Horn Of Plenty

When I was at a training course down in Plymouth, I took the opportunity to check out the local fine dining options.
The Horn of Plenty is a country house hotel with an ambitious kitchen obviously aiming for higher things. It’s located an adventurous 30 minute drive north of Plymouth and the last part down a single car width country lane did induce a few palpitations
However, once you turn into the drive, the lit fountain instantly reassures you that you’ve arrived in a classy establishment. I was impressed that the staff knew who I was instantly when I walked in
The pay-​off for the adventurous drive is that you’re located in the middle of gorgeous countryside and my only regret was that it was too dark to see the wonderful vista across the valley to Dartmoor which would normally have been visible from window next to the lovely table they gave me
It is a classy dining room. Tables are well spaced out to give feeling of space. It is nice and brightly lit
Mondays at the Horn of Plenty is the traditional Pot Luck Monday. The quality is just as high but there is only a choice of 3 dishes in each section but the price is also significantly reduced from their usual price charged in the rest of the week
My requested freshly squeezed orange juice was quickly sorted
It was nice to have canapés to start off the meal, reflecting the ambition of the kitchen. There was innovation with these. An unusual egg ravioli needed a touch more seasoning but was a novel idea. ‘Fish & chip’ was a lovely single crispy mouthful. Curried parsnip purée came in an edible cone
There was nice rosemary & cranberry warm bread and a brown granary roll with perfect crust. More restaurants should serve warm bread.
An amuse of celeriac & truffle soup kicked off the meal. There was a great hit of truffle from the truffle oil and my palate was truly awakened for the meal ahead
My starter was slow braised pork belly with prune salsa & sweet potato. Beautifully plated, the pork had been expertly rendered to keep the rich moistness but cooking the fat sufficiently to remove the fatty aftertaste that can sometimes come with eating belly
The main was sage & bacon stuffed chicken with cep purée, gratin potato and truffle jus. Everything smelled divine. The humble chicken was elevated with the other ingredients and it remained moist
I chose the mandarin delice with orange parfait for dessert. The only mistake of the evening came with this course. The parfait was served too cold so the orange flavour was muted
Overall, this kitchen has some serious ambitions and they’re well on the way. I love the look of their tasting menu and it was a shame that they don’t serve it on a Monday. I wish them luck on their quest for higher recognition!

On my recent trip to the southwest part of England I unfortunately ate plenty of bad food. Now while the English may be known for many good things like the Beatles, attempted world domination, fish n chips, and Benny Hill, they surely are not a culinary destination.
So it was indeed a pleasant surprise when I had the chance to dine at Horn of Plenty on the night before my departure back to the States.
The entrance to this cozy restaurant, which is also a hotel, is simply elegant and provides you with that quintessential English backdrop.
From the moment you walk through the front door, you feel as if you are coming over to visit a friend for dinner. Horn of Plenty looks like it was homed a family, so that may be the reason you get that feeling.
Once passed the hallway you enter the restaurant. The décor is simple yet breathtaking and was very welcoming.
Upon sitting down the wine never stopped flowing, the food was downright delicious, and although it felt like there was no room for dessert or coffee, I made room dammit!
I will not go into great detail of what I ate because to be quite honest to menu included things I never heard of before and I probably would not do it justice.
But I did enjoy some quality salmon with risotto, moist and tasty chicken with a side of asparagus and mashed potatoes, a mango sorbet with various other sweet goodies, and a tasty coffee.
This restaurant is located about 20 minutes from the tourist friendly Tintagel Castle.