• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

All That I'm Eating

Recipe ideas for budget meals, everyday cooking and a little indulgence. Travel inspiration and restaurant reviews too.

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Wild Food
  • Events & Reviews
  • Travel
  • About Me
  • Contact Me

Dinner at Blandy’s Bistro

October 12, 2018 By All That I'm Eating 9 Comments

This was a gifted meal.

When you drive into Inglewood you can see the large house in the distance; at this time of year with the lights on it looks very welcoming. We had been invited to have dinner at Blandy’s Bistro at Inglewood House in Kintbury. I was really looking forward to it as I had been only a few weeks before and immensely enjoyed their afternoon tea. My expectations for dinner were pretty high.

Inglewood outside Entrance to Blandy's bistro

Sometimes I’ll go to a restaurant and the choices on the menu will not be quite to my liking which leads me down a narrow path ending up at only one choice, not because it’s my favourite but because I’m not that keen on anything else. I had the opposite problem at Blandy’s; I wanted to try one of everything. So while I decided which one to try we munched on some warm bread with a hint of rosemary and onion, the butter was soft and ready to spread which I always think is a good sign.

Dinner menu at Blandy's Rosemary onion bread

Starters

The starters I was torn between included: butternut raviolo with chestnut and truffle; smoked salmon roulade, cockle popcorn and wasabi or grilled mackerel nicoise salad. Luckily the OH fancied the ham hock and foie gras terrine (£7.75); the texture of which with the smooth apple chutney and crisp pork scratching was excellent. I ordered the beef broth, ox cheek croustillants, spring onion and shimeji mushroom (£7.75).

It was just fantastic; the broth was clear and so full of rich flavour, there was the smallest hint of star anise in the background which enhanced rather than overpowered the flavour. The ox cheek was tender and the little peeled cherry tomato was a stroke of genius as it was so sweet amongst all the savoury flavours. On the top was crispy potato which brought great texture to the whole dish. Clean but comforting this will be a hard dish to forget.

Ham hock terrine Beef broth and oxtail starter

Mains

It might not come as a surprise that choosing a main course was just as tricky as a starter. We didn’t try the Ramsbury beer battered fish, chips and crushed peas; chicken Caesar, egg and Parmesan crouton; the dry aged beef fillet, bourguignon and roasted bone marrow or the cod, tiger prawns, charred leeks and caviar veloute.

What we did try however was the wild mushroom and fine herb risotto (£15.50), the OH’s choice, and the guinea fowl supreme, heritage carrot, pistachio and hispi cabbage (£17). The mushroom risotto was exactly what you wanted it to be; full of savoury mushroom flavour and oozing with cheese, the herbs really added a freshness to the whole dish.

I had the guinea fowl and the pistachio crust not only looked great but the flavour it added to everything else was delicious. Most unexpectedly the hispi cabbage had been mixed with ginger and despite not being a huge fan of ginger I wolfed it down. The sweet purple carrots and butternut purée with the perfectly cooked guinea fowl and the richest jus were balanced so well with the slight fiery flavour of the gingery cabbage.

Mushroom risotto Guinea Fowl and Pistachio

Desserts

After a little interlude it was time to look at the dessert menu and, lo and behold, I didn’t know what to try! I was extremely tempted by the roast figs, crème mousseline and puff pastry and the apple and blackberry pie. But then I saw there was quince on offer and I had to have it. The OH ordered the dark chocolate fondant, salted caramel ice cream and popcorn (£7.50) and I opted for the vanilla panna cotta, quince compote and coconut straw (£7.50).

When the fondant arrived at the table I feel like the description had undersold it somewhat. This was no ordinary salted caramel and chocolate get up. The best way to describe what came alongside the fondant would be like a giant Twix or Mars bar; biscuit at the bottom, salted caramel ice cream on top all wrapped in thin dark chocolate and topped with popcorn. It tasted as good as it sounds yes.

The coconut straw that came with my panna cotta was sort of like a sweet, skinny cheese straw using coconut rather than cheese. Also atop the panna cotta was a dried, thin slice of quince which I really enjoyed. At the bottom of the glass was the beautiful, glowing quince compote. I’ve no idea how Gert (the head chef) managed to keep it so pink, mine always turns brown! The slightly tropical flavour of the quince with the creamy panna cotta worked really well together.

