Seared scallops and moreish amuse-bouche at The Woodspeen

Exceptional seasonal dishes, polished service and elegant surroundings combine to make The Woodspeen near Newbury a destination well worth seeking out.

Light, airy, fresh, elegant and delightfully delicious sum up everything about The Woodspeen near Newbury and that’s before I get to the food.

Stylish and understated, The Woodspeen started life in 2013 transformed from a run-down country pub to the contemporary restaurant and cocktail bar it is today.

From the moment we walked in the laid back yet chic atmosphere was apparent as we were greeted with a cheery smile and shown to the bar area to enjoy a drink. Seated at the plush curved window seat, it seemed remiss not to begin with The Woodspeen 25 Yards Gin and Tonic, hand-crafted with botanicals just ’25 yards’ from the restaurant. The fresh citrus flavour worked a treat with a dish of large, bright green Parelloare olives.

The restaurant was buzzing with eager diners already enjoying a languorous lunch as we took our table at the picture window overlooking the spacious terrace boasting views to a recently planted arboretum. The carefully crafted Aston Martin in the garden makes an interesting additional attraction.

A lightly whipped cheesey bon bon was a very moreish amuse bouche, sadly I can’t remember the full details but take my word for it you could easily eat a plateful and still want more.

The menu showcases the best of what’s in season and in the hands of head chef Ben and his team whose skills you can watch in the open kitchen, the ingredients are brought to glorious life in innovative dishes.

Scallops always call to me and the plump perfectly seared Orkney scallops with butternut squash, spiced pork fritter and caper and raisin puree were quite simply divine. Our other starter of Cornish crab with Shellfish jelly, pickled radish, avocado and a sesame tuille was a work of art which tasted every bit as good as it looked.

Eagerly anticipating our mains we opted for Cornish sea bass, lemon roast fennel, fennel puree, chicken and hazelnut jus and sirloin steak accompanied by triple cooked chips, bitter leaf salad, peppercorn sauce. The sea bass was light, flaky and yet ‘meaty’ at the same time, while the fennel made me wonder why we don’t eat more of this anise-flavoured veg. The steak was mouth-wateringly charred to perfection and admirably matched with crisp and fluffy chips.

Continuing the light theme, the coffee cremeux with mascarpone ice cream, chocolate mousseline and hazlenut was like tucking into a deliciously-flavoured cloud and the ideal way to round off a superb five-star meal.

Hand in hand with five-star food goes five-star service and if I could give six stars all round I wouldn’t hesitate.

Find out for yourself, visit thewoodspeen.com.

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