- Location
- West Yorkshire
Finally managed to get a table at Fraiche in Oxton (near Birkenhead) last night - it has taken me around 5 years, and must be the hardest place in the UK to actually get into - it only does 1 service of 10 covers per day and is permanently booked up. Tables sell out in less than 10 minutes when they are released (monthly), and although you can be added to a waiting list, nothing has ever come up from this.
The kitchen is a one man band, chef Marc Wilkinson on his own creating an ever changing, no choice tasting menu (£115) each day. His background is firmly classical (Chester Grosvenor, Pennyhill Park) before a stage at El Bulli transformed his outlook and approach.
The menu is officially 6 courses, but in reality ended up being around 15, following a selection of canapes served in sequence, a couple of amuses and several intermediate courses throughout the meal. The only choice is whether to finish on "salt or sugar" which is cheese from the trolley or 2 desserts. We went for 1 of each, which they then served in sequence so all could be shared. For the record, the cheeses were generous and in excellent condition.
I'll not go through every single course, but some highlights were...
A superb Orkney scallop, roasted the old fashioned way (in a hot pan with plenty of foaming butter), topped with caviar and served with allotment beets and verjus. Fantastic ingredients simply prepared and allowed to shine
Seared brill (cooked the same way as the scallop) with pea puree and roast chicken jus - beautifully textured fish with the contrasts of the exceptionally fresh puree and the rich intensity of the jus
A5 Wagyu beef was unbelievably tasty - great sear and melting, oozy fat throughout. Served with hen of the woods, caramelised salsify, roasted shallot and seaweed.
Fresh blackberries with edible flowers, tuile and a chilled honey custard. So heady with honey & vanilla and a silky texture
A couple of the courses were less successful - lacking any definition and some slightly odd combinations (e.g. nashi pear with baby turnips).
However, the real star here is the wine list - a fantastic selection of bottles and half bottles, many mature, at unbelievable prices for a starred restaurant. We skipped aperitifs and went straight in with a bottle of 2009 Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay (£54) which managed to tread the line between richness and elegance superbly. It was particularly (and predictably) perfect with the scallop and brill dishes, and opened up beautifully over the 2 hours we took to drink it. We followed with a half of 2011 Chateau Cantemerle (£38), which began with notes of ripe banana and berries before settling down into a textbook, midweight Medoc with a soft, almost gravelly texture and gentle murray mints and herbal notes. With the final courses a half of 2014 Hollick Noble Riesling (£24) from Coonawarra was absolutely packed with tropical fruit and possibly my wine of the night.
Overall the majority of dishes were good, solid 7 or 8/10 fare, with the few I mentioned above reaching higher than this and a couple falling slightly short. Not amongst the very best 1* restaurants, but well worthy of its rating. In terms of technique, the chef is clearly highly competent, and all the ingredients are absolutely top drawer. The wine list alone makes this place well worth a visit, but don't expect to actually be able to get a table without considerable effort!
The kitchen is a one man band, chef Marc Wilkinson on his own creating an ever changing, no choice tasting menu (£115) each day. His background is firmly classical (Chester Grosvenor, Pennyhill Park) before a stage at El Bulli transformed his outlook and approach.
The menu is officially 6 courses, but in reality ended up being around 15, following a selection of canapes served in sequence, a couple of amuses and several intermediate courses throughout the meal. The only choice is whether to finish on "salt or sugar" which is cheese from the trolley or 2 desserts. We went for 1 of each, which they then served in sequence so all could be shared. For the record, the cheeses were generous and in excellent condition.
I'll not go through every single course, but some highlights were...
A superb Orkney scallop, roasted the old fashioned way (in a hot pan with plenty of foaming butter), topped with caviar and served with allotment beets and verjus. Fantastic ingredients simply prepared and allowed to shine
Seared brill (cooked the same way as the scallop) with pea puree and roast chicken jus - beautifully textured fish with the contrasts of the exceptionally fresh puree and the rich intensity of the jus
A5 Wagyu beef was unbelievably tasty - great sear and melting, oozy fat throughout. Served with hen of the woods, caramelised salsify, roasted shallot and seaweed.
Fresh blackberries with edible flowers, tuile and a chilled honey custard. So heady with honey & vanilla and a silky texture
A couple of the courses were less successful - lacking any definition and some slightly odd combinations (e.g. nashi pear with baby turnips).
However, the real star here is the wine list - a fantastic selection of bottles and half bottles, many mature, at unbelievable prices for a starred restaurant. We skipped aperitifs and went straight in with a bottle of 2009 Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay (£54) which managed to tread the line between richness and elegance superbly. It was particularly (and predictably) perfect with the scallop and brill dishes, and opened up beautifully over the 2 hours we took to drink it. We followed with a half of 2011 Chateau Cantemerle (£38), which began with notes of ripe banana and berries before settling down into a textbook, midweight Medoc with a soft, almost gravelly texture and gentle murray mints and herbal notes. With the final courses a half of 2014 Hollick Noble Riesling (£24) from Coonawarra was absolutely packed with tropical fruit and possibly my wine of the night.
Overall the majority of dishes were good, solid 7 or 8/10 fare, with the few I mentioned above reaching higher than this and a couple falling slightly short. Not amongst the very best 1* restaurants, but well worthy of its rating. In terms of technique, the chef is clearly highly competent, and all the ingredients are absolutely top drawer. The wine list alone makes this place well worth a visit, but don't expect to actually be able to get a table without considerable effort!
Last edited:
