Restaurant of the Week: The White Room at Seaham Hall

This week's Restaurant of the Week is the Michelin-starred White Room at Von Essen's Seaham Hall in County Durham.

Overseen by head chef Kenny Atkinson, the Geordie chef you may recognise from the current series of the BBC Two's Great British Menu, the White Room is an intimate 40-cover restaurant housed in the stunning five-star Seaham Hall country manor hotel.

Atkinson joined last August, six months after famously winning a Michelin star at Tean in the Isles of Scilly, a move vindicated in January this year, when he retained the White Room's Michelin star.

His classically-based cuisine, which regularly marries numerous cuts of meat in a menu of technically astute, multifaceted dishes, has transplanted well to County Durham, with local pork, beef and lamb joining other north-east produce such as Yorkshire quails on his menu.

Those who have watched Atkinson compete on the Great British Menu will be familiar with the amount of work that goes into each dish. Take, for example, his main course of Northumberland Blackface lamb, asparagus, young leeks and pease pudding, which currently features on his à la carte menu.

Other dishes include terrine of Isle of Skye scallops with cauliflower textures, pineapple and coriander (pictured); as well as Goosnargh duck breast, cannelloni of confit leg, fillet mousse and gizzard sauce accompanied by carrots, beetroot and lime.

Desserts are equally multifaceted and include warm vanilla rice pudding with raspberries, praline and caramel; next to blackberry jelly with lemon foam, blackberry sorbet and apple beignets.

The menu is complemented by an extensive wine list that spans both Old and New World varieties and offers something for every budget.

Kenny Atkinson waved goodbye to the islands to move closer to his spiritual home of Newcastle. He well and truly has returned home.

£60 for three courses à la carte excluding wine. Seaham Hall, Lord Byron's Walk, Seaham SR7 7AG, County Durham; Tel: 01915 161 400