Paris House, Woburn

I’ve been wanting to try Paris House at Woburn for a while now but needed a suitably special occasion. So hat’s off to Jonathan for organising a surprise meal there for our 2nd wedding anniversary.

Having walked the grounds of Woburn Estate a few times in the past I was already in love with the old Tudor building of Paris House. The restaurant has recently undergone refurbishment and it has lovely modern feel to it including an art wall with food inspired art for sale. I was a bit surprised at first as it was such a contrast to the design of the outside. The antlers and stags decorating the fireplaces were a reminder of the deer that roam the 22 acres of Woburn Estate.

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After ordering a Monkey gin and tonic from the vast array of gins available we were brought some Rabbit skewer appetisers whilst we decided whether to have the 8 or 10 course tasting menu. The menu was a fusion of modern British and Asian and was intriguing and exciting. We didn’t want to worry about which wine to go with all those courses so opted for a flight of 8 wines each.

Before we even got to the starters we were amazed at the bread basket which included a Venetian mask made from Rye.

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The smoked trout and trout tartare was topped with a tonic water sorbet, ginger syrup and cucumbers. It was possibly some of the best smoked fish that I’ve had and got the meal off to a great start.

I didn’t know what to expect with the next course so I was pleasantly surprised that it lightly battered veal served with sweetbreads and charred tomatoes. The veal was so tender and went perfectly with the Pinot Noir from Chile.

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We both love chowder and weren’t disappointed with this one. The crab and cockle chowder had sliced sweetcorn and potato pearls and was served with a rich butter and wine soup base. It was delicious and the Hirutza from Basque Country complemented it.

The lamb with black cabbage, new season garlic and salsa verde was served with a potato puree and was the largest of the dishes. The lamb was beautifully pink and tender. It was so delicious I completely forgot to take a photo. 

Just because we thought that 8 courses might not be enough we opted to share the additional artisan cheeseboard!  A great assortment of English and French cheeses were served paired with honey, caramelised walnuts and lemon peel.

The desert courses signalled the start of the Asian influence. The passion fruit mousse was topped with sherbet, fresh passion fruit seeds and accompanied by a vanilla vodka jelly. It was super tasty and the sherbet powder reminded me of being a child.

The next course was mochi which i’m not really a fan of and unfortunately am still to be persuaded.

Mandarin trifle with a coriander cracker, sake and chocolate soil was delicious and a great way to end the event. 

We were very pleased with all of the sommelier’s wine suggestions and the pairing of flavours. Our favourite was the Les Argelieres 2015 Cabernet Franc from Pays d’Oc with its jammy and cherry fruit flavours which went beautifully well with the lamb and cheeseboard.

Head chef and previous Michelin star holder Phil Fanning did a fantastic job combining British and Asian flavours and it’s easy to see how Paris House have earned their three AA rosettes. The food quality was fantastic and the staff went out of their way to ensure we had a perfect meal to celebrate our special occasion.