We ate at The Ethicurean almost a month ago so this review has been quite a while in the making. This is because every time I’ve sat down to write it, I’ve been rushed and not able to give it the care it deserves. Hands down, The Ethicurean is one of the best places I’ve ever eaten in my life.
The experience was steeped in romance – it was a surprise visit, coupled with the new Ethicurean cookbook
‘Ethicurean’ adj. ‘the pursuit of fine-tasting food whilst being mindful of the effect of one’s food production and consumption on the environment’
The name of the restaurant sums up their whole ethos perfectly. Housed within the picturesque victorian Barley Wood walled garden with a vista of rolling hills, this place is run by a small team of family / friends. The menus are small, incredibly seasonal and change daily, showcasing the produce grown around them. Tucked away in a crumbly old greenhouse, adjacent to artists studios, this place feels magical, secret and special.
For pudding we shared the milk stout & chocolate steamed pudding, milk stout chocolate sauce & double cream and the British artisan cheese course. Obviously we paid for all 3 of the cheeses on offer. These were all locally sourced; a mature cheddar, a ewes milk cheese and my favourite – a soft and creamy dorset blue, and came with a sharp piccalili and a deliciously rich apple & cumin chutney.
Take veg home
Before we left, we took a long walk around the grounds and stopped in the ‘honesty shed’ to grab some things for the next few days dinners and we even watched our rainbow chard being picked. We hardly had any cash on us otherwise we’d have bought everything in sight because the quality of the produce was stunning! In summary, this place blew us away in both its beauty and the tastes. I would highly recommend The Ethicurean to anyone wanting a special meal. Price wise, I felt it was reasonable at around £40 – £50 a head including drinks.
WOW! It looks absolutely beautiful there. The aesthetics and consideration of the setting is almost as important as the food itself as it really can set the atmosphere of a restaurant. Romantic is definitely the right word by the looks of these photos!
That pudding has my stomach rumbling too! ♥
Yum yum yum… I definitely need to head over toward Bristol to check this place out. It looks marvellous!
Wow, love the ethos of this place and the food looks incredible! The Honesty Shed sounds like my kind of place too – must try to give it a go next time we're in the area. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you ladies for your comments – it really was fabulous and that pudding.. OMG!! Plus.. if you head down there from the Midlands you can hit up the amazing Gloucester Services on the way home! 🙂
Awesome pics Gingey. You're right I really need to go. That pudding *heart eyes emoji* xx
Sooooo good! I'm going to attempt to recreate the pudding at some point! You can come over and we'll have hear eyes emojis together!