What ' s on the menu
eat out
THE DINING ROOM Miriam Phillips takes a seat and samples some of the cuisine on offer in a Sherborne restaurant that ’ s literally old school
S herborne is one of those beautiful places that makes you feel you are part of a film set . The day we chose to visit The Dining Room in Sherborne , the sun was setting slowly over the market town ’ s historic abbey and the walk along Westbury was beautiful . The lovely winding old street on the approach to our restaurant destination had a real buzz about it . The Dining Room is situated in buildings which echo with local history – they were built in 1743 by Lord William Digby as a school for the ‘ education and clothing of poor girls ’.
Inside , the restaurant is fresh and bright and we choose a table next to the window . The Dining Room , which is part of the adjoining Britannia Inn Hotel , opened in 2014 and has since blazed a trail and is now one of the top places to dine in Sherborne according to reviews on TripAdvisor . The owners pride themselves on cooking ‘ sensational traditional British food with a
respectful nod to the past and an eager fork in the fresh ideas of contemporary dining .’
The menu
A delightful selection of dishes were on offer , and great value too – £ 19 for three courses . There are plenty of locally sourced options to choose from , including a starter of potted Portland crab , toasted brioche and Dorset leaves , and a main of roasted tenderloin of Dorset pork with pomme purée , buttered green beans and Calvados jus . To follow all that , you can finish things off with a West Country cheese board if you wish .
The à la carte menu offered a choice of six starters and seven mains . Highlights were Lyme Bay scallops , rack of Sherborne
What ' s on the menu
“ The dark chocolate brownie was the shining light … divine with a tang of sour orange ”
new season lamb , and Wye Valley asparagus risotto . The menu of the day changes every 9-12 weeks seasonally .
The food
I opted for the restaurant ’ s number one selling dish – The Dining Room ’ s sauté tiger prawns , chorizo , garlic , sweet chilli , cream and coriander . The dish certainly looked impressive and the combination was very indulgent . The tiger prawns were crunchy and fresh and the overall dish was extremely satisfying . I casually observed that both diners on either side of me had made the same menu choice , so clearly a house favourite .
My companion opted for the Lyme Bay scallops with Wye Valley asparagus , oven-dried tomato and vinaigrette . We were happy to see the scallops were big and juicy and contrasted perfectly with the pea purée . Whilst we finished the course , the restaurant filled up and I was pleased to hear Ella Fitzgerald playing throughout the restaurant . The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly and the other diners seemed to be loyal locals .
For the main course , I chose the Creedy Carver duck breast , which was served with cauliflower purée , burnt leek , dauphinoise potatoes and cherry jus . The duck arrived looking delicious and had a beautiful salty crust that added to the texture . The potatoes were delicious , creamy and cut through the dish perfectly .
The dessert
The dessert for me was the shining light of the meal . Despite the best efforts of a New Forest strawberry parfait to grab my attention , I went for the dark chocolate and pecan brownie with vanilla bean ice cream and candied orange . It was divine , crunchy , and had a beautiful tang of sour orange . It came recommended by the restaurant manager and , having had the pleasure of devouring it , I can see why it ’ s so popular .
Menu ’ s verdict
You couldn ’ t get more of an old school setting than this historic building . The food is never staid or stuffy though and looks stunning , which with the seasonal menu makes for a fresh dining experience in vintage Sherborne .
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À la carte menu : starters from £ 5.95 , mains from £ 12.95 Menu of the day : two courses and a glass of wine or three courses for £ 19 Opening hours : Tues – Sat , Lunch 12-2pm and dinner service 6.30-9.30pm . Sunday service 12-3pm
Bookings : The Dining Room , Westbury , Sherborne , DT9 3EH
Tel 01935 815154 www . thediningroomsherborne . com
www . menu-dorset . co . uk