I don’t often venture into the quaint villages of Cheshire and Covid certainly put a stop to that for a short time. Now we have a little more freedom, I headed over to Hartford, somewhere I had never been before. It is a stereotypical Cheshire village with a cute hall, a pretty church and some lovely looking restaurants to explore. I was there to visit their latest new opening, Hartford Hall.
Hartford Hall is a former manor house that has been lovingly restored into a modern country pub and boutique hotel. There is a large outside space with covered tables, twinkly fairy lights and just the most beautiful atmosphere for a few cocktails in the summer sun. Inside, the oak beams and open fires remain with a contemporary twist. Beautifully luxe seating, hidden nooks and lots of greenery complete the large space.
The menu is seasonal with a nice selection of fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. There is also a lovely range of cocktails, with the house gin serve being Bombay Sapphire. I am one of those people who looks at a menu well in advance of visiting a restaurant and my visit to Hartford Hall was no different. I had already spotted the Spiced Roasted Duck Breast so knew it was the starter for me. Slices of soft duck are served on a bed of pickled watermelon, cucumber, radish and ginger. There was no spice, so I was a little disappointed by the title of the dish, but the salad of crunchy vegetables and juicy watermelon definitely made up for it. For the size of the dish, I think £8.95 is a little steep in comparison to the other starters. Charlie had the King Prawn and Crab Bruschetta, which was a huge portion in comparison. A mix of crab and sliced prawns, bound in a marie rose sauce and served on thick slices of sourdough. It feels like a posh version of the old classic prawn cocktail, and I am here for it.
The mains were a total success. I went for the Rope-Grown Thai-Style Mussels, which are always a favourite of mine on a menu. They had been cleaned perfectly, so no grit was present, and the lightly spiced Thai style broth they were dressed in was delightful.
Charlie chose a Spanish style dish and I have to admit, I was a little jealous. The Roast Cod Loin is served on spicy chorizo, king prawns and padron peppers, then topped with a saffron aioli. The slight bitterness of the peppers works really well with the rich chorizo and the meaty fish.
We also ordered a side of Chorizo Mac and Cheese with a Sourdough Crust. This my friends, is the star of the show. Chunky pasta tubes with a light cheese sauce, hunks of chorizo and dusting of breadcrumbs. The flavours were perfect, although I’d have preferred the breadcrumbs to be slightly more toasted. The smallest thing though for something so delicious!
We couldn’t decide on puddings, so decided the only thing to do was to go for the Sharer. Normally these things are a combination of a few different desserts in small scale, so you can try a little of them all. Well, not here. There were TWO portions of banana sticky toffee pudding and gooey chocolate brownie, with a massive summer pavlova and ice cream. It was an absolute feast that we didn’t even make a dent in, which is a shame because that pavlova especially was lovely. The meringue was as I like it, chewy in the middle with a crispy crust. The sticky toffee pudding is more cake like, but that’s not the worst thing that can happen. The brownies were really gooey in the middle with a piece of honeycomb on top for added crunch.
We had a tour of the rooms as well, which start from £60 per night. There is a gorgeous suite available with its own private outdoor dining space and pretty living area. It is a lovely spot for a night away, grab dinner and drinks before a comfortable night’s sleep without worrying how you will get home.
You can book on the Hartford Hall website now.
I was invited to dine at Hartford Hall as a guest and was not asked to pay.
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