L’Enclume was the main reason for the road trip in November. A five hour or so drive from my home in Surrey to Cartmel is no mean feat, especially for someone who suffers from travel sickness. I blame my weak inner ear fluid. My desire to visit L’Enclume was born from my visit to Fera at Claridges (which Simon Rogan has recently announced parting ties with) earlier in the year. By no means was the meal at Fera bad. It felt rather industrialised which is unsurprising giving the number of covers. The cooking was polite and correct, but lacked character. It lacked soul. But as Rogan’s food is so highly rated by both food writers and chefs alike, I decided to make the long trek up to Cartmel to experience his cooking first hand.
My husband and I had a bit of a mini holiday up in the Lake District. I clearly use way too many hair products as I had earned us enough points buying Aveda products for two free nights at a spa hotel on Lake Windermere (annoyingly not good on weekends and also I don’t use that many as it took me about ten years worth of gathering points). It also included two free massages, so it seemed like a nice relaxing trip. We also found out that Simon Rogan’s restaurant L’Enclume in only a twenty minute taxi ride away, so we decided that if we were going to be in the Lake District, we should probably eat at the best restaurant there, right?
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Getting to L’Enclume is an adventure in itself as it isn’t exactly a stone’s throw from central London. However, the trip is more than worth it. The Lake District is stunning and the entire L’Enclume experience is certainly one to remember (and definitely one you will want to repeat!).
We opted to stay in the restaurant’s own accommodation, which is conveniently located in the tiny village centre of Cartmel. I could not recommend doing this more! The rooms are simple but comfortable, suitably rustic and very homely. Furthermore, the room included a lovely breakfast at Rogan and Company the following morning, which which proved to be the perfect way to end our stay.
As far as dinner goes, L’Enclume was perhaps the most enjoyable and delicious meal I have had in the UK to date. Service was polished and professional but also kept it fun and friendly. Each and every dish was beautifully presented and totally tasty, with my absolute favourite part being the parade of snacks we were presented with at the beginning to get us started.
If you get the chance, request to be seated in the conservatory out the back to get pretty garden views and an all together brighter dining experience.
But to be fair, wherever you end up, I don't think you will be disappointed.
I absolutely cannot wait to go back! My only apprehension is that I would hate to have an experience even so much as slightly less enjoyable than my first...and it is hard to beat perfection.
Foodie Explorers | Glasgow Foodie |Reviews of Glasgow Restaurants and food| Food Blog | Travel Blog. Best Restaurant in the UK?. L’enclume has been voted best restaurant in the UK by the Good Food Guide for the last few years now. We visited in December 2015. The entrance is modest, quite bright and neither pretentious nor stuffy looking. The whole village is lovely. Down to earth with friendly villagers to match.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Winter menu at Lenclume. Happy new year folks and here`s my first report of 2012. Lenclume and the Winter menu.I originally planned to take my son ( he`s 15 ) for a little `light` lunch down in Cartmel....it turned out to be a 16 course cracking meal. Chef Simon Rogan i was told was taking a hard earned xmas break with his family and Mark Birchall was at the stove as Lenclumes Head chef. Mark has just returned from his Roux scholarship prize of 3 months working at El cellar de Can Roca in Spain.Watch out for some exciting treats once he gets back into the swing of things in chilly west Cumbria.
Here`s the 16 courses -
Crispy Duck Scratchings.
Onion , Cheese wafers
Oyster Pebbles
Carrot Pork Sacks
Lenclume Bread
Grilled Salad smoked over embers , Isle of Mull cheese , Truffle custard and Cobnuts
Valley Venison , Smoked salt , Chicory and Fennel.
Roasted Snow Crown in a rich Beef broth, Crispy Parsley , and cultivated Nameko
Native Lobster and pickled Beetroot , Apple and Bittercress.
Halibut with Trout roe sauce , Celeriac and Chestnut.
Roasted Monkfish in our spices , Roasted Kiri Squash , Yoghurt and Raspberry vinegar.
