St Helena (Modern European) – Elstow, Bedfordshire (7.5/10)
Aug 11th, 2009 by admin
Background:
It was the husband’s birthday, so a dinner was organised by his dad at St Helena in a small village near Bedford for five of us. Of course I conducted the obligatory online search to see what other people thought of it. The reviews ranged from positively raving about the place to hating it, the clientele and the snooty service. I was beginning to dread the prospect of yet another pricey but disappointing meal (see St Alban and Arbutus) by the time we left home.
Fortunately, the meal turned out to be rather a delight. The little manor house is just on the right side of quaint (visitors to England will love it) and the garden provides a welcome rest for a drink after a long drive. The restaurant consists of several interconnected small rooms and reservations are therefore strongly recommended. And all worries about snooty staff were immediately dispelled. In fact, they were among the friendliest I’ve encountered in a long time. My father-in-law knows the two owners well, but quite frankly, they treated all their customers equally and there’s clearly a reason why the restaurant was packed by the time we left.
Menu:
There are no à la carte options. Lunch costs £22.00 for canapés, 2 courses and coffee with petit fours. Dinner costs £35.00 for canapés, 3 courses and coffee with petit fours. Seafood and meat dominated, with only one vegetarian main and three starters. It was a little irritating to see the numerous supplementary charges for the pricier ingredients (why not just stick to the fixed menu prices and use cheaper ingredients?)
Having said all that, the food was surprisingly good. The ingredients were clearly of good quality, the flavours shone through and there was absolutely nothing to complain about. I started with ‘‘nico’ pata negra ham from Iberico black pig with rocket and shaved Parmesan with Sicilian olive oil’. Simple and delicious. I could have happily eaten a giant portion of this all evening.
My main was the ‘rack of Scottish ‘Suffolk’ lamb roasted with fresh rosemary and garlic, served with apple, rosemary and mint gravy and homemade quince jelly’ (£3.50 supplement!). This was most satisfying and I savoured each bite. Had I been at home, I would have grabbed each lamb chop with my hands and gnawed every last morsel off the bone. By the time it came to select a pudding, I was stuffed. Summer pudding with both clotted cream and ice cream (I couldn’t decide which to have, so was served both) was not as good as the other courses, as I would have preferred more fruit and less bread. The combination of ice cream and clotted cream, though, was moreish.
Tip:
The St Helena dress code is something that has caused confusion among diners. The ‘jacket and tie’ requirement has been replaced by this remark on the menu: ‘All we ask is people make an effort and dress smartly, casually elegant is fine’. The clientele comprised of older, wealthier locals, so generally every one was very well dressed, more so than in London.
The verdict:
It was good to break out of my London-centric habit. I’m always on the lookout for great local restaurants and am so envious of people who keep telling me about their favourite locals. It was a most enjoyable birthday evening and there were empty, almost licked clean plates, after each course. I would recommend St Helena if you’re local to the area. The only downside is the lack of vegetarian options. I’m always conscious of whether there is enough for vegetarians to eat wherever I go, and a few more options would have been most welcome.
What’s your favourite local restaurant in your area?
10 – Perfection, 9.5 – Sensational, 9 – Outstanding, 8.5 – Superb,
8 – Excellent, 7.5 – Very Good, 7 - Good, 6.5 - Above Average, 6 – Average
All the England restaurant reviews on World Foodie Guide
Contact details:
St Helena
High Street
Elstow
Bedford, MK42 9XP
Tel: +44 (0)1234 344 848
Not open on Sundays
Very nice and supplements aside, looks very good value. I like the idea of the canapes – cute!
At the moment, The Chili Pickle restaurant in Brighton is my favourite. Relatively new but just go that little bit further with effort that doesn’t seem to be waning. And priced correctly for what it is, no silliness.
http://thegraphicfoodie.blogspot.com/2009/03/review-chilli-pickle-brighton.html
Ah. St. Helena. It’s our best local restaurant in Bedford, although I’ve never been. My parents and their friends go there for special occasions.
