What it's like to eat at L'Enclume - the best restaurant in the UK
This is L'Enclume in Cartmel, Cumbria. It has an "unassuming appearance from the outside," according to the Good Food Guide. It was founded in 2002 in an old farmhouse that looks inconspicuous next to the neighbouring cottages.
Most of the food at the restaurant is grown on its own 12-acre organic farm.
The restaurant retained its top spot in the Good Food Guide for the fourth year running. The dining area is minimalist and rustic, with no tablecloths and exposed brick walls.
Some of the food matches L'Enclume's minimalist style in appearance but is full of flavour. This beetroot leaves starter is just one of the simple dishes on offer.
L'Enclume's chef and owner Simon Rogan, who is originally from Southampton, has worked in some of the UK's finest establishments, including Claridge's Hotel in London.
The food at the restaurant celebrates produce from around Cartmel, which is close to the Cumbrian coast in northwest England. Everything in this smoked cod roe starter with parsley and flatbread is made with locally sourced ingredients.
Rogan's father worked at a wholesale fruit and vegetable market when he was growing up. This gave him a passion for foraging and inspired him to start growing L'Enclume's ingredients on a local organic farm.
Dishes like this spring lamb croquette and onion are beautifully presented. So that nothing goes to waste, the tiny petals decorating this dish come from the flowering part of the onion.
L'Enclume uses some unconventional ingredients to make its exquisite desserts, like this strawberry and marigold dessert with sheep's milk ice cream.
Also on the dessert menu is this unique chocolate dish simply called "Anvil" — which is what "enclume" translates to in French. Like many of L'Enclume's offerings, it is served in a slate bowl, which makes its gold appearance really stand out.
Popular Right Now
Advertisement