Enjoy a New Year treat for the senses
FAST APPROACHING its 40th anniversary, L’Ortolan in Shinfield is a New Year treat for the senses. If you need to banish the winter blues, a visit to the Michelinstarred restaurant down a quiet country lane is a must. Not only is the food sublime but the surroundings are too. With top-notch service and an impressive wine cellar, dining out at L’Ortolan is a magnificent feast for the senses. Head chef Tom Clarke aims to produce a mouthful of complementary flavours on every plate that comes out of his kitchen. He has been passionate about cooking for as long as he can remember and has a creative flair that sees him serve the highest quality food, exquisitely prepared for customers. This, he says, defines the L’Ortolan experience. Guests will be dazzled with style and luxury from the moment they walk through the door, be it lunchtimes or evening dining. All dietary needed are catered for, and vegetarians are promised that seasonal vegetables are used to create a host of different flavours. So if you want to book a romantic meal (now’s the time to think of Valentine’s Day), want to impress clients or want a wonderful evening out with friends and family, L’Ortolan is one of the top destinations in Berkshire. The restaurant has a rich culinary history, having been home to no fewer than five Michelin-starred chefs since it opened, the first awarded just three years after opening as the Milton Sandford in 1982 – one of just 17 in the UK at the time. The Grade II-listed building is formerly a vicarage, and were sympathetically and beautiful restored and enhanced in 2001, creating four main areas: a bar, a main dining room and two stunning conservatories. It also has two stunning private dining rooms. The Champagne Room takes inspiration from the Charles Heidsieck Champagne house and its centrepiece is a specially commissioned bubble-etched glass table on a bespoke oak beam. The Wine Cellar offers the atmosphere of a grand theatre with its rich, dark and warm colours creating a mature and opulent feel. And if that wasn’t enough, there is also a kitchen studio area where demonstrations are made and patrons can watch their meals being created, talk about the ingredients and learn some of the secrets of the trade. L’Ortolan regained its Michelin star in 2003, and has retained it ever since, thanks in part to the efforts of head chef Tom who is coming up to his fourth anniversary as head chef. Assisting him is manager Marco Nardi, who has more than a decade of experience in the hospitality industry and a real passion for pairing the right wines with the right dishes for the discerning customer, ensuring that every meal is exquisite. From the welcome to the details, everything matters to L’Ortolan’s team, ensuring that every visitor has a stunning experience from a worldclass team. And it’s all on our doorstep. L’Ortolan is open from Tuesdays to Saturdays, from noon for lunch and from 7pm for dinner.