5 North Street
5 North Street
Winchcombe
Gloucestershire
GL54 5LH
Phone: 0871 426 4633
Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras
Type of Cuisine : Modern European
Chef : Marcus Ashenford
Restaurant Opening Times : Lunch 12.00 - 1.30pm Wed-Sun Dinner 7.00 - 9.30pm Tue-Sat
Number of Covers : 26
Children's Facilities : Children's Portions
Kate and Marcus Ashenford's tiny village restaurant feels cosily rustic and warm hearted, with its ancient half-timbered exterior, beamed ceilings, deep-red walls and tiled fireplace. By contrast, the food here is anything but homespun.
Marcus is no stranger to Michelin stardom (he received his first accolade some years ago at Le Chavignol in Chipping Norton) and he cooks with confidence, bringing together bold ideas and inventions from France and the Mediterranean. There's artless precision at work here, witness dishes like a tower of roasted scallop, cauliflower purée and a slice of sautéed foie gras surrounded by a pool of beetroot syrup or a combo of duck breast, leg and liver with celeriac fondant, 'mushy peas' and burnt orange sauce.
Elsewhere, fixed-price lunch and dinner menus might advertise anything from monkfish with sweet-and-sour chicken wings, baby fennel and five-spice reduction to roast Gloucester Old Spot pork with crackling, stuffed cabbage and cider jus. Desserts tend to be more straightforward offerings like coconut milk rice pudding with caramelised pineapple or figs and orange segments in a pastry case with honey ice cream. Overall, this is intricate contemporary cuisine served with immense charm in almost domestic surroundings, and it's backed by a very respectable, pro-European wine list.
| Vegetarian | Private Dining Room | Private Parties |