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The Duxford Lodge near Cambridge, Uk

A month ago, I stayed at the Duxford lodge near Cambridge, Uk, for a night. The room was simple but ok. The building is nicely set in park-like estate, unfortunately directly located at a busy street. When I arrived, I noticed a couple of signs saying that the restaurant had earned a number of awards and so I decided to have dinner the same evening.

At the Duxford lodge, you’ll have your aperitif at the bar and will be guided to your table just before the food is ready. This procedure seemed to be standard. If an Anglo-Saxon gourmet reads this, could he or she please enlighten me if this is that case?

Well, anyway. I asked for a Kir and got a sweet, cassis-laden warm mixture. I must say I prefer this with a very dry wine, just a dash of cassis and reasonably chilled . Enjoying the bar nevertheless – it felt like a time warp with walls covered with fighter-squadron paintings – it was just some 15 minutes before I was led into the dining room.
There, I had the chance to study in greater detail the certificates over the fire place. The restaurant has won the Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence in the every year since 2002. The award is granted by something called AA, whatever that may be (reader, please enlighten me again).

The menu started off with a pre-starter from the chef, a spicy kidney bean soup, which had an extreme
note of Cumin, nothing more than quite ok.The starter was a panfried fois-gras next to Chanterelle Boudin with Sautéd Chicory and an apple terragon emulsion. It came with a glass of a 2005 Wolf Riesling by Dr. Loosen.  This was all quite delicious – my first encounter with Chanterell Boudin – and I’m still not quite sure what that is :-).

The main course, a pork tenderloin with mashed red potatoes, left mixed memories. The pork was dry, which happens
easily with lean pork but must not happen to a chef with a cullinary excellence award. The mashed red potatoes, however, were wonderful in texture and taste.I had a glass of a 2005 Conti Rossi Pinot Grigio, delightfully negligible as can be expected from a pinot grigio.

For desert, I took a Chocolate Assiette, consisting of White Chocolate Soufflé, Biscuit Pudding, Iced Layered Mousse, Mint Choc Chip Sorbet, strawberry & Milk Chocolate Tartlet – quite palatable.

A problem, as so often, was the music in the dining room – elevator style first, then pop – not quite appropriate.

Overall, I had an enjoyable dinner at the Duxford lodge restaurant.

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Categorised as: Business, Hotels, Restaurants