Review: Mercure Norton Grange

Mercure Norton Grange Hotel - Grange Restaurant

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Visited Friday 20 April 2012.

Located on Manchester Road in Castleton, The Mercure Norton Grange is a 4 star hotel set in its own landscaped grounds. The hotel boasts two restaurants, the elegant, more formal, Grange Restaurant, or the relaxed, more informal, Pickwick Bistro. Both restaurants are open to both residents and non-residents.

Your reviewer chose to dine in the Grange Restaurant; the welcome by the hotel reception staff and the restaurant manager was warm and welcoming. The dining room is light and airy, with views of the lovely gardens surrounding the hotel, providing a relaxed feel.

The menu offers a wide choice of modern British flavours, with emphasis on seasonal changes. Starters include spring green pea soup, smoked sea trout, bubble and squeak & and steamed mussels. For your main course you have a choice from pan-fried pork belly, spring vegetable risotto, fresh market fish of the day, pasta dishes, fricassee of chicken breast and a selection of cuts of Casterbridge beef from the grill. Desserts are varied and would suit most tastes, from “A tasting of raspberries” to seasonal variations of their home made tarte tatins’.

On sitting down we were offered a choice of fresh breads and comprehensive wine menus. The new Grand vin menu provides fines wines at fair prices, offered either by the glass or bottle. We went for the Fortis Rioja. Great value at £20 and a lovely wine.

To start we opted for the prawn and crayfish salad and the goats cheese and red onion tart. The prawn salad was a modern take on the old school cocktail, very light and refreshing, the lime and cucumber salsa lifted the dish. Crispy pastry and a light filling made the goat's cheese tart a very enjoyable starter.

The main course proved to be a tough decision, lots of choice of fresh seasonal dishes. We opted for the pork belly with bubble and squeak, served with baby onions and local ale sauce, followed by the fresh grilled market fish of the day (the day’s fish was brill) served with spring onion mash, asparagus and a sun blushed tomato butter. The pork belly was tender and full of flavour and the bubble and squeak gave a warm homely feeling. The brill was cooked well and the sauce was a good complement. The only down side was the spring onion mash; a little too heavy on the spring onion, which overpowered the delicate fish somewhat.

If you have a sweet tooth you will not be disappointed with the choice of desserts. We tasted three: “A tasting of raspberries”, Lemon meringue bombe and the peach & nectarine tarte tartin. The raspberry dessert consisted of a cranachan, sorbet and foam, very refreshing with textures that complemented each other really well. The lemon meringue bombe was light, well balanced and not too sharp, the warm berry compote complemented the meringue very well indeed. The freshly made peach and nectarine tarte tartin, served with a honey and mascarpone ice cream, had pastry that was light and crispy; fruit that was fresh and juicy, and just the right amount of caramel. The ice cream was full of flavour, a winner on its own, but even better with the tarte.

Throughout the meal, the service was attentive but not too “in your face”. The hosts were polite and helpful and all waiting staff were very pleasant and happy to accommodate.

Prices are reasonable for a 4 star hotel; for 3 courses from the a la carte menu and a bottle of wine expect to pay around £35 - £40 per head.

Also on offer is a set menu with 2 courses at £15 and 3 courses are £18.

Overall a very good experience. If you enjoy good food in a relaxed environment, we would certainly recommend you give it a try and see for yourself.

Total score 8/10.

To make a reservation please call hotel reception on 01706 630788.

Rochdale Online has an exclusive deal for anyone wishing to visit the restaurant!

3 course set menu with a cocktail or wine for only £20 per person
or
2 course set menu with wine for only £16.50 per person

For more information on what the hotel has to offer please visit: www.mercure.com