Samuel’s
Masham, North Yorkshire
*Award-winning Ruth Hansom (formerly of the Princess of Shoreditch) has taken over as executive head chef. Watch for a new review coming soon.*
There’s more than a hint of Downton about this grand castellated mansion: the sweeping drive, the lengthy corridors, the ornate drawing room where afternoon tea is served beneath countless portraits of what may well be ancestors of the current incumbents. The flagship restaurant is equally splendid with its gilded ceiling, immense fireplace, silk brocades and sweeping views across the gardens. Yet for all the grandeur, dining here is pleasingly accessible and accomplished, especially Sunday lunch with its roast beef and roast pork with all the trimmings, including heavenly roast potatoes, giant Yorkshire puds and an additional jug of gravy. To start, ham hock terrine is served with a crisp ham hock fritter and a deeply flavoured burnt apple purée, while a potato ‘risotto’ offers finely diced potato, spring onion and summer truffle, finished with brown butter. Roast cod loin, generous and accurately cooked, comes with buttery pomme purée, broccoli and a deeply flavoursome sauce of chicken and lovage. At dessert, a delicate pistachio cake is garnished with rhubarb and a pistachio ganache, with a rhubarb sorbet alongside. It all gears up a little for the evening, with steak tartare and tempura oysters followed by beef Wellington and lemon sole (and the choice of a vegetarian dish at each course). If all that 'fine dining' becomes too much, there is also a casual menu served in the Terrace restaurant (part of Swinton’s magnificent spa), as well as 20,000 acres of grounds in which to walk it all off.
Dining Information:
Accommodation, Private dining room, Separate bar, Wheelchair access, Parking, Electric car charging, Family friendly, Credit card required
Swinton Estate, Masham, North Yorkshire HG4 4JH
01765 680900