Randolph`s Lop suckling pig with Northern Mead , Vintage vegetables and Nasturtium.
Yew tree farm Herdwick Hoggett in Mulled Cider , Brussels sprouts and Red Cabbage
.Sea Buckthorn and anise Hyssop , Liquorice and Butternut.
Fig and Malted cream , William Pear Ice.
Fresh Cheese ice cream with Sweet Brackens , Rosehips and Hazelnuts.
Aerated Parkin Meringue.
All in all...Another wonderful meal at Lenclume and fingers crossed they`ll go from strength to strength during 2012...."Simon Rogan".... Watch this space , I`m quietly confident.
After some windy narrow country driving and getting moderately lost we got there and were warmly welcomed by the staff. We sat at a cute table in the main dining room which has rough stone walls and wood beams on the ceiling and enviously eyed the conservatory area which is bright and gorgeous (slightly more modern and overlooking a small garden). Despite the two Michelin stars, the setting is casual and most customers were wearing...
It is fitting as we reach the century blogpost milestone that it belongs to a special restaurant. Much has been written about L’Enclume, the flagship Simon Rogan restaurant that sits in the charming village of Cartmel. As well as being the 100th post it was also the venue for Mrs Noms birthday back in December, I can’t reveal her age though as I risk not being able to finish this post otherwise! The booking was made months in advance, increasing the anticipation as the date drew nearer. L’Enclume holds two Michelin stars and scored a rare perfect ten alongside topping the charts in the Good Food Guide 2014. The drive to the village of Cartmel takes you on a journey from urban to rural, leaving the motorways to narrow countryside roads. L’Enclume is located on a side street just off the main square. We were one of the first tables to arrive at 6.30pm and were seated at a table with a view of the pass, or theatre seats as they were described. After a quick tour of the state of the art ki
The journey from Manchester up to L'Enclume in the small village of Cartmel only takes about an hour and a half, but that time feels like Christmas eve, the sheer anticipation of eating lunch at the best restaurant in Britain is just so delicious. We arrived at our local B&B and despite the cold welcome there ( Calsfell View, not recommended) , it didn't put us off our step, we were in the restaurant by midday. If you do want the long 22 course taster menu at lunch time you need to get there before 1. It's a 4 hour The food at L'Enclume is in a league of its own we think; the combination of modern cutting edge techniques and extremely high quality local produce however means little unless the food all comes together on the plate. But it always does. This is not actually so easy to pull off as we've found when going to other restaurants that have promised but not quite delivered. That magic flavour intensity is missing even though the food may look beautiful and they're charging an arm
This meal was a total joy from beginning to end and I would heartily recommend going there to anyone who likes food. The menu will introduce you to new things but there is so much care and attention given to the composition of each dish that unfamiliar ingredients will not be intimidating. The food is worth the journey to Carmel alone but it is also worth staying overnight.
However good the majority of the dishes were, a few dishes didn’t work in our opinion (a bit too minimalist). However, what stands for all dishes at L’Enclume, is that they were all well executed.
![5]( "Recensione")
We once saw Simon Rogan on a British tv program and been meaning to come here ever since. Located in the small but beautiful village of Cartmel in the Lake District this is a small hotel with a two Michelin starred restaurant.
The room we had was very nice and cosy and the restaurant was just a short walk away. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom had nice bath products from Simon Rogans line of bath products with local herbs and flowers. There is also a shop in town where you can buy his products to take back.
The restaurant serves a 19 course degustation menu and there is a vegetarian option as well. They grow all the produce in their own farm and also forage for herbs and flowers from the area. The emphasis is on the produce and extracting maximum flavour from them. Let me tell you, I was in heaven. The dishes albeit small were amazing. Once you get to course number 15 you want to stop but somehow you carry on and manage the rest :-)
Four courses of dessert which were fabulous and the Anvil - miso ice cream disc with Apple base was the best dessert I have had in a long time. The kale salad was fabulous as was the local lamb and lobster. Most of the flavours were new to my palette and I loved it. It's rare that I have the same opinion of the entire meal and not one course I did not like.
