The Clock House – Michelin Star rated restaurant
Formerly known as Drakes, The Clock House in Ripley has recently been re-awarded its Michelin Star, and is arguably one of the best fine dining experiences in Surrey.
On arrival, we were welcomed into the wood panelled bar for a pre-dinner cocktail while we reviewed the menu. While I chose the seven-course autumn tasting menu with wine pairing, we were brought complimentary amuse-bouche of mushroom croquettes, and smoked mackerel on crispy rice crackers. The croquettes were beautifully crunchy on the outside and intensely mushroomy inside, while the smoked mackerel had a subtle taste that wasn't too overpowering.
Mushroom croquettes and smoked mackerel on crispy rice crackersrs
First Course: Broccoli soup with oxtail and blue cheese
This interesting and intense soup was almost more like a puree, in that it came as a scoop that held its shape and sat on top of the other ingredients. That said, it was still very light, suggesting that its rigidity came perhaps from aeration rather than thickness. Underneath the broccoli soup was some melt-in-the-mouth tender balsamic oxtail and a melted piece of Yorkshire blue cheese, and the flavour combination of these three ingredients together was fantastic.
Broccoli soup with oxtail and blue cheese
Second Course: Beetroot, ewe's curd, fig and hazelnut
Full disclosure here, I don't actually like beetroot at all, so this was never going to be my favourite course. With that in mind, I still quite enjoyed this dish. The pieces of golden beetroot were not too overpowering, and went well with the more intense flavour from the ewe's curd. The figs added a nice bit of sweetness to the dish, and the hazelnut added some crunchy texture. The bits I was least keen on were the red beetroot pieces and the beetroot ice – I could appreciate what they had done, but not being a fan of beetroot, it wasn't really for me.
Beetroot, ewe's curd, fig and hazelnut
Third Course: Pork belly with apple and celeriac
The sharpness of the apple puree cut through the richness of the pork belly, reminding me why this is such a classic combination. I'm not sure that the seared celeriac added a great deal, but the alexanders puree was an interesting addition and something I’d not come across before.
Pork belly, with apple and celeriac
Fourth Course: Turbot fillet, chicken, chard, mushroom and baby turnips
The turbot fillet was delicious – meltingly tender but seared in butter for an indulgent finish. I'm not sure I've had fish paired with chicken before, but they complimented each other nicely, and the chicken had a sweet and sticky glaze that worked really well with the chard and penny bun mushroom. The miso sauce tied the dish together nicely, but I think the baby turnips were there mainly to add a different texture rather than for their taste.
Turbot, chicken, chard, mushroom and baby turnips
Fifth Course: Short rib of beef, sweetbread, kohlrabi & horn of plenty mushrooms
The short rib of beef had been slow cooked for three hours, and was so tender I could flake it apart with just a fork. The seared sweetbread added a nice lighter element to the dish, and the thin slices of kohlrabi added some crunchy texture to what would have otherwise been a very soft dish. The mushrooms added an earthy autumnal quality to the beef dish, while the wholegrain mustard cream sauce added a little bite, and the cabbage crisp was a welcome theatrical flourish.
Short rib of beef, sweetbread, kohlrabi and mushrooms
Cheese Course
Because I love cheese, I couldn't say no to adding an optional cheese course to the tasting menu!
Cheese course
Sixth Course: Lemongrass ice-cream, grapefruit ice shavings, and coconut cream
This "pre-dessert" was incredibly refreshing – the lemongrass ice-cream had a fresh zesty bite, with the little frozen pieces of grapefruit adding just the right amount of tartness. The coconut cream wasn't too sweet or too heavy, and added a lightness to the richness of the ice-cream.
Lemongrass ice-cream, grapefruit ice and coconut cream
Seventh Course: Blackberry mousse, apple and shortbread
Rounding the meal off was a dish of mini blackberry mousses (with a few whole blackberries), with tart apple pieces and a thin shortbread biscuit. A light and refreshing dish, that avoided the pitfalls of a heavy/rich end to a seven course meal!
We ended the meal with coffees and petit fours of white chocolate truffles, mini lemon cakes, and chocolate and tea truffles.
Petit fours
“…the dishes combined flavours and techniques that I hadn’t tried before…”
Overall impression: When you go to a Michelin Star rated restaurant, you expect a certain level of culinary creativity and excellence, and The Clock House did not disappoint at all. The dishes combined flavours and techniques that I hadn’t tried before, and the wine pairings (introduced with infectious enthusiasm by their passionate sommelier) worked perfectly with each dish. The tasting menu was admittedly on the pricey side (three figures per person with wine pairings), but for a Michelin Star rated restaurant it was certainly reasonable, even if it may be a venue that you save for special occasions!
