I’m willing to bet that The Cedar Tree restaurant at Farlam Hall Hotel will have a Michelin star in the next few years.
Nestled away in now-autumnal amber countryside just past Brampton, it’s certainly off the usual Lake District tourist trail – but it’s absolutely worth the detour.
It’s definitely an up and coming venue and while we’d love to keep it as our own little secret slice of serenity, we just can’t help but shout about it.
We were invited to spend a night at Farlam to experience both the four star hotel and dinner in its acclaimed restaurant – and boy, were we impressed.
It almost feels like a well kept secret, trees shroud the main buildings and there’s a real instant sense of peace and solitude when you pull into the driveway.
Almost immediately upon arrival you’re warmly greeted at your car by staff members who have nailed the fine art of being ready to assist without coming across as overwhelmingly keen.
The same staff members then take you for a little guided tour of the historic building’s cosy lounge spaces and newly renovated bar and give you a sneak peek into the dining hall and kitchens.
If you’re a bit of a history buff and find yourself fascinated by the hall dating back as far as 1428, staff are also willing to indulge your interest and chat away about its unique past involving everything from donkeys to locomotives.
It’s that staff attention to detail really stands out at Farlam – they know how to make you feel relaxed and at home in the space before you’ve even seen your room.
We had the pleasure of staying in one of the hotel’s elegant junior suites which boasts garden views, a super king size bed, lounge space and modern bathroom – complete with underfloor heating.
The hall also has a wealth of standard, deluxe and superior rooms to meet a variety of price points that come with their own perks.
Outside of the main hall there are also six luxury stable suites that sleep from two to six people and feature private kitchens. Some of the suites are suitable for pets too.
It’s so quiet at night you could hear a pin drop and we really couldn’t fault a single thing in the space, it even smelled fantastic and a turn down service is also on offer – perfect for coming back from dinner and flopping straight into bed.
But the jewel in the crown at Farlam is well and truly The Cedar Tree restaurant – named after a real ancient cedar tree that sits illuminated by outdoor lighting just outside the dining area.
Chef Desai has created an impressive Indian-influenced tasting menu that showcases vegetables and herbs from the on-site kitchen gardens, of which guests are encouraged to visit.
Before you’re seated in the restaurant, staff settle you in a modernised English manor-style lounge for drinks where you can choose between seven courses or three.
Initial snacks are also brought to you in the lounge which include olives done ‘their way’ and flattened garbanzo beans in a sweet and spicy salsa.
In particular it’s the olives that blow you away – while they appear as such, they’re actually white chocolate casings filled with a liquid emulsion of spices.
When bitten into, they taste exactly like you’re eating the real thing – potentially better – and it sets the tone of expecting exciting dishes for the rest of the evening.
The restaurant space itself is serene, candlelit and romantic and diners have enough space to remain in their own private worlds without distraction.
We were lucky enough to try the full seven course menu which features dish after dish of delicately spiced, impressively plated food.
It’s a generous menu and not to be underestimated – it leaves you very full and satisfied and we noticed diners chatting away around us feeling the same way.
Highlights on the menu include the exceptionally tender tandoori longhorn beef wellington and the melt-in-your-mouth baked frozen passion fruit cream with glazed raspberries, meringue and black pepper and yogurt sorbet.
We also fell in love with the glossy red shelled duck liver parfait sat on a bed of cherry and jalapeno chutney, served with a warm, sweet brioche.
It’s a visually stunning dish and you have to resist the urge to tear the brioche apart with your bare hands and scrape your plate for every last morsel of parfait.
The snack canapés were equally as exciting and included a golden crispy sphere of pani puri, featuring garden carrot, pine nuts and Thai style carrot sauce alongside a tall croustade of beef tartare, garden smoked potato and crispy enoki mushrooms.
Chef Desai says they are each best experienced as one mouthful and the playful follow-up advice from the waiter serving us was ‘good luck’ – but it’s worth trying for the all-in-one to get those explosive flavours and textures together.
If you’re into spicy foods, this taster menu is for you, but don’t expect extremes of heat – it’s more an education in what a talented chef can do with spices and really opens your eyes to a whole new world of flavour.
The warm poolish bread is another a must-mention, made with Warwick Bridge Mill organic flour and paired with homemade churned butter that is fermented for 36 hours – it’s a totally indulgent experience in itself, one that I wish I was re-living right now.
After one-too-many glasses of wine, the menu ends with petit fours – a selection of bite sized sweet confectionaries that feel too beautiful to eat.
The waiters must also be commended for their ability to expertly guide you through the menu and make everything that bit more special, it’s completely clear that your comfort is their top priority.
You also don’t have to be a guest to book dinner at the restaurant, and if you’re not a dinner person there’s options for afternoon tea and Sunday lunch.
Location-wise the hall offers the best of both worlds. City person? Carlisle’s only half an hour away. Love the outdoors? You’re surrounded by countryside and only a hop, skip and a jump away from Hadrian’s Wall and a drive away from the Lakes.
Would we go back to Farlam Hall and The Cedar Tree? Without a doubt. It’s pure luxury based in an underrated location and we can’t wait to see it shine even more in years to come.
