Launceston Place

Experience more of this visit through our video highlight here

Arriving here on a glorious blue sky sunny day for a lunch visit, and sat at a table with a gorgeous view across the square outside the restaurant to people watch was lovely. Ben had put together a special lunch for me with a mix of dishes from both his lunch and dinner menus.

The Phyllis Menu is presented in a checkers style way, with counters to remove and reveal dishes underneath to mix and match dishes that suit. Paying homage to Phyllis, Ben’s grandmother, who he would play checkers with as a child, I had a good clunk around of the menu in the spirit it had been created for, to emanate those very sounds and nostalgia. I liked this nod to his childhood, it just felt like a whole lot of heart and an indication of the journey ahead.

All the bread and butter was very good, all the snacks too, especially the beef tartar, the roast chicken consommé and one very tasty bbq lamb belly skewer.

I honestly can’t fault anything – it was all really, really, good cooking. My favourite dish by far was the pigeon, the best pigeon dish I have had to date. Really exceptional, if I could have, I would have licked the entire plate of any pigeon jus and burnt orange gel left. The leg was the star, with its sticky, gnarly yummy goodness.

Everything else was cooked with love, skill and bags of flavour. I loved the Egg and Soldiers, with the chicken liver. The Celeriac dish was excellent with the ragu and cheese. The butter poached Cod was sterling, the Iberico pork was so full of flavour, and the whole dish was really good, it could have done with a touch more sauce just to compensate the amount of meat and the large chip.

Desserts were all equally delicious.  The lolly was good but icy inside- could have been smoother, but an easy fix, Chocolate was great, Yuzu very nice, even the petit fours which finished the meal with once again a nod to Ben’s childhood, loved the raspberry shoelace, and perfect cannelle, and smooth fudge.

Good ingredients cooked well, with love and respect and presented beautifully.  A beautiful wine pairing to match.

I really loved it all and I will be back. The service was sterling, and personable, the restaurant refined but also modern and light.

I had looked at coming here before, but the emojis on the menu had put me off, but this feels like Ben is in a new place, he’s matured, knows where he is at, is drawing from what matters most to him, staying true to his authenticity, and is clearly delivering on it. He has a strong team both back and front of house and is one to watch, as for certain he will achieve his star.

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