This week's Restaurant of the Week is Aubergine at the Compleat Angler in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
After a decade behind the stove at the Michelin-starred Aubergine in Chelsea, which was once home to a young Gordon Ramsay, head chef William Drabble exported his culinary skills to a sister restaurant in Buckinghamshire last autumn.
The launch of the restaurant at the Macdonald Hotels-owned property in Marlow marks the London Fine Dining Group's first venture outside of London.
Headed up by Drabble's former sous chef, Miles Nixon, the simple French cuisine applied to high-end produce that marks his cooking is replicated in Marlow but with £10 shaved off the menus.
However, the different price point doesn't dilute the preference for luxury, and Aubergine's seven-course tasting menu is a masterclass in bringing the best out of well sourced top-end produce. Typical dishes may include lobster tortellini with cauliflower purée and truffle butter sauce; or seared foie gras with marinated figs.
The à la carte features starters such as pan-fried red mullet with caramelised fennel, orange and tarragon; or snails braised in red wine with root vegetables and bacon.
Mains include fillets of John Dory served with fricassée of girolles and watercress; roasted fillet of sea bass with braised Jerusalem artichokes, parsley purée and a red wine reduction; or breast of mallard, confit leg, foie gras and Madeira.
Desserts may include Bramley apple mousse with a blackberry; clementine soufflé with dark chocolate sauce; or Piña Colada bavarois with poached pineapple.
Other special touches at Aubergine in Marlow include a daily roast from the carving trolley, which highlights the restaurant's balance between expense and luxury and simple well executed dishes.
With Tom Kerridge's Michelin-starred Hand and Flowers and Adam Simmonds at Danesfield House just a stone's throw away, Aubergine at the Compleat Angler has become a welcome addition to the foodie town of Marlow.
Average spend £120 for seven-course tasting menu including paired wines.
Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1RG. Tel: 01628 405405
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...with a blackberry? Generous beyond belief!
It is Adam Simmonds not Symmonds at Danesfield House. A name to remember; he really deserves to reclaim the Michelin star he gained at Ynyshir in Wales; his food has improved enormously since that accolade. Having visited all the restaurants mentioned in your article, I feel Adam's food is far superior to Aubergine and will certainly excite diners discovering the gastronomic Thames Valley. Why not redress the balance and write a review of The Oak Room?
thanks for your comments live2eat and thanks for pointing out the mis-spelling if Adam's surname. I have now corrected it.
I too have eaten at the Marlow ventures (Vanilla Pod as well as those mentioned).
Whilst I agree with Live2Eat, in that I have great sympathy with Adam Simmonds (The Oak Room cooking is lively, modern, exciting and adventurous and well deserves Michelin star recognition), Aubergine at the Complete Angler is a different proposition and deserves accolades for different reasons.
It really depends upon what you're looking for from a dining experience. I would personally recommend the set lunch (that for a while was bundled with wine and may still be) - the service and view of the Thames weir are as memorable as the food (which is more classical as opposed to modern adventurous).
Danesfield, Vanilla Pod and The Hand and Flowers all have great things to offer while Aubergine is indeed a welcome addition to the Marlow dining scene, making it a truly destination eating town.
live2eat... fanboy or PR for Adam S?
Nice review, thanks!