REVIEW: Number Nine, Chapel House Estate, Ramsgate
The restaurant manages to merge a hint of luxury with amazing affordability…
Looking out across the newly-opened indoor outdoor space of The Glass Courtyard, the warmth of the sunlight and the buzz of the atmosphere could place your mind anywhere in the world. At the stunning Chapel House Estate at Minster, near Ramsgate, number nine restaurant under chef Stephen George is quite rightly grabbing attention for its seasonally-led dishes.
As with the attention to detail of the beautifully-converted former farm shed in which it is housed, the restaurant manages to merge a hint of luxury with amazing affordability – we headed down for the Sunday Spring Roast menu, which offers three courses at an extremely reasonable £37.
On our visit, we shared a number of starters (well we couldn’t just have one, could we!). A bundle of beer-battered cod cheeks nestled in a pea-and-mint pesto was a beautifully light plate, along with the warming ham hock croquette on sweet sliced and folded courgette in a vibrant mustard dressing… OK, we got curious and also had the beautifully fresh smoked salmon rillettes on sourdough toast and punctuated by the sharpness of sliced gherkins. Finally, to start, was the opulent confit duck and pistachio terrine, whose sweetness was offset by a sour cherry chutney, with accompanying toast.
While beef sirloin and vegetable wellington were tasty-looking options, we opted for the garlic-studded roast leg of lamb for mains.
It was simply served with roasted potatoes and wilted spring greens, a sweet and peppery confit heritage carrot and extra-large Yorkshire pudding – all topped off with a healthy splash of flavoursome gravy.
We enjoyed a glass of A Touch of Sparkle from Tenterden’s Chapel Down vineyard, as well as an IPA from Ashford-based Wild Beer Co. before moving on to a dessert of yoghurt parfait served with a beautifully tart Victorian rhubarb paired with the sweetness of meringue. Sitting back in that setting and enjoying a meal of that quality is always a pleasure. While it’s a Grade II-listed, 700-year-old former chapel at the centre of the estate, it was us who prayed that we’d be visiting again soon. Fantastic.
