It’s important to mark the special occasions when they occur, as difficult as it might be when you’re also grieving.
Anniversary break
Last month I got totally spoilt by my gorgeous husband and taken to L’Enclume in Cartmel in the Lake District, as it was the 5th anniversary of our very first date. Cumbria holds a special place in our hearts, as it was the first holiday we ever had together. It was snow filled and the hotel we stayed in had a gorgeous fountain outside that was frozen.
The room
When we arrived this time and checked into our room my hubby got instant extra brownie points when I saw this photograph on the bedroom wall!
We stayed in one of L’Enclume’s many guest houses in the village that had clearly been renovated recently, so was luxurious and decked out with modern facilities. The real icing on the cake for me was the attention to detail. Knowing I was allergic to cows milk they had ensured the mini bar had a bottle of soya milk in it and dairy free treats too.
We arrived a few hours earlier than our dinner reservation so there was time for a bubble bath before getting dressed for the restaurant. I have to say I loved the handmade organic bath products and the heated tiled floor. Got inspiration for our forthcoming house renovation!
The dinner
The L’Enclume dinner experience (and I call it an experience as it is more than just having dinner) was amazing and a real treat all 18 courses. The menus were presented to us at the start of the meal in an envelope sealed with branded wax. There were 2 menus in the envelope a “normal” one for my hubby and a dairy free one for me alongside the wine flight details too.
Each course was presented and described in detail by the extremely attentive staff.
Here are photos of some of the amazing dishes.
The highlight for me was the scallop served with green tomato and hogweed juice that tasted a little appley. Monkfish was delicious and the grilled potatoes, ramson (which we googled to discover is a name for wild garlic) and smoked eel was one of the tastiest dishes. We could have eaten more of it!
The other delight was the dessert named “Anvil” which was a chocolate mousse dusted with bronze and gold powder set in an Anvil shaped mould. My hubby’s mousse was white chocolate, whereas mine was dark chocolate orange. They were sat on top of preserved orange and passionfruit.
At the end of our sumptuous dinner we were offered the cheese board, which looked amazing but we literally couldn’t fit anything else in.
Dinner or lunch here is the perfect special occasion treat as it really is an amazing experience if you are a real foodie like us.
The breakfast
The breakfast the next morning in Rogan’s café, that’s also owned and run by the team behind L’Enclume, was probably the best breakfast we have ever been served. Here’s a copy of the menu.
If your budget doesn’t stretch to lunch or dinner at L’Enclume then I would heartily recommend a trip to Cartmel and lunch in Rogan’s, that I’m sure will be more than worth the hour and half drive from Manchester.
For more details of L’Enclume the restaurant click here
For details of the accommodation available click here
For more information about Cartmel and what to explore there click here