Chapter One is located in the wonderfully sounding Locksbottom, Kent, and while Kent may be considered 'the garden of England', it's also a rather big garden, for it is one of the larger counties in England. In that respect, it's easy to forget that as well as being an extensively coastal county, it has a substantial border with London so that a decent slice of Kent is located within the M25. I say all this because I had expected Locksbottom to be a typically cute Kentish hamlet consisting of little more than a village green, a local pub and a charming but tiny restaurant, complete with original timber features; in this respect, I was wrong.
Locksbottom, close to the better knownOrpington, places Chapter One Restaurant comfortably within the M25 and the journey time from London was 40 minutes, about the same time it might take to get from the City to the West End. It does means however that rather than being a bucolic ideal, it is in fact set back from a rather busy road, and firmly in Greater London.
So far so good, but why choose Chapter One as my dining venue anyway? Because a trusted friend tells me I should and Andrew McLeish (Chez Nico, The Ritz), Head Chef at Chapter One since 2000, has earned the venue a Michelin Star and 4 AA rosettes (both The Square and Helene Darroze have four rosettes but I note with some surprise that Le Gavroche has only three). That also makes Chapter One the most decorated restaurant in Kent. On the face of it then, it promises a seriously high standard of cooking.
While the cooking might be the equal of London's West End, the prices however are not. For the lunch service, both a la carte starters and desserts priced at just £5 and mains £16 despite serving up temptations like Josper Roast Sika Venison (dinner menu £37.50). And if that's not good enough value for you already, the menu du jour with three choices for each of the three courses is just £19.95.
Service throughout the meal is professional but friendly and staff, rather than being automatons, interact to exactly the right level with the guests and smile. Personally, I think this is a better approach than the rigid unsmiling formality seen at some top restaurants and overall it made for a more enjoyable experience.
Locksbottom, close to the better knownOrpington, places Chapter One Restaurant comfortably within the M25 and the journey time from London was 40 minutes, about the same time it might take to get from the City to the West End. It does means however that rather than being a bucolic ideal, it is in fact set back from a rather busy road, and firmly in Greater London.
So far so good, but why choose Chapter One as my dining venue anyway? Because a trusted friend tells me I should and Andrew McLeish (Chez Nico, The Ritz), Head Chef at Chapter One since 2000, has earned the venue a Michelin Star and 4 AA rosettes (both The Square and Helene Darroze have four rosettes but I note with some surprise that Le Gavroche has only three). That also makes Chapter One the most decorated restaurant in Kent. On the face of it then, it promises a seriously high standard of cooking.
While the cooking might be the equal of London's West End, the prices however are not. For the lunch service, both a la carte starters and desserts priced at just £5 and mains £16 despite serving up temptations like Josper Roast Sika Venison (dinner menu £37.50). And if that's not good enough value for you already, the menu du jour with three choices for each of the three courses is just £19.95.
Service throughout the meal is professional but friendly and staff, rather than being automatons, interact to exactly the right level with the guests and smile. Personally, I think this is a better approach than the rigid unsmiling formality seen at some top restaurants and overall it made for a more enjoyable experience.
the dining room
Kindly, I'm a guest of the restaurant today and I leave my food choices to the chef, who does a mini tasting menu for me to see a little more of what they do than three courses would permit. I start with the Veloute of Chestnut, chanterelle mushrooms and toasted Kentish cobnuts which is a perfect antidote to the grey day outside and seasonal dishes like this are one of the few reasons to love the onset of Winter.
Veloute of Chestnut, chanterelle mushrooms and toasted Kentish cobnuts
Treacle cured Loch Duart Salmon follows which gives a very different take on the usual salmon starter as the treacle imparts a sticky sweet finish to the salmon making it almost a comfort dish. There's freshness and acidity too however with beetroot and mayonnaise such that the sweetness never cloys. An unexpected treat.
Treacle cured Loch Duart salmon, leeks, beetroot, coriander & lemon mayonnaise
Pan fried local gurnard with late summer truffle is next. This is a smaller portion of a dish that's an a la carte main and accompanying the gurnard are tiger prawns, gnocchi and trompette mushrooms. Gurnard, rarely an obvious choice to grace a menu, I think it's featured on our blog no more than twice, is a fantastic fish for taste, here cooked perfectly, and with the truffle really coming through. I mention this because truffles have been a consistent disappointment this year and in many restaurants, where they have been served, I would have preferred in fact that they had left it off the plate. Here however, it's as it should be.
Pan fried local gurnard, late summer truffle purée, tiger prawns, gnocchi & trompette mushrooms
I simply loved the next course. Partridge with pan seared foie gras. Best of the season with a massive dose of naughtiness. This was the day's special, and together with the earlier mentioned venison offers up a reasonable game choice for those who want even more seasonality on the plate. This was rich and delectable with the (leaner) partridge gloriously complimented by the fatty gras and a beautiful and rich jus. We always say that if you're going to eat foe gras, it should count: here it does.
Partridge and pan seared foie gras
A citrus parfait makes for a perfectly fresh zag to the foie gras' zig but it is the next dessert, interestingly from the set lunch menu, that is the star of the dessert show for me: peanut butter pannacotta. I love peanut butter served up in almost every way and here, the panna cotta was beautifully light but keeps the peanut butter essence intact; very nicely done. This could have sat, and still been enjoyed, on a considerably more barren plate, but here there's lots of little extras too, like blackberry pearls, that kept adding variety without distracting from the main reason for ordering this dessert. Part of the lunch menu, this dessert costs equivalently £4, truly exceptional value.
Chilled yuzu & exotic fruit parfait, guava sorbet & basil cake
Peanut Butter Pannacotta, salted caramel, confit lemon & raspberry sorbet
star anise and salted caramel truffles
We admit that we've fallen into the trap ourselves: this is a restaurant that, within the M25, seems too close to form part of a day out, but too far away to feel it's local given our central London location. I had to go there to realise I was wrong, it was no more bother than heading West, and with no congestion charge and on site parking, it was actually somewhat less frustrating than my recent drive into Covent Garden allied with 15 minutes circling the block as I look for a bay to park that isn't 'residents only'.
As for the food, both Michelin and AA rate it as highly as what Mayfair offers and I concur, it was an excellent meal throughout, no weak dishes, and with ingredients that are both local and seasonal, something which was a pleasant surprise - my recent journey around the UK had suggested that even in top rated restaurants, it's not always the case.
Given that it is so close, it took us a long time to discover Kent's most decorated restaurant. Kent is in every way a fabulous county, and maybe Chapter One is its best kept secret of all.
Return to homepage
Visit Chapter One website
Follow Chapter One on Twitter @Chapter1Kent
Location map for Chapter One
As for the food, both Michelin and AA rate it as highly as what Mayfair offers and I concur, it was an excellent meal throughout, no weak dishes, and with ingredients that are both local and seasonal, something which was a pleasant surprise - my recent journey around the UK had suggested that even in top rated restaurants, it's not always the case.
Given that it is so close, it took us a long time to discover Kent's most decorated restaurant. Kent is in every way a fabulous county, and maybe Chapter One is its best kept secret of all.
Return to homepage
Visit Chapter One website
Follow Chapter One on Twitter @Chapter1Kent
Location map for Chapter One
Disclosure: we were guests of the restaurant
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