FOOD + DRINK
THE GRILL
NO LONGER THE DOMAIN OF WEARY TRAVELLERS AND BUSINESS EXECUTIVES , former ‘ airport hotel restaurants ’ are undergoing a revolution , fast establishing themselves as dining destinations in their own right . Leading the way is The Grill , Crawley . BY SAMANTHA READY
The Grill restaurant is primely situated in the heart of Crawley town centre within the award-winning Arora Hotel and the contemporary design of the hotel is instantly impressive with sleek white lines , plenty of glass , fountains at the entrance and an striking atrium that ’ s home to a fourstorey waterfall .
We headed straight for The Grill , Crawley ’ s only AA Rosette restaurant . Passionately nurtured by head chef , Tony Staples over the last seven years , it ’ s clear on talking to him that he ’ s determined to bring only the best to the plate here in West Sussex . He ’ s scaled back the menu , refined presentation , and is driven by bringing only fresh , quality ingredients to the pass - a drive that ’ s resulted in the restaurant holding onto AA rosette status for the past three years .
Taking our seats at a central table for four , we were presented with the menu and with our choice of bread from the freshly baked loaves that are made daily by the committed kitchen team – the Gruyère and chorizo loaf was an instant hit .
It wasn ’ t long before our chosen starters from the seasonal menu arrived . The melon for our youngest diner was creatively presented in a face pattern , which was much appreciated , and the carrot and cumin soup of the day was a plentiful portion for our eldest daughter ; my pan-roasted scallops were perfectly seared and served with a spiced anise carrot puree and pickled carrot ; while my guest ’ s tuna dish proved to be the star of the course , the beautifully presented , seared loin came with a unique twist on a niçoise salad and tasted even better than it looked .
We were eager for more and were not disappointed when our main course appeared , the 28-day aged Surrey farm fillet steak for my guest was , as anticipated , grilled to perfection , served with a lovely caramelised onion and confit plum tomato relish and a huge stack of triple-cooked chips , while my pan-seared chicken breast was again presented well with baby leeks , turnips , crisp pancetta and fondant potato alongside a rich chicken jus . Generous children ’ s portions arrived in the form of a grilled chicken breast , heaving brioche burger , salad and crispy fries and were happily devoured .
We could just about make room for dessert ; the girls polished off their chocolate brownies and ice cream without any complaint , while my guest worked his way through a rich , molten chocolate fondant which had just the right balance of bitter and sweet . My individual tarte tatin was the winner overall though – crisp flakey pastry , soft caramelised apples , a rich , sweet butterscotch sauce , fresh blackberries and ice cream ; it was attacked on all sides , but I did my best to protect as much as I could for myself !
The Grill more than delivered . It ’ s formal , but relaxed dining room provided the right level of comfort and ambience with a tempting menu too , and , most importantly , we were served dish upon dish of fresh , beautifully presented and really tasty food – a winner all round .
The Grill , Arora Hotel Crawley Gatwick Southgate Avenue Southgate Crawley West Sussex RH10 6LW
01293 530000 . www . gatwick . arorahotels . com
aroragatwick aroragatwick aroragatwick
36