L'enclume

I realised that, according to google naps, L'enclume was only 2 hrs 45 mins away. Why not, I thought? We dug out our DVD  of the Trip and put ourselves in the mood for a road trip. 

It was all very straightforward. No complicated booking system, no counting 60 days backwards, no deposit and no problem if you had to cancel (obviously giving as much notice to the restaurant as possible, as it's only polite). I came off the phone thinking I was obviously too used to London restaurants. I did phone a week before our trip just to check we did indeed have a booking as there was no confirmation text or email either.

It was quite a stress free day. The drive went well and Cartmel is indeed lovely. I liked the laid back atmosphere of the restaurant finding formal dining a bit of a bore these days. The staff were chatty and personable too.

The food was very pretty and there were quite a few herbs we had not tasted before. The combinations seemed designed to enhance the flavours of the main ingredient. The potato dish stood out, as did the hotpot and the venison tartare. I had made the mistake of asking for a substitution feeling a bit squeamish at the raw venison. How wrong I was. It was lovely.

The only disappointing dish was the fish ostensibly because it was cold. As you can see the herbed butter stayed solid and had it melted it would have obviously added flavour and richness to the whole dish.

 I had a lovely time and there is no doubt about the exceptional level of technique, quality of ingredients and level of service we experienced.