Clos Du Marquis - Stockbridge

I've passed this restaurant hundreds of times and only recently made a reservation to eat. We were looking for something a cut above the usual gastro-pub fare and this delivered so much more. It's a small, intimate and cosy place with between 30 40 covers. The menu is packed with authentic French dishes using the best seasonal British ingredients. There is a special fixed menu on Tuesdays and Wednesdays making the choice so much harder. On our first visit, we had the fois gras (sublime) followed by cassoulet and a selection of cheeses. Everything was faultless and I would have it all again in a heartbeat. The wine list is succinct and all but 2 or 3 are accessibly priced and all good. Garth shared his wines and gave us tasters so we could make good pairings. We had such wonderful food we came back twice more in less than 2 weeks. Each time we ordered different dishes and all were superb. Outstanding and our new favourite place. Expect to pay £35-40pp plus wine.

I live near the Clos du Marquis and pass it often, standing alone and exposed like 'Jamaica Inn ' on the long Roman road that used to be the main London Road before the advent of the A303. It looks romantic until one gets inside, where sadly one is met with tired decor, cramped seating and uncomfortable chairs and a menu that reads promisingly but does not live up to expectations. The short wine list is almost exclusively French and contains few names that one would instantly recognise and the few that stand out like Mersault are prohibitively expensive. We had a Beaune that was not on the list and was said to be especially good, but wasn 't. However some tasty amuse guerles did appear as we scanned the short and enticing menu and selected rognons sauce diable, lamb, grouse and Dover sole. The kidneys were well prepared and the sauce pleasantly spicy, but the grouse was already deconstructed and very much less good than one recently eaten at the Boot (a nearby pub in Houghton). Tellingly the Clos ' one hadn 't been obtained from Robinson 's, the famous local butcher, on the grounds that Robinson 's were too expensive, whereas the grouse at the Boot was. Nevertheless the Boot had charged £21.50 whereas the Clos du Marquis charged £26. Furthermore the lamb was disappointing and was served in gravy covered slices reminding my French resident restaurateur of a school dinner. Worse, the Dover sole, though large and well cooked, had clearly been frozen. And it cost £27. One of the dishes most anticipated was crepes suzette, and again these were disappointing. Not prepared at the table as they should be and thick and chewy instead of light and a bit crispy at the edges. But the sauce was good. Altogether a disappointing meal despite a not insignificant cost of £144 for three.