Latymer by Steve Smith – Michelin star mastery in Bagshot
"It is an absolute feast for the senses from start to finish, with some of the most precise, confident, and accomplished dishes that I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating."
Address: London Rd, Bagshot GU19 5EU. Get directions.
Our verdict:
Angela Ward Brown
Luxury Bagshot hotel, Pennyhill Park, certainly has a lot to offer. There are 124 individually designed bedrooms, an award-winning spa, and 120 acres of grounds to explore, but, as an appreciator of fabulous food, the glittering jewel in its crown has to be its very own Michelin-starred restaurant, Latymer.
Open to both non-residents and hotel guests alike, the small, intimate restaurant is tucked away in one of the oldest parts of the hotel. Far from stuffy, it’s instead cosy and sumptuous, with wood panelling, low beamed ceilings, excellent lighting, and pops of turquoise and plush patterns.
Throughout the middle of the space runs a long dark wooden table topped with all manner of ice buckets and extra special bottles, waiting to be popped. The restaurant is also restricted to adults only, so there's an instant air of sophisticated serenity.
Angela Ward Brown
Awarded a Michelin star for 2021 and an impressive 4 AA Rosettes, Latymer is celebrated for its bold flavours fashioned using locally sourced ingredients inspired by the seasons.
Steve Smith is in charge in the kitchen; widely regarded as one of the most inventive and gifted chefs of his generation and renowned for his modern British cooking, he has held a Michelin star for the last twenty years (!) and along the way has also earned an impressive 5 AA Rosettes, 8/10 in the Waitrose Good Food Guide and a Catey Award for Chef of the Year (2014). With all this in mind, expectations were high…
Open for dinner Wednesday to Sunday, Latymer has recently launched a lunch service on Saturday and Sunday, giving keen gourmands the opportunity to sample some of Smith’s celebrated evening dishes at lunchtime, and without having to do the full shebang (lunch is four courses at £85pp, dinner is six courses at £130pp).
Angela Ward Brown
Whichever sitting you opt for, the offering is a carefully created ‘Discovery Menu’, which means that there is no menu as such; the experience is designed to be a discovery of dishes, with each course a surprise. As someone who finds making even the simplest of decisions a challenge, this was music to my ears, and an exciting prospect too.
We visited for dinner, and after being warmly greeted by a fleet of charming staff, proceedings kicked off with a selection of ‘snacks’ that poured out of the kitchen at a furious pace.
First, a divine little Spenwood cheese and truffle choux puff (see above) followed by a beautifully vibrant carrot tart balanced on a bright white ceramic tube. Then, a bowl of perfectly sweet and earthy beetroot, sliced paper thin, with a pleasing kick of horseradish.
Angela Ward Brown
The last to arrive was what I can only describe as an artichoke cappuccino – a divine, feather-light foam and an unusual flavour combination (coffee and Jerusalem artichoke, that is) that worked beautifully. The bread was equally as impressive. Offering both style and substance, wonderfully crusty slices of sourdough (both white and brown) arrived at the table wrapped in branded paper and sealed with golden stickers.
The current craze in butter was well met here too; a pretty, herby quinnell covered in petals, and a giant slab of utterly delicious cultured butter, made using a recipe derived from pre-industrial Scandinavia, so the little card that accompanied it told me. And all this was a generous and delicious preamble – the six-course tasting menu was yet to begin…
The first course was my favourite of the evening, and one of the most memorable dishes I’ve eaten this year; a Brixham crab salad, topped with a generous dollop of caviar, mixed with sweet mango, coriander, and pops of yuzu gel, sat on top of a smooth, salty set custard – almost like a pâté - made with brown crab meat, topped with set crab jelly.
Angela Ward Brown
A mouth-watering combination of zingy freshness and a deeply pleasing richness, it was perfect, minus the cracker on the side – again made with brown crab meat, but perhaps a touch too much maple syrup.
The delicious richness continued with the next dish; Maitake mushroom (a meaty, nutty variety also known as Hen of the Woods) with another delightfully light emulsion, this time perfectly seasoned potato, with a rich, runny little quail’s egg and a huge pile of shaved truffle. Exquisite comfort food at its very finest, it was a deeply satisfying dish.
Next, the largest Orkney scallops I have ever had the pleasure of eating, perfectly caramelised, with a wonderfully smooth celeriac and truffle purée, crispy lovage, dots of juicy apple gel and yet more shaved truffle. A lovely little chunk of Cornish seabass followed, with crispy skin, dollops of cauliflower purée and lashings of silky, salty seaweed butter.
Angela Ward Brown
Somehow, we managed a selection of five delicious British cheeses (Heckfield, Spenwood, Kidderton Ash, Brighton Blue and Tunworth), followed by a much-needed palate cleanser – a bowl of mouth-twistingly sour citrus flavours, which certainly did the trick.
Dessert was a truly beautiful blackberry creation – bursting with juicy berry flavours and a moreish creaminess thanks to the waina. A first for me, waina, as another little card explained, is rice based and made with blond cane sugar, with delicate notes of fresh milk, cream and vanilla.
We opted for the six-glass Discovery wine pairing (£95pp, Prestige version available at £130pp), so it came with a flute of English wine producer Nyetimber’s delicious Cuvee Chérie Demi-Sec - a heavenly combination. If your budget allows, the wine flight really does add to the gastronomic experience, as does the in-depth knowledge and tangible passion of Latymer’s charismatic sommeliers.
Our lovely waiter, Saroj, also seemed to know everything there was to know about what was on each and every plate, and also shared his knowledge with us with great warmth and ease.
Angela Ward Brown
The grand finale was an array of utterly delectable, picture-perfect petit fours – lycée and rose, and the now obligatory salted caramel chocolates, small dark chocolate and coffee choux buns topped with fresh truffle, plus a gorgeous pear and ginger pâte de fruits.
The Discovery menu is plentiful and takes at least 3 hours to complete (we ran over the 4-hour mark, which was a touch too long for me…), so bear this in mind and plan accordingly. It is an absolute feast for the senses from start to finish, with some of the most precise, confident, and accomplished dishes that I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating.
There’s no denying that a visit to Latymer is an investment, but it’s a truly extraordinary experience at an exceptionally high level. If you’re planning a delicious treat or a special occasion for the New Year, I'd highly recommend paying Steve Smith and his team a visit.
- Latymer at Pennyhill Park Hotel, London Rd, Bagshot GU19 5EU
- Dinner served Wednesday to Sunday: 6 pm-8.30 pm, lunch Saturday & Sunday: 12 pm-1.30 pm