Would come back here in a heartbeat. Service was amazing and the wine list good. The ambience is fabulous and the restaurant is located in an old blacksmiths house. Worth the trip to Cartmel.
The presentation and flow of the tasting menu was excellent. The dessert was mediocre but no one comes to these restaurants for the desserts right?? I had a lovely cod dish that I enjoyed the most but I cannot complain about any of the dishes. Almost forgot that they make a dressing in front of you and it's delicious!! The waiter staff was interesting, there was what seemed to be a senior wait staff who was SO BLUNT! I wasn't offended but also was in shock as this is not the type of restaurant that you meet staff like him. It was funny but also strange. I enjoyed my dinner but have had better. I don't regret going but also would rather try somewhere new next time I'm in the Lake District.
![5]( "Recensione")
I jumped at the chance to join two friends here who are recreating the Trip 'on the cheap', following a useful Guardian article although of course a lunchtime tasting menu at L'Enclume is still £55 (£45 for wine flight) so for most people this would be a big treat - and I think well worth it for a special trip.
Staff were so lovely throughout, unsurprisingly super professional and attentive. The restaurant has a warmed and relaxed atmosphere and we had a table in the conservatory overlooking the pretty garden and stream, which was great. They don't make it feel at all intimidating for fine dining newbies by myself, so you can just admire and enjoy the beautifully presented food.
I won't go into massive details but just to highlight some things
1) They suggested a begonia-infused (I think) gin cocktail as an aperitif - this was about £10 and I would say go for it if you like that kind of thing, I of course REALLY liked it
2) There were just so many standout ingredients - truffle, ham fat, smoked eel, cheese dumpling, leek grown on their farm, veal tartare, candied beetroot and venison. I also loved the dark chocolate pine cones that came out on a little branch on the end, to accompany some very boozy coffees and herbal teas
3) The wine nearly stole the show - my favourites from the wine flight were an Italian white with a German name and a delicious Argentinian Malbec.
4) The cheese course and accompanying wine flight was a massive extra indulgence but was really worth it - the Viognier was so delicious and we tried 10 beautiful cheeses - there was four of us and a cheese board is normally 5 cheeses between 2. I actually probably would prefer the latter option as you don't get much when you split one piece into 4 but of course it gives you a chance to try so many options. I think all the cheeses are available in Cartmel Cheese on the other side of the village and the next day I bought the tunwoth and finn soft cheeses (one of which was the best cheeses I had ever tasted but I couldn't remember which so HAD to buy both! Turns out it's the tunworth!) and the stichelton was some kind of raw stilton situation which was also outstanding.
We stayed at the Priory Hotel around the corner which was excellent.
![5]( "Recensione")
Hands down the best Michelin meal I've ever had in my life so far. No wonder this was rated the No. 1 restaurant in UK by 2 food guides. We picked the 8 course meal. For appetizers, we had 1) truffle pudding, 2) pork and eel with ham fat and 3) aynsome leaves soup. These 3 dishes were innovative. My dining companion doesn't even eat truffle but he actually likes the truffle pudding! For mains, we had 1) rainbow chard with chicken wing, shrimp cream and fennel. I was a little apprehensive about the many ingredients initially, but it turned out surprisingly well. 2) aged veal and 3) butter poached hake were so fresh and well cooked. The meat was tender and moist. For dessert, we had 1) liquorice custard and 2) strawberry rhubarb yoghurt. These were innovative and were centered around the flower theme. We subsequently learnt that the chef, Simon Rogan, grows a garden of herbs and edible flowers. He also has a farm of his own animals.
We live in London, so this place is quite a travel for us. But no doubt we'd be back for more!
In a word....superb! From the moment you walk through the door into the rustic, but elegant dining room you are made to feel special. There is no pretentiousness either and given that it's just been awarded the accolade of the UK 's best restaurant, you could be forgiven for thinking it would be.
