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What is your
perception of hotel food? If you paint a picture of boring,
traditional dishes with a cook by numbers approach, then the
Ramada Encore in Central Milton Keynes will blow that perception
right out of the water.
Décor
The
restaurant, like the hotel itself, is very contemporary. Many of
the tables are set at an angle, giving diners more space than
you will find in most restaurants. The large windows give you
views onto the hub’s central square and even with Italian white
stone flooring, this is a warm and relaxing environment.
Food
The main menu
contains many traditional dishes but there is a good chance that
you will be tempted by some of the daily specials. Many of these
are eye catching dishes specially prepared by Head Chef Tom
Smyth.
I started with
the delightful field mushrooms stuffed with stilton and
breadcrumbs, wrapped in bacon with tomato sauce. This was a
pretty dish. Two large mushrooms arrived on a rectangular plate
and I could not wait to see if the food tasted as good as it
looked. I was not to be disappointed – this dish was oozing with
flavour. This was a substantial starter yet I finished it with
ease.
My partner
chose the baked camembert with olives and rustic bread and a
side of apple chutney. The camembert was cooked to a perfect
texture; lovely and gooey. Three generous-sized rustic rolls,
all in a line, sat next to the Camembert. This is a simple
starter but it was beautifully presented and the fact that the
bread was warm, made this all the more satisfying.
Haddock,
wrapped in Parma ham served on bubble and squeak with a white
wine and mushroom sauce was my choice for main course. Words
alone cannot explain just how good this was. All the ingredients
combined brilliantly and I am sure many establishments will be
trying to copy this in the months ahead. Delicious!
If I thought
my dish was good, my partner’s choice of roast fillet of beef,
served on dauphinoise potatoes with spring onion and red wine
sauce was a dish of outstanding quality. The amazingly tender
meat was particularly well cooked and yet again, the
presentation was immaculate.
We were pretty
full but when the food is this good it would be a shame to stop
after two courses. My partner chose the deep-filled Malibu and
pineapple cheesecake which had a lovely crispy base. The
overriding flavour was the Malibu, but this was still a very
edible dessert. This will make a great summer dessert next year.
Chocolate
lovers will adore my choice of dessert; the warm fudge cake with
warm chocolate sauce. Somehow, for a dish of this nature, which
proved incredibly moreish and not at all sickly, it was not
particularly heavy either.
Atmosphere
This
restaurant is a great place to unwind. The modern music is
in-keeping with the modern décor but it was not too loud. There
is not a bustling atmosphere, but this restaurant scores highly
as a relaxed and intimate venue.
Service
The team at
Ramada, from the staff on reception to those behind the bar,
really do seem to enjoy their job. They were all incredibly
happy and friendly but never intrusive. They were attentive and
always topped up our wine in good time. Quite simply, they
struck the right balance and helped us to enjoy our experience. |
