Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

Seasons restaurant is a unique little place; sited in a refurbished old barn, which has been converted to a shop and a restaurant. This is relatively small, only holding up to thirty upstairs and ten down; a special feature is that there is a chef's table, where you can watch him at work.

The experienced chef, who has worked in some good kitchens, is young and passionate about his food; everyone gets a visit from him at the end of the evening, a nice touch. The restaurant is lit by candles and small lights, creating a pleasant atmosphere to celebrate either a special occasion or just a simple meal for two.

A typical meal might start with fresh tuna steak and green bean salad with diced potato on a bed of salad and basil dressing followed by fillet of lamb with a potato rosti and crushed peas, rounded off with a rich red wine sauce or a pan seared salmon fillet served with slowly braised leeks in Napoleon brandy and duchess potato, with a refined dill jus, and finishing with chocolate fondant with a rich chocolate sauce or kiwi cheesecake with a kiwi coulis and star fruit.

Auberge is an elegant brasserie serving both modern and traditional French and English cuisine. It is done up in trademark colours of deep red, with light furniture and polished wooden floors, antique French mirrors and crystal chandeliers which lend the restaurant a stylish ambience.

Owners Russel and Rosie Caines have many years of experience in the hospitality industry and want Auberge to be appreciated as a comfortable brasserie serving excellent, freshly prepared food. They take great pride in the fact that everything, from bread to ice cream, is prepared on the premises, setting them apart from many other places.

You can begin a meal there with the soup of the day, followed by innovative starters like chilled crab with peppermint and wrapped with potato or goats' cheese walnut loaf, served with beetroot hummus. Equally popular are the apricot chicken roulade, served with sweet apple curry dressing, and the pot of creamed wild mushrooms with hot buttered toast.

If you are equally fond of meat and fish, the attractive options for mains could confuse you. Fillet of coley paupiette with prawn and spinach mousse with brown butter sauce, paprika chicken with spatzelli and roast turkey and roast rump of Welsh lamb with wild garlic and nettle sauce are all great choices. Sweet corn and pea risotto with crispy pak choi, and buckwheat vegetable pancakes with leek sauce, are healthy vegetarian options.

The wine list is extensive and has something for every taste and budget, including some premier red and white wines. There are also a few Chilean sparkling wines, which could enhance your dining experience there. The dessert menu is heart-warming too, and has enough variety to confuse both a novice and a seasoned diner. Eve's pudding with clotted cream, the semi set passion fruit jelly with milk custard, sticky toffee pudding with ice cream and the chocolate and caramel salt tart with pear ice cream, are all very inviting.

Auberge Brasserie offers personalised service and has many regular customers. This is amply supported by the fact the restaurant has been around for over fourteen years and has had to enlarge the premises three times to accommodate their growing clientele.