Palé Hall
Bala, Gwynedd
As slices of Welsh countryside go, this grand Victorian mansion in lovely grounds is nigh on perfect with green fields stretching as far as the eye can see, complete with flocks of sheep and frollicking wild rabbits. The plush and rather conservative dining room indulges visitors with a full-on cossetting experience, which one reporter considered decidedly out of tune with the lightness and modernity of the cooking. There’s no doubt that the chef's confident, inventive and playful dishes are designed to impress. His skills are displayed on a five- or eight-course tasting menu, preceded by inventive canapés, including an ultra-crisp gougère filled with a strong hit of Westcome Cheddar, and a rich, silky chicken liver parfait encased in a blackberry gel (akin to Heston Blumenthal's much-lauded 'meat-fruit'). Memorable specialities from an inspection meal ranged from a whole pan-roasted scallop with a lovely, crisp crust and barely cooked centre, served with a quality take on XO sauce (made with the scallop roe) plus lemon gel and a few criss-cross batons of smoked ox tongue to an eloquently flavoured tartare of wild roe deer with confit egg yolk, nashi pear and sancho pepper. But the highlight was a skilful monkfish dish, roasted over coal, and served with blanched baby leeks, a few pudgy mussels, a nutmeg-heavy spinach purée and an absolutely perfect chive beurre blanc. Similar contentment is to be found among desserts of, say, a light but rich Guanaja chocolate délice with marinated banana, intense aerated chocolate and vanilla ice cream. Service tends towards the formal and needs to lighten up. The wine list, which opens at a kindly £23, will do for the time being, but the cooking deserves a broader vinous spread.
Dining Information:
Accommodation, Separate bar, Wheelchair access, Parking, Electric car charging, Family friendly, Dog friendly, Deposit required
Palé Estate, Bala, Gwynedd LL23 7PS
01678 530285
