GETAWAYS • Nottingham
The approach to Restaurant Sat Bains outside Nottingham, tucked off the highway on an inconspicuous road, doesn’t signal a celebrated fine dining restaurant. But once inside the gate, it’s clear how Sat Bains earned its storied reputation. Chef Bains opened the restaurant (which also has seven bedrooms) in 2005, and has since acquired accolade after accolade despite its distance from the buzz of London. The experience is thoughtful, and not overly formal, with flourishes of whimsy and fun often lacking in similar restaurants.
The 10-course seasonal tasting menu shifts between British excellence and global inspiration, incorporating Scottish scallops doused in stewed tomatoes, alongside Cornish tuna tartare served with a dollop of wasabi. Midway through our meal, a server appeared and invited us to one of the greenhouses, where a surprise course of pizza cooked in a fiery oven awaited. It’s unsurprisingly delicious, thanks largely to the accompanying pesto, which was created with many of the herbs surrounding us. In fact, numerous ingredients come from the kitchen gardens and greenhouses.
My meal crescendoed with squab, perfectly cooked and presented with pear, before our journey into desserts began. The “crossover” course consisted of sweet corn ice cream (a personal favourite) and Bains has taken advantage of rhubarb season for a finale that pairs the sour fruit with milk ice cream. Instead of the usual petit fours, a stick of cotton candy arrives, hiding more ice cream beneath the spun sugar. It’s a fun (although intensely sweet) way to end the meal that began nearly three and a half hours earlier.
Some fellow diners headed upstairs to their rooms (which include breakfast, if you can manage it). We weren’t staying over, so we dragged ourselves to the car and drove back into reality. –Emily Zemler
→ Restaurant Sat Bains (Nottingham) • Lenton Ln • Wed-Fri 5-730p, Sat 1-730p • Book.