REVIEW: Paris House, Woburn Park, Woburn, Bedfordshire

I’ll go right ahead and admit it, I love Michelin and everything that goes with it. I’ve got a little bit of the brands memorabilia, the Michelin man bobbing away in my car and more restaurant guides than I can count – yet I’ve not been to as many Michelin starred restaurant as you may think. Probably more than the average diner, yes – but in foodie terms, I’m severely lacking. Part of my Michelin seeking obsession led me to Paris House in Wodurn. The restaurant has held one Michelin star and a wealth of AA Rosettes – all awarded only 11 months after it opened. Paris House was also included in the Good Food Guide’s Top 50 Restaurants in the UK 2014. To top it all off the beautiful building that houses the restaurant is set in 22 acres of stunning greenery, roaming with different species of deer. When the sun is shining it really is a picture perfect setting.

Inside the restaurant however it’s a slightly different story. While the food is fabulous, the decor doesn’t quite match up. It’s a little tired and a little dare I say it, tacky. I’m not a big fan of the chairs or the reception bar as you walk in, or the garish red lights. With a little updating this place could be just as exquisite as the outside. Food wise we started with a stunning selection of appetisers and the most glorious bread I’ve encountered in a good while. The butter too was the stuff of legends. No one told me what it was flavoured with, but it tasted as if it was infused with toffee or caramel. Unusual, yes – but it completely worked. If they sold the stuff I’d have stocked up for the car journey back, spooning the stuff into my mouth.

Being the incredibly greedy people we are, we didn’t settle at the six course lunch menu and went for a rather large eight course tasting menu instead. And I’m so glad we did. Some of the courses really were spectacular. First out, and one of my favourites was this grilled mackerel with soft slices of juicy plum and an infusion of sweet juniper. A truly wonderful dish to eat – incredibly fresh and each mouthful brought something different to the palate. A pretty plated dish of Aylesbury snails with cauliflower, girolle and mushroom was ever so slightly on the dry side for us but was packed with flavour – while the vibrant duck liver with pumpkin, grape and kombu was quite literally a dream. A must order dish when dining here at Paris House.

Two of the finest things we ate here were these two stunning creations pictured above. Incredibly rich, hearty and full of flavour. Visually they looked good too – clean, precise and compact. A twist on the classic pot au feu, which is usually made with beef was exchange for a medley of fish and seafood. Turbot, clams and crayfish made for a stunning plate of food and the meaty element still came through in the form of a rich and concentrated glossy broth. Five courses in and an hour later – the food induced coma was slowly settling in – eight courses sounded like a good idea at the time. Still, we plodded on – drank a little more wine and tucked into yet another stunning dish which was probably one of the best things I’ve eaten all year. Perfectly cooked pink mallard, juicy & meaty cavolo nero and dollops of kimchi. I couldn’t really place the kimchi on the plate, perhaps it was in the sauce – but it need not matter because the flavour and precision to everything I put in my mouth was utter perfection.

The one course I always look forward to no matter how full I am, is dessert and I’ve got one incredibly addictive sweet tooth. Unlike savoury courses, I find dessert is always much more playful, exciting and for me personally – interesting. And interest was no exception here, with each dessert arriving unlike anything I’ve eaten elsewhere. They truly were unique. A small raspberry gazpacho with elderflower meringue, ricotta and mint was billed by restaurant as a “transition course” taking your palate from savoury to sweet – but not fully. Did it work? Yes – but it wasn’t my favourite dish. Mandarin mouse with sesame seeds and edible soil. Yet another delicious offering which with its mix of flavours it tasted not too dissimilar to a Jaffa Cake – but better.

Saving you best dish till last is exactly what Paris House did too. Serving up what turned out to be my star dish of the lunch – despite some of my rather enthusiastic descriptors of our other courses. A truly unique dessert and unlike anything I’ve eaten before – pineapple Thai green curry with dragon fruit, coconut, lime and mini doughnut. The centre of the dish was a gelatine casing which once the fork touched, it leaked out its potent curry juice all around the plate. Pineapple brought a little sweetness, coconut a nice creamy flavour and the doughnut  – well doughnuts are always welcome. In short this was a magnificent dish which should most certainly be Paris House’s signature dish.

Paris House was a lovely way to spend a saturday lunchtime. The grounds are stunning, the building is unique and while the decor inside is a little bit dated – the food helps you forget all that and realise why Paris House was awarded its Michelin star so quickly. There is such precision that goes into the cooking here – head chef, Phil Fanning has a marvelous way with flavour. He mixes together unlikely combinations and turns them into something memorable and long-lasting. Would I come back to Paris House? Yes, in a heartbeat.

8.5/10