Gavin Gregg Restaurant- A Review

Gavin Gregg Restaurant

The commuter town of Sevenoaks proved to be our next gastronomic destination, a stones throw away from London, this affluent Kentish town you'd believe would be an ideal location for an array of up and coming restaurants. The one we found, however, has been a permanent fixture in Sevenoaks for almost fifteen years. Gavin Gregg Restaurant (self-titled after the chef and co-proprietor) look to offer "inspiring and exciting menus combining traditional dishes with a hint of international panache". Also being able to boast about being rated #1 on Trip Advisor in Sevenoaks and the holder of 2 coveted AA rosettes for nine yea, the signs looked promising. Upon arrival at our table the venue proved to be a quaint building with beams and period features ,proving rather cosy and intimate on a late winter night. The menu was very reasonably priced, considering its close proximity to London. A mere £19 for two courses and £23 for three. The wine list also proved to be eclectic, as well as offering value for money. With the house white wine (La Paz, Sauvignon Blanc)at £17.50.

For starters, since looking up the menu in advance I had set my heart on the duck leg pithivier served with a celeriac puree. MBH was torn between the pithivier and roasted white onion soup with crispy shallots. She was, however, swayed by the special- a tiger prawn cocktail served with an avocado mousse, mary rose sauce and bloody mary jelly. The pithivier lived up to all expectations, rich, fatty duck glazed in an intense duck flavoured sauce, with hints of star anise was wonderful combined with the flaky puff pastry. The creamy celeriac puree and sweet, but sharp baby onions rounded the dish off perfectly.                                                                                                          

The tiger prawn dish tantalised the taste buds with an array of textures and flavours proved to be MBH's favourite dish of the night. The tiger prawns, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried were succulent and crisp, with a mary rose sauce with a subtle kick of Worcestershire sauce and tabasco was divine in it's own right. An avocado mousse and bloody mary jelly provided the modern twist on a classic prawn cocktail adding freshness along with the crunch of baby gem lettuce received a resounding thumbs up regardless of the £3 supplement.

                                                     
Naturally, after two incredible starters, we had anticipated for the food to only get better with the main event. I opted for the rump of lamb, whilst MBH went for the duck breast. The rump of lamb was partnered with Provencal aubergine and courgette, champ mash and braised shoulder. I was slightly nervous about a warm, oily ratatouille partnered with creamy, buttery champ mash, but this proved to be unfounded. These garnishes complemented the lamb beautifully, the rump not being an easy cut to cook was seasoned well, remained pink and the fat was rendered off well, making it incredibly moreish. The dish as a whole, could only be balanced by a chef with bounteous technique and delicate touch, of which this chef obviously did.

However, MBH's main, proved slightly overpowering. Presented with real eccentricity and panache, the appearance was inviting and smells enticing. The duck itself was cooked medium rare, with a rose tint and crispy skin which, with such tenderness, melted in the mouth. The buttered cabbage and carrots were the "best vegetables I've ever had" MBH exclaimed, rich with butter and intense, natural sweetness. The gratin, another rich element filled with buttery, nutty notes (again seasoned to perfection) almost made the dish too indulgent. The croquette proved the weakest link of the dish, overpowered with star anise and lacking the garlic, paprika notes of which you'd expect of chorizo and woody, herbal flavour of thyme. An extravagant and filling dish, that needs slight refinement.

The dessert menu seemed to lack a certain creativity and innovation, with traditional dishes taking their place such as sticky toffee pudding and creme brulee. To round off the meal, I decided upon a chocolate truffle torte, with black cherry jam and pannacotta.  The presentation, tried to be minimal and neat, but at best looked sloppy. The swipe of "jam" was untidy and almost flavourless more resembling a puree than jam. The pannacotta, rich with vanilla seeds was pleasant but nothing to write home about and the fact it wasn't taken out of its mould also seemed a bit of a cop-out. Underwhelming. The torte itself, the main event, was rich with bittersweet cocoa notes and was as indulgent as a dessert can get. This redeemed the dish somewhat. MBH chose a classic vanilla creme brulee, served with mixed berry compote and a cinnamon palmier biscuit. The creme brulee was smooth, sumptuous and rich with vanilla and cream. The crisp, sugar layer added much needed sweetness to the dessert as a whole. The mixed berries cut through the creamy brulee with a pleasant acidity, whilst the cinnamon palmier biscuit was crisp and fragrant with cinnamon. 

Whilst savouring tea, coffee and homemade chocolate truffles we had afterthoughts about the entirety of the meal. There is no question that this an outstanding restaurant, which doesn't rely on modern gimmicks but uses classical techniques to create it's dishes and menus. On the whole, it proved to be a very positive experience- a more fond embrace of modern technology, however, with more contemporary, creative and innovative techniques/dishes (especially in the pastry section) it would turn this restaurant into a gastronomic destination of Kent.

Rating- 7/10