Restaurant review: Morecambe's Midland Hotel
Elaine Singleton savours seafood at the art deco gem that is Morecambe's Midland Hotel.
I (along with hundreds if not thousands of others) have long held a soft spot for the Midland Hotel in Morecambe.
And as the art deco gem gradually fell into disrepair in the latter decades of the 20th century before finally closing its doors, I swore that if I ever won multi millions on the Lottery I would buy it and see it renovated.
As my millions didn't materialise it fell to Urban Splash to buy and last year, to national attention, it finally re-opened.
So why a year before I chose to review its restaurant? In a nutshell it was disappointment. I did visit several times in past months for lunch, for a function and for cocktails and each time, although the restored surroundings were sublime, the service and food were simply not up to scratch.
Urban Splash's experiment in hiring staff for their personality rather than catering experience just wasn't working.
After years of loving the place, then great excitement when it was bought and re-opened, I felt crushed and couldn't bring myself to rubbish the glamorous old girl.
But earlier this year brought the news that hotel company English Lakes Hotels had taken over the management. Maybe now was time.
And so, on a superb summer's evening with the sun sparkling on the sea and highlighting one of the best views in the UK, the bay framed by the Lakeland hills, we sat in the conservatory restaurant to eat.
Reader, it was worth the wait.
First things first - it's not cheap by any stretch of the imagination and in these credit-crunched times I fear starters averaging 8 and mains in the region of 17 plus are not going to make it a regular dining choice for the majority of folk.
However, there is a three-course 20 lunch on offer and simpler meals in the Rotunda bar are less expensive - and you still get to enjoy the swish surroundings and glorious view.
To start, given where we were, it had to be the Morecambe Bay shrimps with lime and stem ginger, topped with sweet crab and avocado and served with melba toast (8.95).
The towering mountain of shellfish was served chilled which was less appreciated than warm, but you couldn't fault the portion. It was easily twice if not three times the size of some I've been served.
The crab and avocado combined with the ginger and lime to lend a piquant flavour that sharply cut through the sweetness of the shrimps.
Our other starter of mussels with lemon and garlic (6.50) again was ample and declared some of the best ever eaten, the flavours bringing a refreshing change from the usual garlic and white wine.
And the mains of a trio of local game birds (wild Mallard duck, red partridge and wood pigeon) served with fondant potato, parsnip puree and sauteed curly kale in a red wine jus (17.95) again attracted the same comment. "Best meal I've eaten in a long time."
The birds were cooked to perfection and the vegetables the best
companions.
My main was essentially posh surf and turf, an intriguing mix of grilled fillet of red snapper, grain mustard mashed potato, braised oxtail and buttered broccoli with pine nuts (16.50). The meaty fish was complemented nicely by the melting meat of the oxtail, the juices of which were soaked up by the tangy mash. The broccoli saved it from overwhelming richness.
There was no way that there was room for pudding despite the best efforts of our friendly waitress but we could have chosen from sticky toffee pudding, trifle, chocolate fondant cake and what sounded like the best serving of tea and biccies - Earl Grey tea, cream, condensed milk foam and shortbread biscuits.
factfile
Address: The Midland Hotel, Marine Rd West, Morecambe, LA4 4BU
Tel: 01524 424000
Open: 12noon-2pm, 3pm-4.30pm,
6pm-10pm
Daily offers: Two courses for 15, three courses for 20
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Friday 10 February 2012
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