Emily Jane (15 March 2009)

The Waverley is nicely decorated with a very relaxed atmosphere and we found the staff courteous and friendly. After a lovely pre-dinner glass of Spanish Clos Mont Blanc white we were seated in the compact, but comfortable dining room. We were expecting good things, having read online reviews, but even they didn’t do Jericho’s cuisine justice. The menu is small, but perfectly formed, with something for everyone: fish, meat or veggie. The taste that Jericho’s chef can conjure from simple ingredients is sensational and hints at the quality of the produce. My salmon starter, neatly stacked with potato cake and poached egg was world-class, while I could tell by the look on my husband’s face that there was no way he was going to share a single forkful of his pigeon, caramelised onion and black-pudding ‘tower’! I stayed with fish for my main course, downing a delectable halibut and creamed-mushroom risotto, while my husband – who rarely finds a steak (un)cooked to his liking – was beaming when faced with a divine piece of Scotch fillet – his ‘blue’ request fulfilled to perfection. So far, so good. On to dessert. The portions at Jericho’s are perfect. So you don’t feel too piggy tucking into a third course. My husband travels extensively with work and counts himself as something of a world expert on crème brûlée. Jericho’s smooth, creamy offering with an added tang of poached rhubarb, served on the side, was up there with the best he assured me. My chocolate tart was fabulous – the perfect way to round off a meal. What more can I say. The food was Michelin quality at good pub prices. Nothing in our local area can beat it.

AJS42 (11 March 2009)

My wife and I ate at Jerichos at the Waverley last weekend. We discovered Jericho’s eight years ago, and try to visit annually. It used to be our hidden gem in the back streets of Windermere, but now at the elegant Waverley it seems busier and better than ever. The combination of tastes, textures and temperatures is something that you’d probably pay twice as much to experience in London or some other metropolis, and must be knocking on the door of a Michelin Star. What Jerichos doesn’t do is the stuffy, formal service required for a star – instead it is confident and relaxed, and so quietly efficient that you hardly notice it at all. My starter of pigeon, caramelised onion and black pudding took me straight to culinary nirvana, while my wife’s meaty winter broth tasted superb.

Some may find four choices of main course a little limiting, but I always want to try them all and the biggest problem is choosing which tasty morsel to partake of – always ensuring I choose something different for my wife so I get to try her’s too! Truth be told, I rarely get diverted away from Jericho’s tender and juicy steaks. That said, my wife’s pepper on pasta noodles ticked so many taste boxes, I might even be cured of my carnivore tendencies next time we visit. We complemented our meal with an excellent Paul Mas Viognier, then finished off with a fantastic crème brûlée for my wife and the varied cheese board for me. All in all, the meal, service and surroundings were top-class. Next time we might even stay over at the Waverley and give their impressive wine list a sterner test!