The White House Restaurant Review
On a busy Summer’s evening my husband and I ventured off the main road (Lake Road) in Bowness and were lucky to stumble across the White House Restaurant Bar with Rooms - tucked away in a quiet corner of Bowness - an elegant building which draws you in! A charming courtyard leads you towards the entrance where families and couples were enjoying a drink. Through the door, we were greeted warmly by our host Janine and were shown to our table. The restaurant is styled simply in a contemporary way - the space is light and airy – the perfect place for an informal dinner.
We ordered our drinks - water for my partner (the driver) and a glass of delicious Sauvignon Blanc for me and we were left to enjoy the surroundings and choose between so many delicious sounding dishes - the specials which had been knowledgeably described added to the indecision!
Our drinks arrived swiftly with complimentary appetisers – a taster to tickle your tastebuds - we thoroughly enjoyed the homemade cheese pastry straws with lime and coriander hummous and they were presented elegantly.
Upon placing our order it was lovely to be given a little bit more information regarding our chosen dishes - the staff are obviously passionate about the food they are serving and this is a welcome change from the norm.
Our starters arrived and were well presented - I thoroughly enjoyed my starter of goat’s cheese beignet with asparagus and artichoke salad with tarragon dressing - creamy goats cheese with a pinch of honey added was amazing twinned with the sharpness of the dressing tasted wonderful. My partner was equally impressed with his starter of Mediterranean fish soup with red pepper.
The Szechuan pepper duck breast served with sweet potato, pak choy, shimeji mushrooms and noodles with a honey soy and mirin dressing was delightful and my wild mushroom risotto with chargrilled chicken and asparagus was heavenly and cooked to perfection, the combination of flavours was perfect.
After another glass of wine and small break between courses I knew that there was only one dessert on the menu for me (although they all sounded yummy). The White House hot chocolate fondant which was served with spiced cherries, kirsch syrup and homemade vanilla ice cream...baked to order on the premises. This pudding looked exquisite on the plate and tasted devine...a fantastic finale to the evening. We retired to the lounge area to enjoy our coffee.
The White House is a relaxing haven where couples and families can enjoy a fabulous meal in comfortable, contemporary surroundings. The service and hospitality is first-rate, staff are courteous and friendly, efficient and knowledgable. You can expect to pay between £8.50 and £17.95 for a main course – great value for the quality of food served. We are already planning our next visit...Thursday night is Steak Night - £10 per person including a glass of Merlot and I really fancy trying the sea bream with lemon risotto next!!
Review by Emma Dalton
