With Le Champignon Sauvage now open following its recent refurb, a visit to Cheltenham brought a welcome opportunity to stop by and again enjoy the brilliant cooking of David Everitt-Matthias. When we first put LCS on our blog, we adored it, finding food that was imaginative, original and, of course, great tasting. With 2 Michelin stars (held for over a dozen years), it's already in an elite group, but even amongst that peer group, we felt that LCS was a cut above. Since that time, we have of course eaten at many more restaurants, and have even travelled the country from Lands End to John O'Groats discovering the best of what the broader UK food scene has to offer, and yet in our minds, Le Champignon Sauvage remains uniquely special. Along with the likes of L'enclume and The Ledbury, it is a restaurant that continues to excite us, where we eagerly anticipate every return visit and where there's always new and exciting things going on within the menu. In short then, our view hasn't changed, and we continue to celebrate Le Champignon Sauvage as one of the UK's top destination restaurants.
the new dining room
Stepping inside the dining room, you'll now find a lighter, airier space, the dark blue carpet and upholstery giving way to a lighter shades. What hasn't changed though is the value offered by the restaurant or the standard of cooking. We opted for the tasting menu in order to see as much as we could of David's food. Even here, with the tasting menu at £85, it offers a price point below that of peers: the Taste of Midsummer for example is priced at £95, Le Manoir's Menu Decouverte is £150, and London 2 stars are all generally priced above £100 for their tasting menus.
We start with what must be considered something of a signature dish, the Dexter beef tartare and corned beef. It looks even more beautiful today, the plating even more precise. We've had it before and we know what to expect on taste: it doesn't let us down. This is a remarkably complex dish: textures, which vary between the two presentations of beef as well as the crispy toast, sea veg, mushrooms and onion; the tastes, umami, the acid of the pickled mushrooms, the heat of the wasabi; the overall satisfaction as every mouthful is different to the last, the plate components mixing in a myriad of ways, never the same twice.
We start with what must be considered something of a signature dish, the Dexter beef tartare and corned beef. It looks even more beautiful today, the plating even more precise. We've had it before and we know what to expect on taste: it doesn't let us down. This is a remarkably complex dish: textures, which vary between the two presentations of beef as well as the crispy toast, sea veg, mushrooms and onion; the tastes, umami, the acid of the pickled mushrooms, the heat of the wasabi; the overall satisfaction as every mouthful is different to the last, the plate components mixing in a myriad of ways, never the same twice.
Dexter beef tartare and corned beef, wasabi cream, pickled shimeji mushrooms
Dived scallops, miso glaze, turnip and verjus cream, toasted sesame puree.
Citrus cured mackerel, gayette of pig's trotter and whelks is devastatingly good. It's hard to believe that we're not eating quayside, the mackerel is so fresh. I love too the addition of the pork to this dish, adding some animal fattiness to compliment the mackerel leaving the 'cut through' to the citrus cure and pickled mooli.
Citrus cured mackerel, gayette of pig's trotter and whelks
Witchell potatoes, buffalo milk curd, caramelised onion purée, leek ashes
The maple glazed chicken wings was a substitute dish for me (in place of the Witchell potatoes) with the chef remembering that I had enjoyed the potatoes the previous month. A thoughtful gesture from the kitchen, and one certainly appreciated as these sweet sticky chicken wings are divine with pickled sunflower root the offset here.
maple glazed chicken wings, maple caviar, pickled sunflower root
The main course is local wood pigeon and simply seeks to deliver the best expression of pigeon to your plate, which it does. The pigeon leg comes confit and crumb coated, delivering a very different presentation to the vibrantly pink breast. In the winter months, game is always a regular feature at LCS and David is a master in its handling and cooking, and this dish highlights that skill to deliver a perfect plate.
Roasted local wood pigeon, black pudding purée, baby parsnips roasted with wqoodruff
pre dessert
David is a very accomplished pastry chef also and the author of the book dessert, such that sweets, often a weak point for even strong restaurants, will usually be something special at LCS. There's plenty to love here but we're both struck in particular about how good the verbena sorbet is. I don't think I can remember us cooing over a sorbet before but here the texture is the smoothest we've encountered, the temperature perfect so it holds firm on the plate but instantly melts in the mouth and leaves us thinking how great chefs can even elevate the common place into the realm of the sublime.
The final dessert, iced prune and burdock mousse is yet another piece of art, very tasty art, though of course, liking prune is essential. Fortunately we do and again, the mix of precision, art and skill reinforces at the end of the meal just how original and unique the food is here.
The final dessert, iced prune and burdock mousse is yet another piece of art, very tasty art, though of course, liking prune is essential. Fortunately we do and again, the mix of precision, art and skill reinforces at the end of the meal just how original and unique the food is here.
Upside down pineapple cake, coconut 'ravioli', pineapple and verbena sorbet
iced prune and burdock mousse, prune kernel ice cream
petit fours
This was a stunning meal, possibly the best we've had yet at Le Champignon Sauvage and continues to lead us to believe that David and his small brigade of chefs at LCS are doing some of the best food in the UK today. As we've already suggested, it is the cumulative effect of precision, art and skill in David's cooking that elevates his food, even versus its peer group and since David never misses a service (ever), the standards are rigorously enforced day after day.
Helen Everitt-Matthias continues to run the front of house operations and service was friendly, efficient and courteous throughout from all staff. In fact, we loved our meal there so much that we have already booked a return visit.
While Mayfair might boast an excessive concentration of Michelin starred restaurants, LCS is as good (if not better) than what is on offer there, while providing a unique experience because David Everitt-Matthias is his own man, doing his own thing and doing it very well indeed. We've said it before, and we're very happy to say it again: if you love food, you simply must get to Cheltenham and give Le Champignon Sauvage a try, it is one of the most special restaurants in the UK today.
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Related posts
Le Champignon Sauvage website
Le Champignon Sauvage (CC 2011 post)
Le Champignon Sauvage 25 Years on
Helen Everitt-Matthias continues to run the front of house operations and service was friendly, efficient and courteous throughout from all staff. In fact, we loved our meal there so much that we have already booked a return visit.
While Mayfair might boast an excessive concentration of Michelin starred restaurants, LCS is as good (if not better) than what is on offer there, while providing a unique experience because David Everitt-Matthias is his own man, doing his own thing and doing it very well indeed. We've said it before, and we're very happy to say it again: if you love food, you simply must get to Cheltenham and give Le Champignon Sauvage a try, it is one of the most special restaurants in the UK today.
Return to homepage
Related posts
Le Champignon Sauvage website
Le Champignon Sauvage (CC 2011 post)
Le Champignon Sauvage 25 Years on
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