At the end of February we headed off to the Marquis at Alkham for an early anniversary celebration. It’s actually not until the end of April but we couldn’t wait any longer plus we had people (read grandparents) willing to take the children overnight! We also got an amazing hotel deal which we upgraded so we had a better suite plus a 7, yes 7 course taster menu. We’ve been there before actually, a few years ago I won a red letter day voucher and I used it for this hotel. When we went then we had the a la carte menu which was delicious and we particularly remembered the amazing quality of the breakfast! I remember that more than what I had for dinner 🙂 We said then that we’d come back one day and do the taster menu, so when it came up on Groupon you did not need to ask me twice! You can also get matched wines with each course, we didn’t feel we could afford that this time, so it’s now something we aspire to do next time, but we’ll try not to leave it so long before going again.
The Marquis is situated in a quiet rural location in Kent, near the coast, so we always visit the seaside afterwards. The hotel looks over the village green, it’s a beautiful setting.
Our room was divine, it looked over the green, the decor was an elegant monochrome theme, with delicious homemade biscuits, tea and coffee making facilities and a bathroom to die for with a rolltop bath. My only regret is I didn’t make time for a swim in it (I used the shower though which was lovely). I did not want to leave, I felt so relaxed – that may have had something to do with no children around but the surroundings definitely helped. I felt truly pampered.
There was even a cuddly toy on the bed who I adopted for my stay
We headed down for our feast, the only downside was that I had a really bad blocked nose so my sense of smell was impaired, I was gutted – another reason to go back. We were so looking forward to seeing what was in store as we’re real foodies.
Before we even started the menu we were presented with a little taster, and amuse bouche (can’t help thinking of the Friends episode when I say that, if you’ve seen it, you know the one I mean).
mackerel and goats cheese profiteroles
The smoked haddock veloute: the fish had an amazing texture, so light and flaky, I’ve never had anything like it before. The veloute was smooth and creamy.
Scorched mackerel with wasabi – maybe a touch more wasabi as I couldn’t taste it much, but it was still delicious.
Textures of beetroot, one of the vegetables we manage to grow ourselves and we eat a fair amount of so perfect for us and it didn’t disappoint. Neither of us are usually fans of goats cheese but this one was tasty and complimented the beetroot perfectly.
The atmosphere was intimate, with candles, attentive staff and artwork dotted around. Next came the fish, which was Monkfish wrapped in parma ham – such an exquisite piece of fish, almost meat like and cooked to perfection. The vanilla sauce was creamy and delicious.
The meat course was pork, my all time favourite roasted meat, mainly because you get crackling! Another well thought out dish perfectly presented.
We were getting a little bit full by now, but you always have room for ice cream, right?
Oh, and souffle? This was incredibly light, and the chocolate ice cream on top was meltingly soft and rich, they complemented each other perfectly.
Just when we thought we were done, they brought out just one more course, just for us. We felt like royalty, with a message personalised for us on the plate – a very happy anniversary.
We just about managed to drag ourselves up to bed after coffee, I think it’s the little touches that make you feel special when you stay in a hotel, and they’ve got it right here at The Marquis. With only 10 rooms and 2 cottages, it has a boutique, luxury feel.
Breakfast the next day didn’t disappoint, we couldn’t not have a cooked breakfast! Leave we must, and onwards to the next adventure…
