open from noon to 2.30pm and 7pm to 10pm Thursday, Friday and Saturdays.
Menu examples
Starters
Lasagne of celeriac, braised pigs' cheeks and Apple Foam - £10.95
“Sumac” scented confit of foie gras, goosnargh organic chicken - £11.95
Main courses
Monkfish and sautéed Frogs Legs, sweet lemon pickle and basil puree - £22.95
Roasted venison with parsnip mousse, Braised red cabbage, single estate chocolate jus - £24.95
Desserts
Warm apple and cider soup, apple confit, sour ice cream and clove oil - £8.95
Valrhona manjari chocolate delice with toasted walnuts, caraway and goats milk ice cream - £10.95
An extensive wine list is also available
*Details correct at 1/7/06