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Restaurant Review: The Tudor Room, Great Fosters Hotel - Egham, Surrey

Historic Hotel, Michelin Star throwback.

By Paul NewmanPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
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Dessert offers some distinct artistic skill.

In amongst the bombardment of emails for luxury spa days at random, historic houses-come-4*hotels throughout the UK, lies few outstanding gems. It is, then, unfortunate that these few gems have become diluted, sanitised and, in some cases, found to be dwindling, as large investment companies seek to find a corporate reworking of these beautiful palaces. But it is no small feat to take an historic setting and transform it to a 5* standard, which is why, so many of these olde-worlde homes simply don't live up to their aesthetic. And so, this aesthetic, very much goes before them in their marketing campaigns, boasting lush gardens and pretty plates of food...most of which are just replated versions of very familiar fare.

Great Fosters Hotel is one of the those 4* hotels, set in the rolling hills of the Surrey countryside. Its grand manner house design, complete with 50 acres of gardens, holds royal crests as one of its many attributes. Situated a few minutes drive from its "big brother", Windsor Castle, its perfectly placed for tourists and stay-cationers alike, enticing everyone with its list of famous residents such as Orson Welles and Charlie Chaplin... it certainly has the look at feel of something special.... Still though, a promise made by so many, but delivered by so few.... However, their "Tudor Room" restaurant boasts to be one of the few Surrey based Michelin Starred eateries, adding weight to their offering that not many can rival.

It would be remiss of me to not mention that Surrey is an area of outstanding beauty, a playground for the rich and, more importantly, not a place for the shallow pocketed amongst us. A recent price hike cements "The Tudor Room" as one of the more expensive options, even for a restaurant with a Michelin star. But as I mentioned previously, there are, surprisingly few restaurants of this calibre in the area... only 4 restaurants hold a star within Surrey, compared to 67 in London. A fact that, to me, sounds hard to accept. Wealth is not a problem in Surrey and the landscape, along with proximity to the City, surely makes Surrey the perfect place for high-end cooking? But anyway...

In some ways, what the Tudor Room offers us is a bit of a stuffy throwback to what Starred restaurants used to be. It's got those familiar clean lines, white table cloths and a real lack of atmosphere. Spend too long in this very small room, and you'll find yourself surrounded by silence, whispering to your partner in fear of being overheard saying the wrong thing or, god forbid farting too loudly... a bit of music wouldn't go amiss guys! The wine list is that standard book of "who's who" from across the globe that only the very best sommelier could understand. But yet, despite this, it's one of my favourite places to eat.

Why? The food is why. OMG ("Oh my God" to all you grandparents out there). Headed up by Tony Parkin, these dainty dishes of heavenly delectation offer so much more than an Instagram opportunity (although they also offer GREAT Instagram opportunities!). Each dish is well thought out, perfectly executed and so full of flavour, you'd think one Michelin Star not enough. It's truly exemplary. Pan fried scallops (one of my personal obsessions), cooked to perfection. Venison Fillet, buttery soft and desserts, sweetly crafted, both delicious and made for the food section of a national gallery.

MY only real gripe is that the size of these dishes are simply too old school for the 21st century diner. For me, I would like to have had more on the plate. I could have eaten some of our dishes all day long, given the opportunity.

4 course lunch, with wine approx £110 per person.

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About the Creator

Paul Newman

Spend most of my time eating or thinking of eating. Ex-Restaurateur and Film graduate and a screenwriter...

I have 7 screenplays, unfinished, because that's what life is like as a screenwriter.

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