One of my favourite things about eating out is finding new spots that I love. Living in Stockport means the train network is literally at my fingertips, as most of the major England routes call through here. A favourite foodie spot for me is Knutsford. I loved my visit to Lost and Found and regularly visit the Makers Market when it is in the town. This time, I headed over to Cheshire House Bar and Grill, Knutsford’s latest new restaurant launch. Let me show you around.
Nestled down one of the side streets off the main high street, Cheshire House Bar and Grill has taken the former Brasserie Blanc site. It feels private and exclusive, away from the hustle and bustle of the main high street, serving a cracking grill menu with an impressive veggie selection and a lovely cocktail menu. There’s a particularly instagrammable wall near the toilets with a flower wall and squishy Chesterfield sofa, so make sure you venture up the stairs with your cocktail before you leave.
On the subject of cocktails, I can highly recommend the Drumstick and the Salted Caramel Espresso Martini. The Drumstick with Absolut vodka, caramel, cranberry, apple and custard syrup, has been perfected by the bartenders on site (trust me, I grilled them, no pun intended). It reminds me a little of my favourite cocktail from old haunt Beef and Pudding, except this one is a Drumstick Squashie in drink form. Sweet and slightly fruity, I’d visit again just to sip on these and people watch. You may remember I made a salted caramel espresso martini just before Christmas, and the Cheshire Bar and Grill version is just as good, if I do say so myself!
Because Charlie and I can mull over a menu for quite some time, we ordered some homemade cajun potato crisps to help us along. They’re delicately spiced with a good hit of paprika. I’d have happily sat with these, a bottle of fizz and some hummus for most of the afternoon.
We finally settled on starters and I chose the Terrine Plate. Two different terrines; ham hock and smoked chicken & herb, served with a beetroot hummus (which works perfectly with those crisps), red onion chutney and bread. The terrines were beautifully seasoned and there was just the right amount of bread to compliment the whole dish. Charlie chose the Chilli and Garlic Squid, which arrived perfectly cooked with lots of peppery rocket for a light starter.
For mains, we went to totally different ends of the menu. I wanted to see how the ‘grill’ fared and chose the Ribeye Steak with a side of Chilli and Garlic Prawns. My ideal steak is medium and this was cooked exactly as I requested. The steak was pink yet cooked through and soft to eat. Whilst I don’t like them, there was a generous pile of mushrooms that Charlie gladly removed from my plate and ate. Instead of the the regular steak accompaniment, Cheshire House Bar and Grill serve their steaks with sautéed chorizo new potatoes and they’re delightfully moreish.
Charlie went with the Vegan Fish and Chips. Instead of fish, here they serve banana blossom marinated in seaweed and lemon juice to give the ‘sea’ taste you would expect of a regular piece of fish. Texturally, it was a little denser but really quite good with a light batter, served with chips and minted garden peas. I am not a fan of battered fish but would have happily eaten this from a menu.
We both found room for dessert and Charlie chose the Eton Mess, made with Cheshire Farm clotted cream ice cream, meringue, strawberry coulis, strawberries and chantilly cream. It’s hard to make eton mess look pretty, I mean the name says it all, but this one is garnished prettily with strawberry and edible flowers for a lovely twist on the summer classic.
I chose the Lemon Posset, I was swayed by the mention of homemade shortbread, and I wasn’t disappointed. The posset was light with a clear, zesty tang of lemon, which was mellowed by the sweet and not at all buttery shortbread. Totally the right choice.
I really enjoyed our time at Cheshire House Bar and Grill. The staff were friendly and attentive, it was lovely to chat to them about the cocktails as well and get a feel for their ideas around the menu. Next time I’m pottering around Knutsford, I’ll definitely pop in for another Drumstick to watch the world go by.
