Never judge a restaurant by its decor

Fallowfields Country House Hotel

Faringdon Road,

Abingdon,

Oxfordshire OX13 5BH.

Tel: 01865 820416

The tasting menu at Fallowfields Country House Hotel in Abingdon costs £59 per person, with an additional £32 for the flight or £14 for the micro flight.

NEVER ever judge a book by its cover. Or, in the case of a food review, never judge a restaurant by its unadorned walls and dull interiors.

This is the moral of today’s tale.

But let us rewind five main courses, seven entrees, a whole tarte tartin, and two hours of heavenly sampling.

At first sight Fallowfields Country House Hotel’s restaurant is not much to look at and its simple decor, reminiscent of a Holiday Inn conference centre, did not scream refinement to someone as susceptible to appearances as myself.

But if this journey into culinary brilliance taught me anything it is to always give the benefit of the doubt. After appetisers including taramasalata and duck mousse, the chef had simply won us over. Enough, anyway, to shift our focus from the bare decor to our plates.

This was a meal of firsts for many reasons.

I was proven wrong from the moment I sat at the table (not strictly a first, but all the same a shock to the system – one my dining partner enjoyed no end).

Secondly, so replete was I that for the first time since camembert first passed my lips as a toddler, I turned down the offer of a cheese plate. This simple fact would customarily have brought me shame – as a French person I should be able to handle cheese under any circumstances – but everybody reaches his or her limit sooner or later. It took 26 years for me to reach mine, an honourable feat.

It was also the first time I was offered a “micro flight of matching wines”. Intriguing is it not?

Our appetites appropriately whetted with the appetisers, we were presented with the chef’s Kitchen Garden box, the contents of which change with each passing season and are selected from the garden’s home-grown produce.

The winter offering went as follows: cucumber essence with gin and tonic foam (the highlight of the meal for me – who would not fall over themselves for a sip of gin and tonic cleverly disguised as a bonafide and therefore acceptable starter?), pigs head and roasted apple croquette, smoked cod cheeks with leek and potato and radish with lovage yoghurt.

Then came the Fallowfields-style beef with freshly grated wasabi, the sharpness of which gave the succulent meat a delightful pinch.

The second course – charred mackerel with tartare, lime and borage – could not have suited me or my partner better as we are both very fond of this delicious fish. This was by far my favourite of the mains which, as the meal progressed, seemed to get more inventive and intriguing.

Venison loin with parsnip and red cabbage came next. So tender was the game that it could have been mistaken for beef.

But what of the micro flight of matching wine, you ask?

Well, as I had drawn the short straw and was the designated driver, I was offered the perfect compromise – a miniature version of the wines offered to complement each dish. Altogether I sampled four wines, all carefully measured to add up to one large glass by close of play.

But we had seen nothing yet, as we were soon to realise. Next, we were treated to a ‘pre dessert’ in the form of a refreshing piña colada sorbet. My favourite pudding was then placed in front of me – tarte tatin. Served with a heavenly blackcurrant milkshake in a minute glass bottle and whey ice cream, it simply melted in my mouth; just the right amount of sweet with flawlessly crisp pastry.

There were more surprises in store when, seeing our plates wiped clean, a waitress proceeded to bring us the rest of the tarte tartin. She did not have to ask twice before partner gladly finished the whole thing in one sitting. Chocolates and macaroons were the perfect way to crown a truly spectacular meal.

If I had been hesitant at first and too quick to judge, I had been taught an important lesson... and a rather indulgent and pleasant one at that.