insideKENT Magazine Issue 77 - August 2018 | Page 113
FOOD+DRINK
CONTEMPORARY DINING, SEASONAL MENUS AND
BOUTIQUE LUXURY ROOMS AT
The Marquis
AT ALKHAM
FROM ITS FORMER INCARNATION AS A
VILLAGE INN, THIS 200-YEAR-OLD
BUILDING – NOW HOME TO THE
MARQUIS LUXURY BOUTIQUE HOTEL
AND FINE DINING RESTAURANT – COMES
WITH AS MUCH HISTORY AS IT DOES
INTRIGUE. BY SAMANTHA READY
Nestled in the heart of Alkham Valley, an Area
of Outstanding Natural Beauty close to Dover
and Folkestone, The Marquis is one of those
places that when mentioned in casual
conversation evokes surprisingly varied
responses. Some have always wanted to go,
some have never heard of it, and others rave
about returning – add in some hushed
rumours about the future of this intriguing
restaurant-with-rooms and it’s fair to say that
my guests and I couldn’t wait to find out more.
On a sunny summer evening, the views across
the valley are truly wonderful, while inside,
the 10-year-old, multi-million pound refurb
still feels fresh and contemporary. The dining
room, characterised by grey walls, dark wood
furniture and deep red upholstered chairs and
benches, gives an air of polished refinement
without any stuffiness, while the sun floods
the space with natural light adding to the
welcoming feel.
As well as building our appetites with talk of
his new seasonal menu that includes locally
foraged herbs, catches of the day from nearby
fishing boats and rabbits from the valley, head
chef Stephen Piddock excitedly explained that
the team behind the Hythe Imperial are the
proud new owners of The Marquis and
that there are many more exciting changes in
the pipeline.
Appetites sufficiently whetted, onto the food…
From the delicate, crisp smoked haddock
croquette with horseradish and spring onion
mayo; the rich, melt-in-the-mouth glazed
pig cheeks with pineapple and bay puree and
spiced popcorn; and the almost-too-
beautiful-to-eat pea panna cotta with quails
egg, asparagus, parmesan and pea shoots, the
starters were an absolute triumph.
The main courses continued in suit. A
perfectly medium-cooked rump of lamb with
potatoes Anna and shallot puree; corn fed
chicken with goats’ cheese gnocchi, wild
mushrooms and pesto; and chargrilled rib eye
with proper triple-cooked chips and wild
mushrooms – we devoured every last morsel.
Of course it was only right we ensured that
dessert didn’t let the standards down and
promptly devoured strawberry cheesecake
with surprise marzipan flavours, a dark
chocolate Marquis with sharp raspberry sorbet
and crunchy honeycomb, and a raspberry
parfait, the perfect cool dessert for a summer’s
eve with ice cold flavour, white chocolate
shards and mint marshmallow.
Every course was a perfect example of
style and substance with dishes that not only
looked divine, but tasted sublime and full of
flavour; our only complaint was not being
able to have more!
With a honed kitchen team, great guidance
from a committed and enthusiastic head chef,
and finally a new local owner committed to
elevating this local gem to even greater
heights, my guests and I now firmly sit in the
‘rave about returning’ camp.
The Marquis Alkham
Alkham Valley Road
Alkham,
Dover,
Kent CT15 7DF
[email protected]
01304 873410
www.themarquisatalkham.co.uk
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