It was certainly an atmospheric journey, the way passing as it does through the grounds of Castle Howard. As soon as we turned off the A-road, or so it seemed, a fog descended. Rising up ahead, looming into the sky, a great obelisk (which I subsequently discovered was a monument to the 7th Earl of Carlisle). It was just the sort of thing to get you in the mood for a cosy snug and a crackling fire, which, happily, Myse provided as soon as we got through the front door. Then it was off to the large, beautifully appointed room for a quick rest before dinner.
Before I go any further, I must say that there was a lot to like about Myse. Despite a small brigade, and an even smaller front of house team, service throughout dinner ran like a well choreographed ballet (all tables are served the same meal more or less simultaneously). Some of the food was very nice indeed. And let's start with some highlights shall we? For example, serving the fabulous sourdough bread, made every day onsite, with a bowl of chicken dripping (as well as a seeded butter) was a stroke of delicious genius.
A "snack" of braised ox cheek, dipped in Yorkshire pudding batter and then deep fried and served with fermented cucumber gel was as wonderful as it sounds: soft, sticky, rich and then with a last minute sparkle of pickle across the tongue.
Three different dishes of mallard made up the main course proper, all of which were lovely, but the star was undoubtedly a sourdough crumpet topped with liver parfait and mallard ham. Crumpets appear to be having a moment (at the moment) and I am all for it. We should be putting more things on crumpet. And eating more mallard which is all that is good about duck with an extra shot of iron-rich oomph.
A small cup of apple juice, made from fruit from the Harewood estate, was served before the dessert courses. Reader, this has ruined all apple juice for me forever. Crisp, sharp-sweet, it was sensational.
So yes, much to like. But, elsewhere, D and I found ourselves referring to some of the food as "clever" or "interesting" rather than delicious. And while there is nothing wrong with clever and interesting, if it isn't quite hitting the delicious mark as well, then I think that's a shame. The team here are obviously very, very interested in foraging for local and unusual ingredients and in preserving them in innovative ways, and also in being creative in the way in which they employ different cooking techniques, but some of what was served just didn't quite come off - purely for our tastes.
Also worth noting again that the front of house staff is tiny - and this meant that bar service either side of the meal was not as smooth or slick as it could have been. It's a small detail but, of course, when you're paying a substantial sum of money for an experience, such small details do niggle. Again, though, throughout the meal, the staff were wonderful and that they managed all those covers with the limited number of hands without issue and remaining calm and friendly and engaged was a true testament to their professionalism.
The trouble is, there are so many great restaurants with rooms in Yorkshire and the North East now that if you asked me for a recommendation, Myse would not be the first, or even the second or third that would spring to mind. But I'd be fascinated to go back, maybe for the lunch tasting (which I think is slightly shorter) at a different time of year to see how the cooking style shifts with the seasons - I have a feeling that come the height of summer you'd be experiencing an extremely different type of food.
Main Street
Hovingham
York
YO26 4LF
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