The Courthouse Cheshire Review: Food, Rooms & Cocktails Inside the Former Knutsford Crown Court

Part of the Cheshire-based hotel group, Flat Cap Hotels, The Courthouse is one of the most iconic buildings in Cheshire, located in the centre of the gorgeous town of Knutsford. The building, a former courthouse has recently been refurbished to emulate the building’s history and its owners, two brothers named Oliver & Dominic Heywood have done an amazing job renovating this iconic property. It’s home to Barristers Restaurant, a soon to be total of 10 rooms & The Court Room – a magnificent wedding/events space.

For this properties transition of becoming a full fledged hotel and not just a restaurant with rooms, the first thing that needs to be addressed is entering through the restaurant. When you want to sneak down to the car unnoticed, or grab that forgotten pair of shoes – you want to do it hidden away. Apart from that, our stay here was fabulous – from the moment we walked through those big white doors and up the stairs to our lovely room.

We were staying in one of the signature king suites which on a sunny day, the light pours into and illuminates all of that fresh, bright blue decor. The room was absolutely spotless with not a speck of dust in site and for the price, the room was incredibly spacious – with that cast iron four-poster bed taking centre stage. The mattress was so comfortable and the air-conditioning system was very efficient, quickly heating or cooling the room within minutes.

It’s the little touches which really make this room and the fireplace at the end of the bed added a touch of character to it. A big sturdy trunk in the corner for decoration and a large desk filled with coffee/tea making facilities and some home-made biscuits which we tucked into straight away. Some of the TV channels weren’t working, but a quick fix no doubt.

I absolutely adored our bathroom and whilst it didn’t have a bath (my one true love), the shower, sink basin, shower products and decor – more than made up for it. Cool white tones and brushed cold leaf – what’s not to love!

We also secretly (well not now) snuck into one of the beautifully designed superior suites. Featuring a hand-crafted wooden four-poster bed, large wet room with roll-top bath and monsoon shower. I loved all the different shades of green, that big cosy sofa and I wanted to take the pillows home with me.

One of the best parts of The Courthouse has to be its gorgeous dining room, Barristers Restaurant – which itself was the former courtroom. It’s been completely refurbished, but without turning it into to a themed experience. You can tell it was a courtroom, but you still feel like you’re eating in a proper restaurant. All of the dark varnished wood, ornate ceiling, dome glass window and walls adorned with mirrors and paintings, the latter including portraits of famous past convicts such as Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. This is certainly the most striking restaurant in the area and in safe hands looked after by Executive chef, Steven Tuke.

We started our evening in the bar with two perfectly crafted cocktails. An absolutely fantastic Negroni which was full of all the bite I was hoping for, whilst the other half enjoyed a classic Manhattan – which I’m told was devilishly good. If staying here during the Summer, the property has recently launched what I’m told is a fantastic rooftop terrace and a reason alone for me to return.

As we spent the best part of our evening trying to decide what to order from this rather enticing menu, the kitchen surprised us with a bread selection – something everyone dining here must order. A selection of freshly baked house breads, lemon hummus, basil butter (gosh it was good) and a very nutty olive oil & balsamic bread which couldn’t be resisted.

Once we got through that bread, we started with our first plate of food. Venison carpaccio with a thyme & black pepper crust, toasted chestnuts, red currants, parmesan and pickled mushrooms. Seasonal and delicious.

Another well executed dish from the starter’s selection were these scallops, served with shin of beef & red onion jam doughnuts, cannellini bean puree, smoked bacon & red wine reduction. Everything was cooked with meticulous attention, those scallops cut through like butter and the little meaty doughnuts gave a lovely depth to the dish.

Star dish for me (excluding desserts fo course) was the 52c Beef fillet Bourguignon. It arrived like nothing I expected and served much more refined than it usually would – but it had all of the recognisable classic beef bourguignon flavours, and more. Quite honestly one of the best dishes I’ve eaten outside of London this year and the quality of the beef fillets were stunning and perfectly cooked. Served with pommery mustard creamed potatoes, honey glazed piccolo parsnips and parsnip crisps – this is one dish you won’t want to miss.

We didn’t quite have room for dessert, but I’m so glad the kitchen pushed it onto us as it was the most spectacular part of our meal which really showed off the talents from the team. The ‘Courthouse’ black forest gateaux, made to resemble a giant looking cherry, was a creation made up of dark chocolate sponge, cherry cremeux and kirsch cherry gel. Visually a piece of art to look at but just as good and satisfying to eat.

Breakfast the following morning was back in that magnificent dining room. I was still feeling rather full from dinner the night before so held back slightly, but the bacon in a buttery brioche bun was the perfect start to the day and the quality of that bacon was fantastic. The quality of the breakfast produce was something we noticed throughout the Flat Cap group of hotels and restaurants.

We had a really lovely time staying at The Courthouse and whilst there are still further rooms to be opened and a few areas to be tweaked, it’s already become one of the best places to eat, drink and stay in Cheshire. The food is worth travelling for, the bar is worth drinking in all night and the rooms are the perfect place to retire after a gastronomic adventure in Barristers Restaurant.