Lignum

I think I could rate the dinner we had in Lignum as the most amazing food experience I ever had in my life.

Everything was absolutely perfect.

The venue is spectacular. To reach it you are invited to cross a beautiful garden in a very quiet area.

You enter the restaurant and are immersed in a dark atmosphere that feels familiar and warm.

The staff greets you like they have been knowing you forever.

We were extremely lucky to be led to what’s possibly the best table of the entire room but every seat/table is special because of the details that it allows to see.

We had some idea of what we could have expected as we had heard plenty of stories of this resturants, so good to resemble legends.

I can now confirm they are true.

We were immediately introduced to a series of 4 amuse bouches, one more delicious than the other one.

Each course had a special presentation, with its own beautiful plate and a way to decorate it that told an entire story.

With perfect timing we started the actual 10 courses dinner where we had a wine pairing.

Wine alternated every 2 courses, intentionally, to promote different aspects of the same wine.

As one could expect the courses went from more delicate to stronger in taste. Each one surprising and delicious, I was left at the end of each torn by the mixed feeling of wanting that flavor to be the last one of the night and being ready to experience something different.

We eventually got to the desserts that are an entire experience on their own.

We got lucky to try a very special and honestly a bit shocking experimental lemon sorbet that will certainly remain a unique memory in our lives.

With no shame I can admit that I asked for a third helping of their delicious freshly baked & still warm sourdough bread.

Among all these reasons for the mouth to be joyful the other senses too had plenty of chances to be delighted thanks to the beautiful interiors, the comfortable covers for the chairs, the smokey smell of burnt wood and the different textured of the cutlery.

Beyond this superb scenery the staff stood out as an amazing team of humble and passionate professionals who took pride of their work and paid extra care to all the customers.

I was inspired to see the chef Danny bringing the dishes to the various tables while leaving space to his younger helper to present them. At the end of the night I felt compelled to shake his hand as an homage.

I suspect the manager Molly must have some amazing recruiting & leading skills for being able to create such a spectacular team. And I say that with particular respect as my job in the last 10 years has been about creating teams that work together joyfully.

We loved the very personal stories that the sommelier told us which turned each sip of wine in an entire adventure.

Many were the waiters that impressed us with their professionalism and entertained us with their unique insights. I regret not having asked the name to each of them. For sure we will always remember Francesco and his genuine joy in serving us the food.

Exceptional service and detailed knowledge and understanding of the flavours in each dish with a fantastic wine list to match.

Well balanced, delicate plates that use all the senses.

The cultured butter is a surprising menu hero, presenting almost Parmesan-like notes; it’s so good that the bread becomes optional.

The dishes cooked on the open flame offered a refined depth of flavour with each element on the plate thoughtfully selected and perfectly cooked. I thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful.

I would highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting and will definitely be back.

Lovely time off in this amazing restaurant! From the location to the food, everything was delicious. Thanks to Brian for bringing his knowledge to the table with his wine pairing.

What an amazing experience. Firstly, the restaurant itself was absolutely beautiful. A hidden gem! The food was amazing and only got better with each course. The views of the garden was stunning, and it was a true delight watching staff pick flowers from the garden that were then brought to us on our plates. Everything was fresh and cooked to perfection. The staff gave us a 5 star service and went into detail telling us where the food we were eating was sourced. It was by far my favourite experience eating out in a restaurant and I will 100% be returning.

What the team are doing here is Lignum is unreal. I visited here with my family for Sunday lunch to celebrate my mother’s birthday. The staff made such a
big effort to make her feel special. The sommelier / mixologist gave her some of his homemade Irish cream liqour on the house. Which she was delighted with. He makes his own bitters, tinctures and garnishes for the cocktails which are all absolutely stunning and was more than happy to talk us through the wine list and make suggestions. There is also non alcoholic options for both wine and cocktails. The courses are chefs choice so you don’t get a physical menu and we all really enjoyed the element of surprise. The ingredients are all very seasonal and local & the chefs take great care in explaining each course. We all agreed it was some of the best food we’ve ever eaten and well worth the journey to visit again. I’m sure we’ll see a star here in the near future 🌟