Waldo's at Cliveden

Cliveden has been a byword for fine dining and lavish entertainment for over three centuries, and this tradition still flourishes today. As one would expect there is an ample choice of rooms in which to enjoy the fine cuisine and faultless hospitality which has attracted numerous awards and accolades.

Cliveden House dates from 1666 when the 2nd Duke of Buckingham, a hell-raking figure who set society by the ears and gave Cliveden its close association with the fast set and the politicians that has lasted to this day. Harold Macmillan, British Prime Minister in the late 1950s, when told that the house was to become a hotel famously remarked ?'m'dear boy, it always has been . . ? and one suspects he would not be disappointed with the reality. As the hotel brochure says, 'the tradition of impeccable hospitality and extravagant entertainment continues to make any stay at Cliveden the experience of a lifetime'.

Such a comment bodes well for the restaurant, where the habit of luxurious eating and drinking is maintained faultlessly and with an aplomb of which the Duke of Buckingham would have undoubtedly been proud. There are dining rooms for all occasions, but our focus rests upon Waldo's, the intimate room named after Thomas Waldo Story, the American sculptor who created the Fountain of Love at Cliveden.

Cliveden's latest contribution to the rumbustuous memory of the Duke of Buckingham was the scandal surrounding a prominent Cabinet Minister's association with Christine Keeler and Dr Stephen Ward, and through them a Defence Attaché at the Russian Embassy.

In November 2007 Robert Thompson, formerly the Michelin-starred Head Chef at Winteringham Fields in Lincolnshire, joined Waldo's as head of the team that will be seeking more stars. Still in his mid-twenties Thompson has already had a glittering career, and in 2005 Germain Schwab, former co-owner of Winteringham, predicted,   ' . . . I am confident that he will be the youngest chef ever to achieve three Michelin stars'. Thompson himself commented, 'My ambitions have not changed since I started cooking, it is simply to create happy kitchen environments led by praise rather than shouting . . . .'.  Wisdom indeed.

The entranceway to Waldo's is lined with photographs from the Astor years, focusing on their guests, ranging from Henry Ford to Lloyd George. The restaurant has something of a reputation for offering the creme de la crème when it comes to cuisine, with starters of terrine of Perigord duck foie gras, with warm compote of apricot and chilli, carpaccio of milk fed veal, pickled girolles, parmesan crisp and lime oil. The sea is not overlooked and poached native Cornish lobster is served with wild mushrooms and a herb sabayon, or from Scotland pan-roasted scallops with asparagus tips, candied tomato and summer truffle sauce.

Main courses offer pan-fried Aberdeen Angus beef fillet, potato rosti, wild mushrooms and a bordelaise sauce, or a corn-fed Anjou pigeon with sautéed potatoes, spinach and sherry vinegar jus. Line caught Cornish sea bass is pan-roasted before being served up with candied tomato and ravioli of spinach.

Desserts are very much in the classical tradition, starting with a apricot tatin with camomile served on a caramelised almond base, vanilla ice cream and almond wafers, or a bitter chocolate delice with feuillantine biscuit, raspberry puree and dark chocolate sorbet. Rather special is the black cherry and kirsch soup with white chocolate parfait, cherry beignets and cherry sorbet.

The recommended wines at Waldo's start with a Chateau d'Yquem 1996 and wend their way through an invigorating selection that includes a Quinta do Vesuvio '89 Port and a Spanish Toro Albala Gran Reserva 1975. Dining at Waldo's is dining in great style with tradition and history, not to mention the superlative cuisine.

Cliveden is one of the great houses in Britain, to find out more about the wonderful opportunities to dine or stay there, do visit their Website.