No golf clubs required
The Galvin brothers' latest venture offers delicious food with golf-course views
Rural Hertfordshire has yet to develop a reputation as a gastro hub. There are cosy country pubs serving good food and a smattering of smart hotels for those who like their dishes served on crisp linen. And lots of chain restaurants. So the news that Chris and Jeff Galvin are sprinkling a little Michelin-starred magic dust over the restaurant attached to a swish golf club just outside St Albans has caused much excitement among local food enthusiasts (of which, I admit, I am one) and, I imagine, those who enjoy a round of golf (not guilty, m'lud).
Open to non-members as well as members, Galvin at Centurion Club is definitely not aimed at the cheap-eats crowd (starters range from £6.50 to £14.50 and the main courses are around £20), but the food is beautifully presented and the service sharp and just the right side of relaxed. There's the option of a set menu for dinner and I imagine the £25.50 Sunday lunch will be a winner - especially on a fine day when diners can spill out onto a large terrace overlooking the golf course.
I'd checked out head chef Josh Barnes on Twitter before our visit so was pleased that the menu - ticking all the seasonality and sourcing boxes - matched up to the promise of his Tweets. Steak tartare is always a reliable test of a kitchen and mine was melt-in-the-mouth tender and pleasantly piquant. I was equally pleased with the perfectly cooked red mullet and couldn't resist dipping into my husband's girolles risotto and calf's liver with mash. I'm not much of a pudding girl but felt honour bound to try out the tarte tatin served with Normandy crème fraîche, given that the Galvins' has been credited with reviving the interest in French bistro cuisine on this side of the Channel.
WHERE Galvin at Centurion Club, Hemel Hempstead Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire HP3 8LA
WHEN Monday to Saturday 12pm to 2.30pm and 6pm to 10.15pm; Sunday 12.30pm to 4pm and 6.30pm to 9.30pm
TO BOOK Visit centurionclub.co.uk
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Chef's Notes: Raymond Blanc
Written by admin