The service from the staff is impeccable and very attentive. Some people might not like having an introduction to each plate of food but when your spending serious cash you might as well know exactly what your eating and how it was made.
The dishes in the sixteen course tasting menu are as clever as they are delicious. Each one an explosion on the senses!
You need around three hours for the menu we had and boy was it worth it.
I will definitely go back there and sample the delights of Simon Rogan's talents again.
![5]( "Recensione")
While some may find eclectic presentation kitschy, I love food that is assembled with thought and care, especially when it not only looks amazing but tastes delicious as well.
As it was an Easter weekend, we booked 2 weeks in advance, but could only score lunch reservations. This was okay because it was a 4 hour course and it was much easier to find our way out of Cartmel while it was still light out.
We parked at the racecourse track parking lot and arrived at the unassuming restaurant with our appetites ready. Seated near the kitchen, we were asked if we wanted a 6 course meal (45 quid) or a 21 course meal (120 quid), which changes every day Since a trip to the Lake District is rare, we decided to go with the 21 course. Upon seeing the bf's intimidated expression, our waiter reassured him that the portions were not huge but reasonably portioned.
Ready? Go!
Appetizers:
1. Oyster pebbles (macaron textured oyster fluids, so yummy)
2. Chicken dumplings (savory dumpling served on a little tree trunk)
3. Ragstone, malt, tarragon
4. Smoked eel with ham fat (creamy and savory)
5. Cow's heel, curds, onion ashes
6. Raw scallop and caviar (delicate and light)
7. Asparagus and crab sack
8. Creamed potatoes, Tunworth and duck gizzards
Slighty larger, mains:
9. White turnip, maran egg, nasturtium leaves
10. Valley venison, charcoal oil, mustard and fennel (served with little glass balls of sweet liquid)
11. Glazed langoustine, carrot, watercress, raw langoustine, scurvy grass, hazelnuts (langoustine cracker served with a langoustine broth)
12. Salt baked beetroot, ox tongue, yoghurt and apple marigold (freeze dried beetroot served with cubes of beet)
13. Brill grilled over spruce, mussel, salsify and sea vegetables
14. Holker milk fed lamb, sweetbreads, kales, and ramson (this was my favorite main)
Palate cleansers and desserts:
15. Rye, stout and gingerbread
16. Sea buckthorn and butternut
17. Caramel, sheep's milk, celery
18. Yorkshire rhubarb, apple, sorrel, and brown butter
19. Yoghurt, pear walnuts and sweet cicely
20. Celeriac, sweet cheese, malts (little cones served with scooping of each ingredient)
21. Douglas fir and apple (apple juice)
The BF and I loved this meal because it encompassed so many different vegetables and meat, but it didn't leave us disgustingly full. Apparently the restaurant gets its ingredients from its farm, and everything tasted fresh and clean. Service was great, and we were well looked after.
![5]( "Recensione")
I've been to a few Michelin restaurants including Fera at Claridges which is run by Simon Rogan and in most cases I felt underwhelmed. However, I always believed that there's more to the man, whose experimental cooking I was admiring for such a long time. And I'm glad I gave him another chance as the lunch at L'Enclume was the meal I've had in my live. If you are visiting the Lake District and you don't drive, getting to Cartmel can be a bit tricky. We had to take two buses and then walk for 50 minutes to get to the village where it's based, but it was all so worthy!
The decor of the place is simple. Actually a lot of things are simple here to not to distract you during the experience (the restaurant doesn't have music or wifi, for example). The menu is placed on the table in sealed silver enveloped which you can keep as a little souvenir.
Our food adventure started with thin crisp bread and a parsley 'moss' served on a stone with cod roe cream cheese. The eel was served in a spiky crisp was perfectly smoked. The turnip broth with slightly pickled turnip, forest mushrooms and a tiny cheese dumpling that was melting in my mouth was exquisite. It was followed by a beautiful flowery salad, all ingredients of which were grown and sourced by the chef. I'm pescatarian, so I got lemon sole instead of venison and though tasty and beautifully cooked, it was probably the weakest dish of the day. Both of the desserts, including sorrel granita with forest berries and buttermilk and extremely fluffy almond semifreddo, were divine.
