Another Sunday, another Roast Lunch; what a hard life, eh?! This time, though, we went a little further afield, to Edwinstowe – specifically, The Lansbury Restaurant and Bar (formerly Launay’s). We managed to grab a spot in the car park, which isn’t the largest, but it’s adequate. Inside, we were greeted warmly at the host desk, and shown through to our table. Drinks were ordered: large Pinot Grigio for Mummy (£9.75), pint of Neck Oil for The Man (£5.95), and a glass of Shiraz for me (£8.75) as they’d run out of Malbec.
Anyway, first drama out of the way, our next task was to decide what we fancied to eat. Both His Nibs and I went for the ‘Lansbury Ultimate Roast’: Beef, Pork and Chicken with all the trimmings they come with individually, priced at £25; individual meats are priced at £19, so it’s an extra £6 to go ‘all in’. Mummy Bird liked the sound of the Pan-fried Seabass with Crushed New Potatoes, Wild Garlic, Mussel Cream, and Seasonal Vegetables (£16). We also ordered a portion of Cauliflower Cheese (£5) which says it feeds 2.
The Lansbury was very popular, and there were a couple of large groups in; needless to say, the chatter level was constant – I felt it got a bit too loud and could’ve done with a bit of music in the background to soften it. Whilst we waited for food, I had a gleg around at the venue’s décor in more detail.
On a previous visit (under its former name) I’d really liked the airy, contemporary feel of the restaurant, and I am so glad to say that this has not changed. The pair of domed sky-lights allow natural light to flood in, ably assisted on overcast days by the twinkling chandeliers that are located beneath them. Pale wood flooring is complemented by the tone of the solid wood tables, and the colour scheme is white and shades of blue. Faux foliage is cleverly used to divide up the space and add visual interest, and the floral blinds at the windows add some pattern in an otherwise plain scheme. As you know, I do have a bit of a fixation with lights so, having already clocked the chandeliers, I was then cooing with happiness at the inverted Lilypad types that were above the long table down one side of the restaurant.
In due course, our dishes arrived and I suddenly got a serious case of meal envy when I copped an eyeful of Mummy Birds’ Sea Bass and Mussel concoction! A pair of decent-sized Sea Bass fillets were cooked to absolute perfection (juicy flesh and crisped skin), surrounded by a coastline’s-worth of in-shell Mussels. The Mussels were delicious, with a pleasing meaty texture, and the Wild Garlic-pimped cream was stunning. A deep bed of New Potatoes had provided a superb base for the Sea Bass to be presented on, but they weren’t crushed as per the menu description. This wasn’t a taste issue at all, but if I’m being picky then I would say they should be as described. Mummy’s seasonal vegetables came in a communal bowl with mine and The Man Birds, which made sense – why create additional washing up if you don’t need to, especially when serving the same foodstuff?
Chef had done a cracking job with all the meats; all were beautifully moist and juicy, and super-tender to the bite. With my picky hat on, there were a couple of things I thought could be better: 1) for £6 extra, I would’ve liked the slices of Beef and Pork to be bigger in portion size, 2) there was no Crackling on our plates, which the Pork is described as being served with. The stuffing was there, and the Yorkshire Pud that came with the Chicken and Beef, and the Pig-in-Blanket with the Chicken were both on our plates, but not the Crackling; 3) there was too much gravy on the plates – it looked as if the dishes were swimming in it. A better way would be to provide extra in jugs, and just drizzle a bit of gravy on the serving plate.
Our seasonal greens were comprised of Sugar Snap Peas, Baby Broad Beans, Kale, Green Beans and Broccoli and they were all cooked to perfection. The mash was smoother than silk and nicely seasoned, and the Roasties were fantastic. His Nibs and I loved the spiced Red Cabbage, and really would’ve liked more of this – it was exceptionally good. Halved Carrots were nicely roasted to intensify their inherent sweetness and were a good size. Now, you all know how picky I am when it comes to sausage, but I’m very happy to say that the Pig-in-Blanket was absolutely magnificent, with no ‘repeat factor’ in sight.
As far as sides go, ladies and gentlemen, I present the one that is serving main character energy and feels galore: the one-and-only Lansbury Cauliflower Cheese! Forget everything else, just gimme a super-sized plate of this utter prince. The crust on this was rich gold/orange and was actually crisp (be still, my beating heart!), with the richest, silkiest, gooey cheese sauce underneath that bathed florets of perfectly cooked Cauli within it. I reckon this takes the Cauliflower Cheese crown, I really do; this will certainly stay in my memory for a long, long time. I heartily recommend you order this…and best of all, it served the three of us quite easily so it’s also great value for money.
Our server had done their check-back in a timely manner and happily came to clear away our clean plates and bowls. We were asked if we would like dessert, and it will come as no surprise that we said that we would. All the options are priced at £8, and Mummy went for The Sticky Toffee Pudding, I chose the Rhubarb and Plum Crumble, and The Man fancied the Chocolate Orange Cheesecake.
Oooft, the desserts and puddings were tremendous!. Mummy Bird’s Sticky Toffee Pudding was a proper monster of a slab, paired with Sticky Toffee Ice Cream (that was sexily oozing down the side of the warm pud) and a rich Toffee Sauce. There’s something irresistible about a dense-textured pudding that has a deliciously rich taste to it, and Mummy was on cloud nine with this minx. The Ice Cream was a quality offering too, lingering in the mouth and dispersing its gloriously rich Toffee flavour.
Across the table, His Nibs was a jolly happy chappy as he tucked into his intensely rich Cheesecake. This little star had a gorgeous, Flapjack-y base that didn’t disintegrate into a squillion crumbs when cut into, which is always a positive! The topping was velvety, with a distinct Orange note to it that came through clearly even with its bold Chocolate partner. For a contrast in temperatures, this dessert was served with a cold, Citrus-laden Sorbet and a fab injection of texture came via the Chocolate Soil and tempered shard of White Chocolate that adorned the Cheesecake’s surface. Another superb dessert.
In-season produce can’t be beaten; it’s at the peak of its taste and texture, and nowhere is this more evident than with Rhubarb. Early season (Jan-March) Rhubarb is punchy in its flavour, possessing that enigmatic sweet/sharp duality, and tenderness to its stalks that holds its shape well when cooked. Here at The Lansbury, Chef had brought Rhubarb together with Plums, which whilst not in-season in the UK, were nonetheless delicious in this pudding. I really liked the almost-honeyed flavour of the Plums as they brought a lovely balance to the Rhubarb, and the Plum was echoed in the Ice Cream that partnered the Crumble. The Crumble topping was beautifully moreish and gently chewy in the mouth. Honestly, I don’t think I could’ve picked a better pudding; this was amazing.
Other than ‘The Mysterious Case of the Crackling’, Gravy-gate and absent Malbec, we’d all heartily enjoyed our meals so I’m happy to give Hot Wings here as we agreed that we’d return. Service had been faultless throughout our time at The Lansbury in Edwinstowe, and the restaurant itself was spotless. To book a table call 01623 822266 or visit www.thelansbury.co.uk and scroll down until you come across the ‘Res Diary’ grid, from where you can select your date and time.
The Lansbury Restaurant and Bar is closed Monday and Tuesday, opening Weds Noon-10pm, Thurs-Sat Noon-11pm, and Sunday Noon-4pm.
