Longueville Manor
Jersey
Sections of Longueville Manor, including its stone entrance arch, date back to the turbulent mid-16th century, but there is nothing unsettled about the place these days. Indeed, its head chef, the highly accomplished Andrew Baird, has been in post here since Sir John Major was prime minister. From the civilised lounge bar to a linened and mirrored dining room that feels like the salon privé on a luxury liner, the hotel radiates a sense of welcoming contentment, with staff who are all effortless courtesy to non-res and resident diners alike, with nary a hint of deadening corporatism. The whole place runs on well-oiled rails. Baird's cooking has gently evolved over the decades, absorbing the better ideas of the modern repertoire, ignoring the silly flummery. You can have truffled Parmesan chips here, as virtually everywhere else, but you needn't. In any event, there are supremely well-judged dishes that can be as simple as warm goat's cheese fondant with a cold mousse, heritage beetroot and a thrilling blood-orange sorbet, or as successfully complex as an array of prawn tortellino, grilled scallops, braised chicken wing, baby leeks and caramelised hazelnuts, all bathed in a resonant lobster and coconut velouté. Meat main courses might see classic preparations slightly tweaked (Creedy Carver duck breast with orange-glazed endive, apricot purée and fig) or not tweaked at all (Angus beef fillet with woodland mushroom ragoût, celeriac rémoulade and a big fat glazed shallot in silky bordelaise sauce). The prime materials are of unquestionable quality, the precision of timing and seasoning flawless. The Longueville garden-apple dessert is a sphere of apple mousse encased in a Granny Smith-green shell of white chocolate with pain d'épices, nougatine and honey, while a tropical fruit vacherin is teamed with salt-baked pineapple, coconut panna cotta and a passion fruit sauce boosted with Passoa liqueur. A wine list running to 5,000 bins could just be a boring grand-hotel trudge past the familiar names. At Longueville, it exudes imagination and care at every turn, as witness the enthusiasm with which the sommelier serves the Coravin glasses (and if you haven't seen the device in action, this is the place to watch the magic).
Dining Information:
Accommodation, Separate bar, Parking, Family friendly, Credit card required
Longueville Road, St Saviour, , Jersey JE2 7WF
01534 725501
