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See also Aulis at L'Enclume: Billing itself as a "unique and interactive dining experience going ‘behind the scenes’ of L’Enclume’s kitchen", Aulis has just six seats, is open only on Friday evening and Saturdays, and has one menu, at £150. A veritable 'bucket list' chef's table experience.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“I think the best meal I’ve ever eaten” – Simon Rogan’s converted blacksmith’s workshop in a beautiful village to the south of the Lakes nowadays carries the weight of anticipation brought about by the third Michelin star that it acquired in 2022, and on most accounts “the drive is well worth it” to sample such “ridiculously good” food that “lives up to all expectations”. At the heart of the experience is a fifteen-course tasting menu for £265 per person (at lunch there’s a shorter selection for £125 per person). It’s finely wrought cuisine, with an emphasis on ingredients from Simon’s ‘Our Farm’ project nearby, and “the intimate nooks and crannies to hide away in and the quiet efficiency of the unrushed service makes it a place where time freezes” (“add in a room for an overnight stay and you have the best romantic getaway”). Sommelier Jordan Sutton is “fantastic and the wine pairing really complements the meal beautifully”. Is there a catch? Perhaps. Although ratings are still enviably high, complaints about value are also steadily rising here. (“A real sense that I was paying over the odds for the three stars. For my partner and I to be offered a glass of Champagne on arrival to mark my 50th to then be charged a huge amount per glass was a low point.”)
Summary
“It is a 6-6-6 in my view!” – Simon Rogan’s converted blacksmith’s workshop on the southern edge of the Lake District towards Morecambe Bay is still riding high on its elevation in 2022 to three Michelin stars: the first UK restaurant north of Watford Gap to have entered the world’s top tier, according to the ‘Guide Rouge’. Most reports of the many we receive (it’s one of the top-20 most commented-on destinations in our annual diners’ poll outside London) say such acclaim is fully justified, with more than one diner this year describing eating here the “best meal of my life, as simple as that!”. “Waiters move as though choreographed in a ballet” (“they even spotted that I was left handed and so laid out my place settings to suit me!”) and deliver “gastronomic paradise” overseen day-to-day by head chef, Paul Burgalières, who produces a 15-course menu for £250 per person, with much of the produce coming from Simon’s nearby ‘Our Farm’. Niggles? Concerns about prices have risen somewhat year on year. There is also a fear among a small minority that the experience risks becoming so “polished to perfection” as to be almost “perfunctory”. The main take-away though? “Simply the best!”
Summary
“Wonderful! Have been coming here since 2005 and this was the best food I’ve had, fully deserving its third star!” – Simon Rogan’s converted blacksmith’s workshop was, in 2022, the first restaurant in the North to achieve a third Michelin gong, and it’s impressive that – despite its remote Lakeland location – it is nowadays the second most commented-on destination in our annual diners’ poll outside of London. Head chef Paul Burgalieres marshalls the finest local produce – much of it from Simon’s ‘Our Farm’ on the surrounding hillsides – to provide “a symphony of beautifully orchestrated food” in a 17-course meal offering “a completely faultless experience that’s luxurious in its ingredients, cooking, time and space”. Another positive is the “smooth and welcoming service” with “immensely impressive teamwork from the staff from start to finish”. Of course, the cost is “exorbitant”, but for most diners it delivers “everything that was hoped for”: “was it worth the journey? Absolutely!” – “100% we would go back”. (“Second visit in less than twelve months… was able to really enjoy the food without being overawed which you do get on the first visit as everything is so exquisite. Cannot fault. If I could afford the outlay I’d be going more often!”)
Summary
“Well deserving of its third Michelin star” – Simon Rogan’s culinary mecca in the Lakes celebrated its 20th year by becoming the first restaurant north of Watford Gap to achieve the Tyre Men’s top gong (and was the second-most commented-on destination in our survey after the somewhat more accessibly located Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons). “17 courses of stunning food might seem somewhat excessive, but this remote and unique destination is certainly ‘vaut le detour’” and few top establishments in our annual diners’ poll achieve such consistent support from diners. “There seems to be no end to Simon Rogan's creativity” and – with head chef Paul Burgalieres – the kitchen delivers “unmatched seasonal food with true integrity” and “exceptionally beautiful” flavours, using produce from Rogan’s own farm. (“Not a single bite is not surprising and delicious”; “as quite a picky eater I was amazed as I ate course after course containing items I usually wouldn't eat and yet they were all simply out of this world!”). “The team is so well drilled that it’s like watching a ballet” and while the overall effect can seem “formal”, the “staff obviously enjoy working there”. “One of our most memorable experiences ever!”
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at L’Enclume?
Cavendish Street, Cartmel, LA11 6QA
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £60.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £10.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 15.00% |
Cavendish Street, Cartmel, LA11 6QA
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 6:30 pm‑8 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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