Alyn Williams At The Westbury

Right time to write up another great meal out this time at Alyn Williams at the Westbury, having arrived I was stunned at how beautiful the dining room is.

We decided to go for the tasting menu and let the sommelier pick a glass of wine for each of us to match the early courses and a glass each to match the mains as my dining partner and myself had chosen to have 1 each of the main choices.

The meal started with great bread, caraway butter and lovely light canapés 

including tempura peppers and airy cheese gougeres. 

 These where followed by our first course of –

Crab/Pot au feu/milk/Celery crisp,

This was full flavour, light, brilliantly fresh and vibrant.

Orkney scallop/Cuttlefish/Caraway/Mint 

came next and was mind blowing in its simplicity but packed an almighty punch.

The course that followed was not on the tasting menu but turned out to be one of my favorite dishes from the meal –

Heritage tomato/wasabi/radish

When a tomato taste as good as these did you don’t need to do a lot to them but the finesse the kitchen showed with this dish put any other tomato dish I have had in the shade.

Marinated quail/Smoked egg/Baked potato/Pickled red cabbage

Again brilliant flavours and clever use of textures to create a balanced and properly tasty dish.

Cured salmon/Peas/radish/Summer truffle

If not the best dish of the day a very very close second. Clean, bright and salmon cooked with great precision.

Next where the 2 main courses,

Devon ruby red sirloin and cheek/Turnips/Sand carrots/Croutons

&

Char grilled dry aged pork/River kennet crayfish/White asparagus

Beautifully cooked sirloin, tender melting cheeks and carrots with an incredible flavour.

But for me the pork was the highlight of the whole meal, sweet succulent loin and belly pork, crisp skin, perfect crayfish, butter roasted white asparagus and a light jus was just awesome.

Cornish cheesecake/Pineapple/Timur pepper/Cereal

This was our pre dessert and like the rest of the meal it was full of flavour, clever in the way it was presented.

Our final course –

Chocolate cake/masala/Mascarpone/Passion fruit

Simple In design and plating but it was wicked, warm and satisfying.

I have included the images of the wines we tasted all 4 where very nice but the Alberino stood out to me as something abit different and was very nice.

So to sum up the meal was awesome, Alyn was nice enough to come out and say hello and spend a few minutes chatting. He seemed at ease and very happy with the way life is going at the moment.

The service we received was top draw; the gentleman that served us was knowledgeable about the menus and Alyn’s style of cooking and was relaxed and looked like he really enjoyed his job.

Remember live to eat don’t eat to live