Joan Stephens of the Leicester Mercury awards 5 Stars
We don’t often give five-star restaurant reviews in The Week – so hats off to Ascough’s. Regular food reviewer Joan Stephens was very impressed indeed
A mid-week evening in Market Harborough is usually pretty quiet, we thought. And so it was – until we opened the door into Ascough’s. We found this unpretentious-looking restaurant full and buzzing, and no wonder: if this review was a GCSE exam, Ascough’s would gain at least one A*.
The menu changes monthly, with dinner at two courses for £15.50, three for £18.50. Lunch, with only slightly fewer choices is £8.50 for two courses, £10.50 for three.
There are “Intros” such olives, and garlic bread, while side dishes include hand-cut chips and several salads. All main courses come with seasonal vegetables and a potato dish. The menu deserves careful study – over a drink, naturally. All the choices are intriguing for both the principal ingredients and their accompaniments: minted lamb boudin, for example, comes with blackcurrant and rosemary jus, griddled artichokes with Serrano ham and parmesan cheese, a chicken and ham terrine with crab apple jelly and roquefort beignets with a pear and walnut salad. Same with the mains – it’s those extra touches which are unusual, carefully thought-out and which distinguish the ordinary from the extra special. Ribeye steak (an extra £4 on the bill) comes with celeriac hash brown, wild mushroom butter and truffle oil; loin of pollock with Serrano ham and chorizo and a maple syrup dressing, while among the clearly marked vegetarian dishes (there are gluten free options, too), is wild mushroom charlotte and creamed spinach, and a croustade of blue cheese, onions and butternut squash and an apple dressing.
I chose a light starter – Flavours of Melon, because I liked the sound of the vodka, jelly and sorbet, while my husband opted for the smoked mackerel.
While I dithered over the mains he studied the wine list and pronounced it highly satisfactory, with plenty of choice in terms of both price (£13 up to £34) and variety. There are beers and lagers, too. He was particularly impressed with the range of wines by the glass, especially as his generous glass of Tempranillo was only £4.95.
After much deliberation, I chose free range pork loin with apricot puree, toasted pine nuts and braised chicory, while he homed in on the pan fried pigeon breasts with a leek and potato cake and chive sauce. He thoroughly enjoyed the mackerel and found the anchovy cream a perfect complement to the flaky fish. The melon dish on a large black plate looked amazing, a real symphony in pink; cubes of water melon, a scoop of sorbet, pink jelly and a shot of vodka. I find watermelon too bland for my admittedly robust palate, but the sorbet was a delight.
Everything is freshly cooked to order, so there is an inevitable delay before the main course – which proved to be well worth waiting for.
My pork was lean, tasty and enhanced with the apricot puree and the pine nuts were a good textural contrast. Irresistible. The pigeon breasts were a tad chewy, but the sauce won praise as did the leek and potato cake. The vegetable bowl had carrots, mangetout peas and broccoli, all nicely al dente and the potatoes – cubes in a creamy garlicky sauce were so good, if I hadn’t had an eye on the puds, I’d have scoffed the lot.
Desserts are to drool over, if not to die for: how to choose when tempted by dark chocolate meringue, Turkish delight chantilly, blackberry compote, a white chocolate box with passion fruit mascarpone and a Grand Marnier sauce, or the almond set cream with pistachio ice cream and raspberry sauce? There’s a three cheese option, too.
Next time I come I shall have three puds I told my husband, who showed no surprise but marvelled silently at my capacity for a tackling anything else after the generous main course – but the peach syllabub was an irresistible creamy concoction shot through with peach puree, the strawberry sorbet melted in the mouth.
In terms of value for money this meal was faultless (six out of five, my husband reckoned!). Our total bill with a tip came to just over £50. The service was young, friendly and efficient, the ambiance pleasant, while the food is attractively presented without being over fussy and has clearly been cooked with flair and care. It’s a winning combination.
Long live Ascough’s!
I love this place and this is my most frequented restaurant in Market Harborough. This little bistro has just the right blend of everything which brings back customers time after time. It is sometimes difficult to book a table as a result. The food is delicious and is the menu inspired. The combinations of food always surprise me and I’ve never had a bad meal here. The best thing is the price – a 3 course dinner for £17.00! You would expect to pay double this, maybe more, for the food that you get. The service is always good and although the restaurant is small, if you give them advance notice, they can accommodate largish parties. I love the decor which is fresh and modern and the atmosphere is always great, whether you are there for a romantic meal for two or a celebration with friends. The menu changes monthly and has a number of choices – if it wasn’t for the credit crunch, I would be eating there each week to try everything, as I can never make my mind up!! Fantastic place, long live Ascough’s!
Caroline Bromley from Market Harborough
Tom Bennett of the Leicester Mercury gives 4 stars
The Harborough bistro is incredibly popular, and it was tough to get a table, even a week in advance. Stepping inside, it’s easy to see why. The restaurant is pretty small and cosy, but a clever table plan and the extra first floor dining area up the spiral stairs gives diners and bit more elbow room than you would think. The wine list was extensive by any standards with an average price of about £15 a bottle. We chose a warming French red as we tucked into the complimentary homemade bread rolls, and took a look at the menu which changes every month. Everything on offer looked pretty exciting… Sally was pleased about her haddock and the “perfect” poached egg, which was, apparently, the best egg ever cooked! Feeling pleased with the quality of the starter, we were really looking forward to the main courses and we weren’t disappointed. The Venison steak was a good example of picking great ingredients and doing as little as possible to them. Happily full, we still decided to go for desserts. My spotted dick with rum custard was moist and packed with fruit and there was enough to nearly beat me, but, being a trouper I carried on and polished it off. We had a coffee and pondered the meal. Service had been crisp and professional and we’d thoroughly enjoyed our food.
Stylish and Relaxing Dining Experience
We ordered a selection to share, and whilst waiting for head chef and owner Chris Ascough to prepare our food, we soaked in the busy atmosphere and custom a ‘Tuesday Lunchtime’ was bringing… surprisingly!
Before the friendly waiter had time to clean down we were full of praise with empty plates to prove it! Fresh fine dining without the big wait and all for under £10! After this dining experience, the ‘surprisingly’ busy Tuesday lunchtime isn’t that surprising anymore!
Market Harborough Magazine
Ascough’s is the finest restaurant in town
A real delight offering both quality and value, Ascough’s is the finest restaurant in town.
A 3 course dinner is just £17.00, but don’t be fooled by the low cost, the food here is quite excellent, sticking to a sensibly small menu (which changes every month) to ensure freshness and quality.
Hugh from Market Harborough