No 4 Wood Street

No 4 Wood Street is situated in a very special building, two hundred years old and listed, formerly in operation as a maltings. It was converted to a restaurant by the previous owners who, whilst keeping as many original features as possible, concentrated on converting it to a more contemporary use, making sure everything was done in a sympathetic fashion.

It is surrounded by its own car park for eight, a solicitors, doctors and the art college, enabling customers to combine several calls with a calming lunch in between. The result mixes the modern with the traditional and more unusual, which includes a magnificent stained glass window, designed by a Forest Town student, creating an eclectic frisson of appeal.

The restaurant is now owned by chef, Michael Sindall, who has been there from the outset, a local lad who was keen to come home and make a name for himself after training in such excellent London kitchens as those inhabited by the Roux Brothers and Marco Pierre White. Since returning to Mansfield he has won awards for his cooking, and has firmly hoisted Mansfield on to the gastronomic map by being included in the Michelin Guide 2006.

Everything he serves is freshly prepared, whenever possibly using local ingredients, to such an extent that all desserts, bread, sauces, ices, biscuits, pasta are homemade. The menus change about every six weeks, but always remain interesting. At lunchtime a lighter theme prevails, ranging from salmon fishcake, sweet and sour chilli sauce and dressed salad leaves to roast beef and horseradish sandwich. The selection changes frequently, and the value at lunchtime is quite remarkable.

The à la carte is the flagship menu, with starters of chicken mousse, baby onion and roasted chicken terrine with sage dressing or perhaps a salad of poached duck breast with croutons, parmesan crisp, cherry tomatoes and pine nut dressing. Their steamed beef suet pudding with chipped potatoes, pea and mint puree and rosemary sauce is the stuff of which dreams are made, though the roasted saddle of lamb, tapenade crushed potato, tomato fondue with spinach and thyme sauce is a very close contender.

A tendency to appeal to the very heart of a basically indulgent clientele manifests itself in such desserts as a treacle tart with passion fruit sorbet or a glazed vanilla rice pudding with tangy lemon ice cream.

They also have an exceptional wine list with many wines being imported directly. Danny, former owner of No 4, is the enthusiast in that field and has diligently sought out some special offerings, visiting the small cellars in France where many of them have their origin, or using wine merchants that specialise in the unusual.

No 4 has taken much loving care to bring it thus far, but the owners must surely feel it has been worth while. They are extremely flexible and will happily cater for every occasion, from a special meal for two, through to a large family party or celebration.

Further details are available on their Website, including the special events held there. Be amongst the first to know.