The Barn at Moor Hall Review

It had been over eighteen months since my my last visit to The Barn at Moor Hall and it was a meal that left a positive impression. Having had another stunning meal at big sister Moor Hall in 2022, and with The Barn having been awarded a precious Michelin Star in 2022 also (as I'd predicted it would be), it seemed like an ideal time to visit again. And so, I duly rocked up for lunch with my wife and two young children on a frosty January Saturday, to celebrate my wife's birthday.

The restaurant sits in very pleasant grounds and there's ample car parking also. I have to say, the path from the car park to the restaurant was rather slippery and it didn't look like any effort had been made to grit it since the venue reopened following their winter break, which was a little bit surprising to see for a venue of this standard. After making our way inside and ascending the stairs, we were warmly greeted on arrival and shown to our table. The decor is very much as I remember; it's effectively a very nice barn conversion with high ceilings and a view of the kitchen. The restaurant was fairly busy I would say which was good to see, including some other groups with children.

On offer at lunch is a full carte menu (which we opted for), a shorter lunch menu and a three course children's menu too which is always appreciated. The drinks menu is comprehensive with a solid wine list and plenty of other options, including a decent array of cocktails. I enjoyed a couple of gin and tonics during my meal, whilst my wife and daughter sampled a couple of the non-alcoholic cocktail options which they both enjoyed (albeit these weren't exactly spectacular as cocktails go). My son as usual was perfectly happy with his still apple juice. One slightly peculiar thing I have to add is that three different members of staff all tried to take away the drinks menu during the meal when I'd asked it to be left on the table (so we could order different drinks as the meal progressed, not an unusual request!). It was a touch bizarre and maybe a sign that internal communication here isn't quite what it could be.

The biggest issue at the start of the meal however is the amount of time it took for someone to take our order; it was one of the longest waits I can recall in a star level restaurant. I don't really blame the waiting staff for this, my assumption is the kitchen was backed up so they were stalling, but it's not a great experience either way. After we had finally had our order taken, lunch began with little nibbles of a cracker topped with cured trout and some of the on site made charcuterie (served only for myself and my wife) and a slice each (including the kids) of some decent sourdough bread, accompanied by some very tasty butter.

Lunch proper began for me with the cured scallop, served with oyster, apple granita and a dill sauce. It was a nice dish but to be honest, it felt fairly safe and I was a touch underwhelmed. My wife went for the beef tartare served with a shallot brioche. It was tasty but the issue here was the portion size; it was the tiniest little pile of beef tartare I've seen in a long time; honestly if I was served a portion that small on a twenty course tasting menu I'd be raising an eyebrow. Perhaps if we'd been ordering from the scaled back lunch menu I could stretch to understanding, but for a full price carte starter, it was a bit of a joke, I can only hope they were just a bit short of beef that day. My daughter had the garlic bread from the kids menu (in reality exactly the same sourdough we'd just eaten but with garlic) whilst my son had the chicken goujons, which were basic but fine.

And then came... another wait. Having sat there patiently, our starter plates were still on the table well over an hour into our meal. When it did eventually arrive, my main of venison with golden beetroot, ragu, and smoked bone marrow was just about worth the wait, it was a delicious (albeit not massive) main course. My wife however had considerably less luck with her chicken main, served with pickled leek and mushroom. Whilst the accompanying elements were pleasant, the chicken prep was poor with two inedible blood red chunks; considering the price of the dish, the small amount of chicken actually served and the level of the restaurant, I found that very disappointing. My wife left some pieces on the plate with clear issues, but it was whisked away before I got chance to raise it with our waitress unfortunately. My daughter did enjoy her spaghetti bolognaise however.

Of course, despite some issues there was little chance of us leaving without dessert. Whilst the kids enjoyed some tasty ice cream and sorbets, I went for the caramelised apple mille feuille. It was an accomplished dessert that I'd happily eat again any time. My wife also enjoyed her dessert of blackberries, almonds and nougatine. Following desserts, we were presented with a happy birthday plate for my wife, complete with a little chocolate each, which is always a nice and much appreciated touch.

And so, after collecting the bill (complete with an automatically applied 10% service charge), a rather disappointing meal came to an end. Service throughout was fine, but the same issues from my last visit still exist, such as the very poor menu pacing - it really feels like they've built a space with too many covers for the kitchen to handle. But on top of that, the quality of cooking has decreased markedly since my previous visit which I just wasn't expecting. It's doubly surprising when I contrast with Moor Hall which gets better and better every visit. I was happy to see the restaurant busy for a Saturday lunch and I wish them all the best going forwards, but I don't think I'll be making a return trip here any time soon.