Luxurious Lunch at The Estate Grill, Great Fosters

If you are looking to go out for a special meal then this is definitely one to visit. Last week we had a celebratory lunch at Great Fosters in Surrey, and I have to say it was delicious, with wonderful customer service too. We will definitely be returning. 

Great Fosters is a beautiful Grade 1 listed country house hotel and spa in Surrey. It has beautiful historic features inside and out, and is popular for weddings with its picturesque backdrops. The house itself retains many Tudor features, and the grounds also draw on their heritage with a Saxon moat and knot gardens. I only explored a tiny part of this luxury estate and was amazed by the grandeur of the hotel, as well as how well it is maintained.

We visited to celebrate my Nan's 80th birthday. On the morning of the lunch we had planned we decided that we wanted something more special than already booked and gave Great Fosters a ring to see if there was any chance we could go there instead. They did manage to accommodate us, and even prepared a Happy Birthday treat for us at the last minute too. There are two restaurants at Great Fosters; the Tudor Room and the Estate Grill. We chose to book in to the Estate Grill, which is the less formal of the two restaurants. 

We arrived slightly ahead of our booking to enjoy a drink in the Cocktail bar. As it was a sunny day we were sat outside and able to enjoy the views of the knot gardens and Japanese bridge. In my opinion the drinks are reasonably priced for this type of establishment (about £14 depending on what you have of course). I had a classic champagne cocktail which arrived with olives and popcorn bites. (I also have to mention that the outdoor chairs have a handy blanket over the back of them in case of a chill - I thought this was a great idea).

When it was time for our table we were shown to an outdoor area with enormous umbrellas in front of the Japanese bridge (which was well appreciated on such a pleasant day). 

The menu at the Estate Grill is based on a small sharing plates style of eating (similar to my previous visit to San Carlo Cichetti). However, you can also choose a traditional style main, which is also available on the menu. The larger mains are primarily steaks, though you can also have larger fish dishes including lobster.

There are also a number of sharing style starters that you can opt for (some are similar to Italian antipasti). We opted for a selection of oysters between us that came with all the accoutrements that you could need...a shallot vinaigrette, Tabasco and lemon. These oysters were definitely of a high quality, and they were pretty large too!

I opted for the small plates option. On the menu there is a selection of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes to select from. Sides such as fries, mash or salad are separate (I pinched some of my mum's chips; they were fantastic). I chose the steak tartare and a turbot dish, as I would never have either of these at home. Both were incredibly delicious. The confit duck egg on the steak tartare was perfect, adding a touch of  creaminess to the piquant flavours of the meat.

The turbot dish featured a tasty sauce and green vegetables too. I think that you could have either of these small plates with a side dish and be perfectly satisfied as a main course. Everything we ate had a lot of flavour to it...it all tasted very much of what it was (if that makes sense!).

And for dessert...I think I made the best choice. The description on the menu didn't give a lot away...manjari, sphere, rum, banana, passionfruit....a lot to like in there (not sure on some of it) so that's what I plumped for.

This is what arrived...

A rich chocolate sphere, decorated with gold leaf that fell away under hot molten chocolate to reveal a passionfruit sorbet, banana chips, meringue, and all sorts of goodness.

All rounded off with coffees and petit fours. Wonderful. 

Now, I am not a fan of the way that many restaurants add on a 10% service charge to your bill automatically. I like to leave my own tip and rarely does service reflect the additional 10% (bearing in mind that service is factored into the prices in the first place). However, on this occasion I did not mind it being added because the service we received from the moment we walked through the doors was outstanding. Every staff member was polite, attentive and helpful. We definitely felt taken care of all afternoon. ( FYI Our three course lunch with wine and cocktails worked out at about £60 per person).

We will definitely be returning here. I would like to sample the menu in the Tudor Room for an evening dinner....and possibly stay over one wintry evening too. There are different packages that you can book...dinner in the Tudor Room with a stay is just under £300, and dinner on its own is £58 per person.....

 

................There's even an outdoor pool that I have yet to discover!