Arundel House

This establishment situated in central Arundel at the foot of the ramparts of the massive Castle describes itself as "a boutique hotel with intimate restaurant in which we hope you will Relax, Revive & Revitalise whilst nestled in the centre of Arundel. Arundel House Restaurant & Rooms is a refreshingly contemporary and cosmopolitan destination, for this part of the world, ideally suited to those who appreciate style and simplicity over chintz and clutter." It certainly is. We decided to try this place out for size after searching t'internet and subsequently made a reservation. This year it has been recognised by Michelin and it's reputation is obviously growing.

We were greeted by the co-owner Billy Lewis-Bowker who made us feel at ease. The Menu seemed refreshing and the wine list would have been nice to explore had I not had the car keys in my pocket. I had a glass of the Cabernet/Syrah/Merlot, Fontaine, Domaine Portet which was very smooth and an excellent choice with the venison.

We were presented with a little appitizer to start, a cup of stilton and celeriac soup, a very promising start to the meal. The soup was thick, but a beautiful consistency, and full of flavour and a pleaseant suprise that set us up for the remainder of the menu.

We both chose the Mini Blinis with Homemade Gravadlax, Sour Cream and Lumpfish Roe as a starter. It was beautifully presented, lanced on wooden scewers, although they could have been a little more generous with the portion size.

As our main course, I chose the Seared Loin of Local Venison on Sweet Potato Mash with Wilted Spinach and a Red Wine Reduction and Gaynor chose the pan fied hallibut from the Special board.

Now I must declaire an interest here as vension is perhaps my favourite meat and when it's well cooked and presented can make you drool. This was by no means a let down. The mash was presented in a dome in the centre of the plate with the venison, sliced thinly and adorned slodier like around it's battlements, all topped out with the delicate wilted spinach as a crown on top of the mot. The red wine reduction was strong and gave perfect body to the dish. The meat was perfectly seared within millimetres of perfection without the inner meat lacking substance. A superb, hearty late winter meat course.

The chief, Luke Hackman, has certainly deserved his recognition in this year's Michelin Guide.

My assessment - a first class meal - £20 for two courses with a further £9.00 for drinks, excellent value for money. A must for a visit to the South Coast area. And why not try their rooms, if we are in the area again I would highly recommend a visit here and a look around the historic town.

This establishment ws mentioned in the Top 50 guide in this Guardian article.