# 22 Eat at Longueville Manor

Longueville Manor is a bit of a Jersey institution and one of the most highly regarded hotels on the island. Everyone who visits only has good things to say about the service and the food and as I'd never been myself it was a prime candidate for the list.

We had booked a table for lunch on Monday the 24th of August and as soon as we arrived we understood what we'd heard about it feeling like a real escape from the outside world. The hotel is on the outskirts of a fairly built up area of the island but as soon as you drive through the granite entrance the grounds feel very secluded and peaceful.

We were greeted by a member of staff as soon as we had stepped out of the car and guided inside. We were given a lovely glass of Pimms to get things started and offered the chance to look around outside before we sat down. As it was still fairly sunny we had a nice stroll around the gardens and pool area.

After a short walk we headed back inside and were shown to our table. We obviously eat a lot earlier than most as for a while we were the only people in the dining room. We didn't mind though and it gave us the chance to take a few selfies and pictures of the food without worrying.

The bread was lovely and we were also given a little dish of halved radishes on ice with a lime mayonnaise to dip them in as an appetiser.

View from our table

The service was excellent from start to finish and while they were quick to clear plates, refill water glasses etc we didn't feel rushed in any way.

We opted for the set lunch menu which was a bargain at £25 each. Everything sounded lovely but this is what we chose....

H - Slow cooked ham hock and apricot terrine, pear and sultana chutney and toasted country bread

P - Hand dived north coast scallops and prawn ragout with linguine and Asian broth

H - Roast maize fed poussin with herb gnocchi, woodland mushrooms and crisp pancetta

P - Confit of Gressingham Duck with sweet pickled figs and garden vegetables

While making our dessert choices they also presented us with an enormous cheese trolley!

This would have cost a bit extra so while we were very tempted, in the end we selected desserts from the menu and we weren't disappointed.

H - Sun-ripened summer berries with an iced chocolate soup and garden mint ice cream

P - Garden strawberries with crisp meringue, Jersey cream and strawberry sorbet

After we had finished our meal we made our way to the lounge for tea and petit fours. I had been given a voucher for our visit for my birthday (thanks K&P!), hence the lovely inscription on the plate. I didn't have the heart to tell them my birthday was six months ago!

All in all it was a lovely meal and, as mentioned above, excellent value for money considering the quality of the food and the level of service.