Everyone needs a little treat sometimes, so if you are around, I absolutely encourage you to visit this place, it's like anything you've ever tried.
I've eaten in a number of Michelin starred restaurants over the years, but this was the first time I went for a tasting menu.
The reputation that Simpn Rogan's restaurant has is amongst the best in the world. Using foraged cumbrian ingredients, produce from his own organic farm and the best of local produce L'enclume has earned itself two Michelin stars (I'm not even sure you can get three without being a french restaurant!)
I won't bore you with the details, but essentially it's 16 courses that'll allow you to sample everything from lobster to venison. Personally I even tried my first and last cockle!!! :)
We stayed at L'Enclume house and had B&B at Rogan & Co. It wasn't cheap but it was epic!.
My only criticism would be with the accomodation itself which was amazing except that I think the walls are made of papermache . You could hear everything in the two adjacent rooms.
Visited last March and a year later, thinking about going again in the future; the lingering memories are that good.
We had the full tasting menu in a group of five and the food was amazing. And the service, wow. Impeccable. Our sommelier was particularly impressive. Not to mention one of our drunken comrades was politely humoured by the staff after the meal and even got to see inside the kitchen :) dream come true for him.
Lastly, as far as 2 starred Michelin restaurants go, this is a bargain.
You must go. Go! Do it now!!
![5]( "Recensione")
This is the continuation of my review of L'Enclume:
8. Meadow sweet custard & blackcurrant, white currant granite
This was the perfect palate cleanser. Taking all the elements of this dish in one bite yielded creamy custard, tangy blackcurrant and cool cleansing white currant
9. Compressed strawberries & crispy sheet, sheep's milk ice cream & sorrel
Once again using the best of British summer produce to give bags of sunny strawberry flavour offset by tangy sorrel and cold smooth ice cream
10. We didn't have space for coffee but we still received lavender milkshakes and lavender mini cupcakes
The service was impeccable but friendly throughout. Our servers were very well versed in their knowledge of ingredients and the provenance of their produce.
I asked if it would be possible to have a kitchen tour at the end of my meal and Simon Rogan kindly obliged. I loved meeting and chatting to him - I could see the passion in his eyes and it was nice to be able to congratulate him personally on the wonderful meal my sister and I had just eaten.
Then, a funny coincidence happened. When he found out that I lived in London, he said that I should eat at his new restaurant in London. I asked him for the name and he said,"Roganics". Thanks to Haley F's great review of Roganics, I had already earmarked this as my next restaurant to try in London.
With a standing invitation to see if he's in the kitchen at Roganics when I eat there, it's definitely next on the list! Simon was kind enough to autograph my menu.
Sis and I left as 2 very well fed people. L'Enclume is in my top 3 favourite meals in the UK. It even made the 6 and a half hour drive home in pouring rain bearable!
I don’t know how anyone could give L’Enclume less than 5 stars. I had high expectations of course however, every single part of this experience was above and beyond. The food is outstanding, but the staff were even better. The service is the best I’ve ever experienced. Every single staff member I interacted with was exceptional. Most of all we had fun! Congratulations! L’Enclume deserve their number one spot amongst UK restaurants.
Louise Barson Cheshire Artist (Louise Barson Art)
+5
A milestone birthday treat and the whole experience was very special. The service was faultless and friendly from checking in to our room at L'Enclume House to leaving after breakfast at Rogan & Co.
Very relaxed atmosphere added to our enjoyment . Not at all stuffy.
As for the food - two words - epic and sublime.
Each course a work of art, immaculately presented with such an array of textures and tastes. And as one would hope... memorable.
We also loved the way breakfast was served the following morning. No menu but an array of tasty things delivered to our table - best described as a breakfast picnic with hit and cold dishes. The final touch was freshly made cranberry cookies in a bag to take away with us.
