British

Summerhouse, Darlington, DL2 3DU

Darlington, England

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Overall Rating (out of 10): 7.75

Stand Out Dish: Scallop Ceviche with Lime and Jalapeno

Meal Time: 4.00hrs

Ave Cost Per Head (excl. drinks): £245

Summary: on the upper limit in terms of price Raby Hunt is worth a trip to experience an interesting and varied menu paired with strong wine service

Would I Go Back? Yes

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Raby Hunt is a restaurant with rooms in the tiny village of Summerhouse (population c. 115 people) about 15mins drive from the centre of Darlington. We arrived after dark so did not have a chance to walk around the village or surrounding fields.

The restaurant bears the name of the inn that originally occupied the building which was both the starting and finishing point for the local hunt. Considering the inn was built in the 1800s and has retained its original bones fitting the restaurant and rooms into the floor plate must have required and a lot of thought.

Half the ground floor is dominated by the kitchen with the other half being the dining area and toilets. The second floor is home to three guest rooms (the fourth is at the back of the building).

As you enter the inn there is a large glass wall on your left providing an unobstructed view of the kitchen and creating a space for a chef’s table dining experience. Past the chef’s table but before the restaurant on your left is a steep set of stairs leading up to the rooms. The entrance to the restaurant is through a door and over a glass floor beneath which is a large metallic skull.

Before dinner we went to the room and were greeted with a half bottle of champagne which was devoured as we got ready. The room was a good size and had decent finishes but was arguably let down by the bathroom given its price point.

Dinner was a fixed tasting menu for the table offered with two different wine flight selections: classic or prestige. We opted to have both the classic and prestige pairs between us to mix and match. There was also an extensive wine list to choose from in addition to the pairings.

The first of two series of bite sized snacks where the scallop cerviche was the standout star. The balance between the lime, jalapeño and scallop was perfect with no one ingredient overpowering the other.

The mackerel tart had good clean flavours and I personally felt the pig taco was underwhelming mainly because the taco ratio overpowered the other flavours with starch and stodge.

The final trio of small plates, the mackerel nigiri was delicious and up there with the best sushi you can get the UK. The langoustine was huge with deliciously sweet and plump meat but we both felt the dish did not benefit from the tempura.

The pastrami bite sized burger was fine but a bit unexceptional flavour wise.

A really moreish dish which had pockets of sweetness. We mistakenly thought that lamination related to sweet glaze topping but it was actually the method by which the dough was treated which lead to a great layered texture.

Spot on beautiful presentation, a solid dish.

The Chablis sauce really brought the dish together with the caviar providing the element of salt. My partner felt the overall dish was undersalted and I did not which is not surprising given I often think dishes are over salted.

The pasta imperceptible, the lobster plentiful, the sauce and sweet onions really accentuated the flavour. A great dish with a great wine pairing.

I loved the anchovy emulsion when paired with the squab. The BBQ lettuce added a textural element to the dish as well as accentuating the flavour. A good example of less being more. I have tried in vain to find a bottle or two of the 2001 Ontañón which was a great pairing and a testament to a strong sommelier. With the sommelier being a relatively new addition to the restaurant I expect the wine offering to improve over the coming years.

Would you like some meat with your fat? Really enjoyable dish where the proportion and flavour combination of the accompaniments was just enough to support the wagyu whilst leaving it as the standout star of the dish.

L’Etivaz Is a hard Swiss cheese made from raw cow’s milk and bearing the name of its place of origin. As a palate cleanser a savoury soufflé was both unique and tasty.

Best described as an incredibly high end Ferrero Roche. Held together with an amazing nutty and crunchy caramel base and topped with hazelnuts and custard this was the highlight of the dessert section.

A really unique dish where the flavours worked well. Cherry and Kirsch played off against each other and the tonka bean cream brought balance and pause to the strong flavours.

We learnt that prior to becoming a chef James Close was a professional golfer and his lucky charm was a skull. This explained the presence of skulls both in the décor and as the final course. Clearly the work of an accomplished pastry chef / chocolatier we felt a tiny bit bad destroying a very beautiful work of food art.

Verdict
A tiny village with nothing nearby is an usual place to find such high end cooking but Raby Hunt is worth a trip which is made considerably easier due to the well connected train station in Darlington. We were particularly impressed by the passionate wine service from a new sommelier whose addition shows a restaurant that retains strong ambition and desire to improve rather than rest on its laurels. In looking to pick holes we arrived at three: (i) the price point is at the upper limit for both the rooms and meal, (ii) the menu was ever so slightly to long / voluminous leaving us on the full side, and (iii) the overall decor theme was dark which felt like a miss and was not to our taste (a weak/questionable criticism).