Review - The Tara @ Upton St Leonards

The Tara Restaurant at Hatton Court, Nr. Upton St Leonards

Starter

Main

Pudding

                                       

I have no idea why the Tara Restaurant has not been on my radar until now, but my Parents had eaten there recently and given a good report.  The food seemed interesting and Hatton Court is in an attractive location; I was intrigued and booked a table for a midweek dinner.

At first glance, the menu seemed traditional and trustworthy.  The first plus point in my notebook – I could happily have eaten anything listed, not one single option that didn’t tickle my taste buds.  That led me to the correct conclusion that the Chef and I were on the same wavelength. 

Mr N and I have an annoying habit of choosing the same item, but for reviewing purposes I like to ring the changes.  This also gives me a valid excuse to steal food from his plate in the name of research. I opted for the set 3-course tariff at £25 and my husband was given approval to order from the individually priced menu.

When our first courses arrived, they were pretty as a picture, contemporary food art presented on black slate tiles.  I had Arbroath Smokie Pate with sour beetroot, soft cooked quails eggs and caper berries which was as good as I have eaten in award winning restaurants.  The combination of flavours was nigh on perfect, and enhanced by the clever addition of fennel pollen.  Mr N was presented with a hot & cold starter of Seared Smoked Salmon, with Avocado, a little salad made of Anya potatoes and a Horseradish dressing.  He polished it off before I could steal a mere morsel, but concluded that it was delicious.

My braised Bavette of Beef was a clever use of flank steak, and so tender that you could cut it with a spoon.  I applaud the use of this tasty cut; the French love it, which is all the recommendation I need.  This was served with a rather architectural parsnip wrapped with a ham crisp and pointing skywards. It actually resembled the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai - very artistic indeed.  The superstar on the plate however was an excellent sauce, which gave everything else a wonderfully deep and rich flavor.  My husband chose Sea Bass in a Lobster broth, which was decoratively dressed with a couple of beady eyed crustaceans which unfortunately defeated his manual dexterity, and he never got to dig into the sweet flesh within.  The Sea Bass was enough to keep him happy, and yet again my efforts in double taste testing were foiled.

Puddings were attractive and tasty.  I chose a trio of lemon temptations; a creamy posset, a good sharp tart and an acidic sorbet.  Mr N’s Crème Brulee with rhubarb, accompanied by a tuile biscuit, was also pronounced to be very good indeed.

Pleasingly, the atmosphere is that of a restaurant, not of a hotel dining room.  Service was efficient, and did not impose on our privacy.  Overall, The Tara sits very comfortably in between traditional and contemporary dining, which is ideal for a destination restaurant with a diverse clientele.

Verdict:  A pleasing dining experience.  Chef Phil Clench has skill and imagination.  Deserving of local support and serious consideration for a lovely meal out, serving delicious food with artistic flair.