Incredible experience going for the 15 course tasting menu and fortunate enough to be able to experience the Chefs table.
Really special, packed full of flavour and some outstanding dishes with really relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere for a fine dining experience led by Head Chef Joris.
Really memorable experience to celebrate special occasion, would recommend!
Stunning food. New levels of flavour I didn't even know were possible. Perfect service, both from the serving team and the somellier, who delivered a succession of perfect wine pairings (signature wine flight) and gave real insight into the wine itself and how it complimented the food.
Faultless, from start to finish and a memorable and worthy celebration of my son's 21st birthday. 3 hours of gastronomic indulgence with such minute attention to detail.
Thanks to the L'Enclume team for the perfect lunch.
My husband and I spent the night in one of the rooms offered by L’Enclume and had dinner at the restaurant. The entire experience was outstanding. The room was comfortable and well appointed. The meal was out of this world and the staff at both the lodgings and the restaurant were amazing. A very special experience in a beautiful setting.
A real treat to visit. A once in a lifetime meal that was worth saving for. Everyone was lucent and really friendly and the food and wine were exceptional.
![5]( "Recensione")
I’ve had to take a few days to think about this review because I don’t think I can ever find the right words to describe L’enclume. I booked this for my husband’s birthday and as there’s certain things I wouldn’t eat I asked for a vegetarian option for me upon booking, absolutely no issues with this and they called me a couple of weeks beforehand to check dietary requirements.
Upon entering L’enclume, we received a very warm welcome. There was a real buzz about the place and I noticed straightaway that although busy, there were no other tables encroaching on our space. For some reason I always pay attention to the temperature and noted that it was very comfortable and just right. As soon as our bums hit the chairs the magic began! 15 course set tasting menu, the menu itself was sealed in an envelope and we could choose to view it or just let the experience guide us through.. we chose the latter. We chose the signature wine pairing and our sommelier was outstanding, very attentive without being intrusive and was very engaging. The team that handled our table were fantastic and very knowledgeable, very unpretentious and made us feel at ease, nothing was a problem to them.
So…..the food….I question if I can call it that because it wasn’t like anything I’d ever experienced before. Little intricate plates of absolutely punching flavours that showcased the local area in the best possible way. My vegetarian menu was not compromised in anyway and was full of flavour. There were only actually 3 or 4 courses that differed from the 2 menus.
The food was like edible artwork! Absolutely stunning, well thought out and otherworldly. I could go on and on and on but seriously, my words will never do this justice. The wine was exceptional. The service outstanding.
The interactions between the staff were discreet, just a gentle tap to let people know someone was passing behind them and on occasion a little bit of trickery! They all work seamlessly together without feeling rehearsed.
Highly recommend booking the accommodation as well as this was stunning! Lots of little rooms dotted about the village of Cartmel which in itself is beautiful and worth a visit.
If you’re sitting swithering about going to L’enclume…don’t. Book it and let yourself be taken on a food adventure
Without doubt one of the best experiences of my life. I have never had and will never have so many beautifully crafted dishes, paired perfectly with the wine flight. The highs just kept coming. I've not had food like it, provoking both thought and emotion, unforgettable.
The only 3 star Michelin restaurant in the UK outside London and the Thames Valley and possibly better than any of those others. The food is perfectly judged: modern using fresh local ingredients (most on their own farm) served as a multicourse tasting menu (they will tailor to your dietary needs if you give them the info ahead). An innovative wine list where you are probably best going with their sommelier chosen flights.
All of this is served by a knowledgeable and friendly front of house team and the occasional chef.
It is as much theatre as dining and none the worse for that.
If you stay (and given the location you probably want to) the rooms are well designed and comfortable.
If you can afford it, it is a must visit place.
An amazing experience ,15 course tasting menu is phenomenal....words can't describe how exquisite!
The Berkswell pudding is out of this world and the frozen Tunworth cheese/malt crumb dessert is se sensational. A super special evening with the highest recommendation
Make a reservation
Order online
Find the best restaurant in Cartmel
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes