Herts &amp; Beds


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-location">THE LOCATION</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="850" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Restaurant.jpg" alt="Auberge du Lac, Welwyn" class="wp-image-88478" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Restaurant.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Restaurant-800x680.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Looking for excellent food in a countryside setting that’s not far off the beaten track? Hello, <a href="https://brocket-hall.co.uk/dine/">Auberge du Lac</a>. This genteel 3 AA Rosette fine dining restaurant is tucked away in the sprawling grounds of Brocket Hall in Welwyn, Hertfordshire.&nbsp;Formerly the estate’s hunting lodge, it’s now a fantastic restaurant serving modern British food using locally grown and seasonal produce. Think crisp white tablecloths and napkins, easy chatter and cosy elegance.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-vibe">THE VIBE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="850" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Interior1-1.jpg" alt="Auberge du Lac table and glasses" class="wp-image-88491" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Interior1-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Interior1-1-800x680.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Despite this being a fine dining restaurant there is nothing stuffy or pretentious about it. Instead, there’s a calm and inviting ambience driven by the maître d who is friendly and attentive. On arrival, we are shown into a cosy lounge with a roaring fireplace and offered welcome drinks and snacks. A group of friends clink Champagne glasses in the opposite corner, a couple gaze out the window at the serene lake and we gush over the deliciousness of the choux pastry with black mayo, curried panini and a salmon and caviar mousse that are all deliciously moreish.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scoff-and-quaff">SCOFF AND QUAFF</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="850" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Pate-2.jpg" alt="Plate of pate" class="wp-image-88492" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Pate-2.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Pate-2-800x680.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The restaurant is located downstairs in a quietly comfortable room with panoramic windows over looking the terrace and lake. It’s a Friday and is fully booked. Elegant older couples are enjoying lunch together, birthdays and anniversaries are being quietly toasted and there is a sense that everyone is here to celebrate over the fine food. The menu is an indulgent three-course affair. We are served a homemade rosemary bread and salted butter before starting with a pate en croute (Head Chef John Barber had been invited to the paté en croute world championship and came an incredible 4th place with this masterpiece) and Cornish crab ravioli. Both are excellent.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="850" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/CrabRavioli.jpg" alt="bowl of food" class="wp-image-88499" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/CrabRavioli.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/CrabRavioli-800x680.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>For the main course offering, there is a choice of Beef, Halibut, Risotto (or our choices) Norfolk Chicken and Cod. The chicken is served with parsnip, pickled walnut, cabbage fondue and a heavenly chicken jus. My dining partner’s rolled loin cod comes with super green spinach and lemon and fennel tuille. With the vegetables plucked from the kitchen garden and everything made on-site, the quality and flavor of this food is sublime. Head chef John Barber has had stints in Paris and at the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge and his skill and passion for cooking is truly incredible. We are flabbergasted by the flavours and textures and the thought and creativity that’s in every dish.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/aubergedulac3-2-1000x1000.jpg" alt="plate of turkey" class="wp-image-88500" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/aubergedulac3-2-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/aubergedulac3-2-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/aubergedulac3-2-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/aubergedulac3-2-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/aubergedulac3-2.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>While the dishes are beautifully presented and not overbearing we barely have room for dessert. But with food this good we have to make an exception. While the Crème Brulèe and Souffle look tantalising we decide to share the&nbsp;Chocolate and Pear. Oh my goodness! It&#8217;s delicious!&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="850" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Dessert-2.jpg" alt=" dessert chocolate and pear" class="wp-image-88498" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Dessert-2.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/Dessert-2-800x680.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>To put it simply, everything from start to finish is perfection. While we stick to drinking water (we are driving) there is an extensive wine list with classic and quaffable reds and whites on offer.</p>



<p>Instead of a digestif, we finish our meal with coffee and are treated to some petits fours. Like all the food, they look so pretty on the plate but we simply have no space left. However, the waiter seems pleased when we ask for a doggy bag – there is no shame in it, after all this is not a stuffy kind of place. This is refined but relaxed dining. It&#8217;s a destination restaurant that serves – we agree – the best meal we’ve ever eaten. As we thank the maître d and put on our coats, we think, surely it’s only a matter of time before this place gets a Michelin star?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-out-amp-about">OUT &amp; ABOUT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="850" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/BrockettHallestate.jpg" alt="Brockett Hall" class="wp-image-88501" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/BrockettHallestate.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/BrockettHallestate-800x680.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>If you decide to eat at Auberge du Lac good choice! After a sublime meal, be sure to take a stroll around the gorgeous grounds. It’s a 540-acre estate&nbsp;with bucolic lawns, a serene lake and two championship golf courses. Or make a night of it, and stay at Melbourne Lodge, Brocket Hall’s old stables that have been converted into a guest house.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">THE MUDDY VERDICT</h2>



<p><strong>GOOD FOR:</strong> Foodies, grown up families, a special occasion (but not the stuffy and dressy uppy kind). Dining on the terrace during the summer.</p>



<p><strong>NOT FOR:</strong> Noisy broods or those after a quick lunch. This is about taking your time and lingering over a delicious meal.</p>



<p><strong>THE DAMAGE:&nbsp;</strong>Mains from £26 and up to £36 for the beef. Three courses for £40-£50. Wines by the glass start at £5.75. For food this good, it&#8217;s worth every penny.</p>



<p><em><a href="https://brocket-hall.co.uk/dine/">Auberge du Lac</a> Brocket Hall,&nbsp;Welwyn, Hertfordshire&nbsp;AL8 7XG. Tel: 01707 368 700</em></p>


Review: Auberge du Lac, Welwyn

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