Andrew Kay has a delicious pre-opera lunch at Pelham House in Lewes
The taking of Pelham…
A fter such a dismal summer it came as a real surprise that we were able to dine al fresco at Pelham House in Lewes recently. It was early October but the sun was strong so we thought ‘Why not?’.
Mr L and I were on our way to see Glyndbourne’s production of Rusalka and I thought it might be wise to have lunch in Lewes beforehand. To be truthful, I had lunched at Pelham House only a few days prior and had such a marvellous meal of pork pie and bouillabaisse that I was chomping at the bit to return.
Pelham House has a pretty interior with lots of carved panelling and character. But the lure of the terrace in the sun was strong so we sat looking down the steeply terraced garden watching children playing at a wedding.
The menu is fixed at £25 for three courses and Mr L is not one to shirk his responsibilities when accompanying me on such an occasion. To start he boldly chose a soft cheese and beetroot terrine. It was pretty as a picture, all pale pink and cream stripes, and he loved it. I took a taste and agreed it was very good. I chose tempura fish with a simply deliciously dressed salad, hints of Japanese, that fine balance of savoury and sweet that sounds simple but is so difficult to get right. This was spot on. The batter was light and crisp, and the various blobs of dressing all deserved a place on the plate rather than simply being there to tart things up.
When it came to a main course we both wanted the same thing. Normally I would allow my guest to choose and then opt for something different. But this time the allure of a pheasant ballotine with rabbit croquettes and bramble berries was too much to resist. And it was worth compromising my rules for once. The pheasant was moist and tender, the stuffing rich and deeply earthy, and the sauce sticky and rich, set off with tiny balls of lightly pickled beetroot. I ate it as slowly as I could, not wanting the experience to end.
But end it did and we had the quandary of whether to have a pudding. I promise that there was little debate; we both headed back to the menu with gusto.
I also ordered a side dish of cavolo nero with barley and oxtail butter. My word, what a lovely dish – the rich, bitter iron of the cavolo worked so well with the creamy barley and the savoury butter.
Mr L chose Spanish-style cinnamon doughnuts with a shot of something foamy and mysterious, and nut creams to dip into. He said it was delicious but thought that given the shape of the doughnuts and the presentation on a piece of slate, it could have looked better. Mr L has a terrible imagination but I’m afraid I had to agree.
My knickerbocker glory on the other hand was a glorious sight: a tall sundae glass filled with ice cream, whipped cream, rich cake, cherries soaked in booze and gooseberry compote. And yes, I chose it because I love gooseberries. It was delicious, nostalgic, sweet, sour and packing a slight alcoholic kick. It was also served with a proper sundae spoon so extra marks for that.
At the end of lunch we called a cab and headed off to Glyndebourne feeling very happy. The truth is, Pelham House has a restaurant serving the kind of sophisticated food that I would expect to pay a lot more for. The main course alone in other country house hotels would unashamedly be put on the menu at £25, the total of what we each paid for three courses.
We took the bus to Lewes, hopped off, crossed the road and dined – it was as easy as that, and I cannot wait to return very soon.
Pelham House, St Andrew’s Lane, Lewes, BN7 1UW, 01273 488600, www.pelhamhouse.com
