Fine Dining at Paris House: Woburn Park, Woburn MK17 9QP, 3 AA Rosettes & Michelin recommended
Website http://www.parishouse.co.uk
Twitter @parishousechef
Instagram @parishousechef
Facebook @ParisHouseWoburn
Phone 01525 290692
Email info@parishouse.co.uk
My sister-in-law and I had the pleasure of trying the exquisite 8 course tasting menu with 6 glass wine flight.
Set in the absolutely beautiful 22 acre deer park located on Woburn Estate, Bedfordshire is Paris House which I can honestly say is one of the most stunning, unique restaurants I have ever dined at. The building was originally built in Paris on the Rue des Nations as part of The Paris International Exhibition called ‘The Street of Nations’. The 9th Duke of Bedford fell in love with it and incredibly had it taken apart, shipped and rebuilt piece by piece in the grounds of Woburn Abbey.
The Owner and Executive Chef, Phil Fanning was awarded a Michelin Star in 2010 then went on to buy Paris House in 2014 with his wife. Since then the building has undergone a full modern refurbishment of the dining rooms and kitchen which has been a great improvement and has injected new life into the restaurant.
After a short drive through the deer park we arrived at Paris House, we were greeted warmly and seated immediately. We could tell straight away that they really care about each customer’s experience. We ordered refreshing Berry fizz mocktails seeing as there were 6 wine pairings to come it was probably best to pace ourselves!
Canapés
Canapés were brought out, the presentation was fantastic and we could tell we were in for a unique treat.
Carrot Macaron with lentil and mango chutney – being a huge fan of any mini foods I absolutely loved these, the taste of the carrot went really well with the sweet mango chutney and the texture of the Macaron was soft and light.
Chickpea Falafel with tzatziki – I was pleasantly surprised at this as I’m not usually keen on chickpeas but the falafel was flavoursome and the tzatziki refreshing.
Seeded Lavosh with trout tartar and caviar – this was my favourite canapé and tasted incredible. The contrasting textures of the seeded lavosh ,tartar and burst in your mouth caviar was extremely satisfying. I could have eaten 10 of them!
Bread
Next we were given fresh, warm bread with 2 different types of butter. One was blended with Marmite and the other balsamic vinegar and oil which I had never experienced before. The Marmite was nice however the tangy balsamic vinegar and oil was my favourite of the two.
First Course
Brandade, Herb Crusted Sea Bass, Yukon Gold Soup & Dill Oil. Tasty, comforting and creamy, this was one of my favourites from the 8 course menu.
Second Course
Pumpkin, Red Bean, Dry Yeast & Rice Cake, paired with Dopff au Moulin from Alsace in France. The ‘Rice cake’ was almost like a dumpling that were a lovely contrast to the texture of the pumpkin and red beans. This dish had hearty, earthy textures and subtle flavours that were complimented by the crisp, dry wine that had hints of apple, pear and citrus.
Third Course
Duck, Cured Breast, Confit Gizzard, Kohlrabi and Umboshi Mayonnaise paired with Beaujolais. The duck was absolutely beautiful, tender and flavoursome contrasting well with the crispy rice crackers.
(Umeboshi are a popular kind of Japanese tsukemono ‘pickled thing’)
Fourth Course
Skate, Moroccan Spice, Wheat Berry & Harissa paired with Kayra from Anatolia, Turkey. This was a fiery combination and the hot taste of the harissa complimented the subtle taste of the Skate.
Fifth Course
Venison, Hazelnut Emulsion, Chicory, Smoked Shiitake paired with Lake Breeze, Bull Ant. This was another favourite for me, the venison melted in your mouth and I have never tasted such a delicious shiitake mushroom before!
Sixth Course
Rhubarb, Ginger, Orange & Toasted Milk. This was my favourite out of the desserts as I enjoyed the tartness of the rhubarb contrasting with the sweetness of the ginger, orange and toasted milk.
Seventh Course
Sweet Potato, Braeburn Apple, Parma Violet & Pistachio paired with Moscato d’Asti, Nivole. This course was very sweet but enjoyable, I especially enjoyed the bubbly texture of the green pistachio chocolate.
Eighth Course
Caramel, Cep, Pear & Caramalized White Chocolate paired with Moscatel de Setubal from the south of Lisbon, Portugal. Another very sweet course, creamy and crunchy with the delicious taste of caramel.
After we had eaten the talented Executive Chef and Owner Phil Fanning came and spoke with us about the Japanese influence on the menu, where the produce was from and answered our questions. This was a lovely, personal touch!
Every course was beautifully presented, unique and interesting to look at, ALMOST too good to eat but much too delicious not to! There is also incredible art on display that is available to purchase, I fell in love with the three Bee pieces by Annette Marie Townsend!
I would highly recommend visiting if you really want to impress someone, would like to experience the fine dining at Paris House, or celebrating something special, it was a fantastic experience all round! There are a choice of six, eight and ten course tasting menus change five times a year seasonally.
Paris House also offer masterclasses for the food fans who are interested in discovering culinary techniques, secrets and skills used by top chefs to create the perfect dish. Guests can even watch the behind the scenes action from the iconic Chef’s Table in the kitchen or private dining areas are also available. Let me know if you have been and what you thought! ☺️