One of the owners Raf, is an amazing character. He’s one of the friendliest hosts ever. I’m delighted to see that you enjoyed it. Good old Bedfordshire!
I always use my hands to eat lamb chops, whether it’s Tayyabs or a fancy restaurant.
Is this why I don’t have many friends?
I like to use the rule – when at any table with the family, home rules apply – then again I have no shame.
Currently loving my local The Crown, Amersham http://www.thecrownamersham.com/ not too far from London and well worth a visit.
The lamb chops look dribble-worthy. I also get annoyed by the supplements on set menus; either make the menu more expensive or just be a la carte.
My favourite local is Meze Mangal, in New Cross. Now they definitely don’t have a dress code…!
My favourite local restaurant has to be Maki. It’s a small, clean and cosy place and the owner and staff are very friendly, ackowledging everyone (a nice Japanese custom ) when patrons enter or leave. The food is truly Japanese like the ones in the neighbourhoods of Tokyo. The owner takes care in decorating his dishes with acer leaves or whatever is in season at the time and treats them like a work of art before it goes onto our table. As far as costs go, I’d say it is reasonable ~ 3 dollar signs out of 5. No meal is complete until we have their dessert ~ banana tempura with honey. Here, in the States, we tend to have a lot of Koreans who open up Sushi-like places and it is a far cry from the real thing.
Those lamb chops looks amazing and what a beautiful place. I bet you felt like you were walking into a postcard. I love Franklins in East Dulwich but I’m actually really getting into the delights of Peckham at the moment. You have to look a bit harder, but the places are there!
I am with you on overpriced disappointment, it ought to be outlawed, but since that does not seem to be possible finding the flowers among the weeds seems all the more satisfying.
The lamb indeed looks amazing and I am with you, civility aside, there is nothing more satisfying than picking the bones clean – what a great way to celebrate a birthday than with good food and family.
The Graphic Foodie – The Chilli Pickle sounds like a local worthwhile visiting! I hope they keep it up…
Jonathan – it does seem like a ‘special occasion’ restaurant! I met Raf, a very charming host. Look forward to hearing your opinions when you visit.
Chris – I do seem to remember you picking up your Tayyabs lamb chops actually – you were sitting next to me! I’m still your friend…
foodiestgeorge – that’s a good rule! I’m going to adopt that. Great to hear you have a favourite local too!
Lizzie – Meze Mangal! Sounds like it’s a great place for meat…
Chee Packer – Maki sounds like a dream. It is hard to find a good local and when you find it, it needs to be treasured and nurtured…
Helen – Franklins, I thought you were going off it a little the last time you went there?
OysterCulture – I was so pleased that the meal turned out to be much better than planned. And the lamb was excellent!
Helen Yuet Ling
I went there recently for my partners birthday and have to day it was the best meal that i have ever eaten. This is by far my best restaurant now.
First impressions were that i was nervous that it may be a little pretentious, however the atmosphere was very relaxed and fears i had soon went.
For starters i had the belly of pork, which just fell apart. I then had the Fillet of beef ‘St Helena’ style, which was cooked to perfection and perfect portions. I then had the crepe suzette which was amazing.
The wine menu is extensive to say the least but we settled for a middle of the road which was also great.
I would recommend this restaurant as perfect for that special occasion!
Emma – so glad you had such an excellent dinner here! I’d like to return one day and try some other dishes…
Helen Yuet Ling
Hi everyone
I have been going here for 15 years and have travelled from Kenya on numerous occasions just to be with the people and the food for one evening. Whenever we feel we need a break or juyst be with people that care we go to St Helena and stay at the HIE just around the corner.
Raf and Frank and amazing hosts and we feel like we are just part of their dining family.
Its a great place and has a great team.
Cliff and Jo
cliff barry – great to hear that you are a big fan of St Helena!
Helen Yuet Ling