Dessert menu at Blandy's Chocolate fondant and popcorn Quince panna cotta

We were pretty full at this stage but still managed to squeeze in these lovely little cakes. You can see from the above picture what the Bistro is like inside. The tables are spaced just far enough away that you can’t overhear anyone else but close enough together to create a nice atmosphere. Everything is decorated tastefully and boldly at the same time; oversized ceiling lights and huge wall paintings are the name of the game.

Petit fours after dinner

What most struck me across this menu is that you know exactly what time of year it is by looking at it. There’s apples, blackberries, quince, carrots, mushrooms and so many other ingredients that are all in season right now. I really loved how these seasonal ingredients are being used and celebrated and some of the ingredients are from Inglewood House itself. The quality of the food served at Blandy’s Bistro along with how the food is presented means you know you are somewhere special. A good atmosphere, a good drinks menu (including some local beers) and a regularly changing menu means I will certainly be going back.

This meal was paid for by Blandy’s Bistro, thank you to them. All opinions and words expressed are my own. Prices correct as of 9.10.18.

Other posts you might like

  • The Maytime Inn Scotch Egg
    The Maytime Inn at Asthall
  • fountains abbey and water gardens yorkshire
    A Long Weekend in North Yorkshire
  • Beech mushroom starter
    The Red Lion at Stoke Poges

Filed Under: Restaurants Tagged With: Kintbury, Restaurants

« Beetroot and Feta Dip
Golden Beetroot Remoulade »

Comments

  1. angiesrecipes says

    October 13, 2018 at 05:36

    What an amazing meal! Food looks really great and gorgeous plating! Guinea fowl and the pistachio crust is my favourite!

    Reply
    • All That I'm Eating says

      October 16, 2018 at 14:15

      I know! I feel like I want to put a pistachio crust on everything now!

      Reply
  2. Ron says

    October 14, 2018 at 10:15

    I loved the menu, it was right up my culinary ally. I think I’d order the smoked salmon roulade as my starter, the chicken ceaser for my main with a side of hand cut chips. T

    Reply
  3. The-FoodTrotter says

    October 14, 2018 at 21:03

    It looks splendid, I love how everything’s decorated and arranged. That’s very beautiful 🙂

    Reply
  4. Laura says

    October 15, 2018 at 21:06

    Caroline – this looks like a lovely place! I have to say, though, the desserts were the stars here! So creative and so beautifully presented! Maybe it’s my sweet tooth talking, but I’d like to try that entire dessert menu!

    Reply
    • All That I'm Eating says

      October 16, 2018 at 14:17

      I’m not normally a dessert person and I found it so hard to choose, maybe I’ll just have to go back and try all the others!

      Reply
  5. GiGi Eats says

    October 16, 2018 at 04:22

    I wish I were at this same table as YOU!!! I would have scarfed this meal hard core!!

    Reply
  6. David says

    October 17, 2018 at 06:48

    Wow, Carolyne! That looks simply fantastic! Added to my UK travel file!

    Reply
  7. John / Kitchen Riffs says

    October 17, 2018 at 14:00

    What a nice menu! This looks like a terrific place — I wanna go there! 🙂 Great review — thanks.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Any information added when you comment will be handled according to this Privacy Policy.

Hello I’m Caroline

Welcome to my site All That I’m Eating. You will find inventive recipes using seasonal and foraged ingredients as well as everyday easy meals and a few indulgent recipes too.

I believe humble food doesn’t have to be hum drum so whether you’ve oodles of onions, superfluous sausages or apples aplenty I hope you enjoy having a look around.

Find Out More…

Never Miss A Thing

Subscribe here!

Get all my posts straight to your inbox.

Instagram

Instagram did not return a 200.

Contact Me

Your name
Your email
Enter your message
Enter below security code

Quick Links

  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Caroline Taylor Communications

Recent Tweets

  • Error: Invalid or expired token.

© 2018 Caroline Taylor - All That I'm Eating
·
Privacy and Copyright
·
web design::mogul

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT