Review of The Pass at South Lodge

Head chef Ben Wilkinson at The Pass - credit South Lodge

Following an extensive refurbishment and the retention of a Michelin star for a fourth year, Nick Mosley heads to The Pass restaurant at South Lodge near Horsham.

The restaurant’s dining room had literally just reopened on the evening I visited following a top-to-bottom refresh. Gone are the studded leather seats and paired down decor that was once cutting-edge but had started to feel a bit dated. The updated look is a lot more warm, earthy and luxuriously tactile with aesthetic nods to the ingredients that the kitchen use painted on the walls. Thankfully the high tables are still present – I always prefer a high chair as it allows a better opportunity to have a good old nosey.

As before, head chef Ben Wilkinson’s kitchen is visible through crystal clear floor-to-ceiling windows that adorn one side of the dining space. Every member of the kitchen brigade is on full show so there’s clearly no room for drama.

Smoked pork canapé at The Pass - credit South Lodge

The dining offer is a seven-course tasting menu with an optional wine flight, which is what I’ve come to expect from a Michelin one-star restaurant. The format allows chefs to really showcase their culinary skills and choice of produce.

Whilst my sister and I hungrily devoured the menu, our sommelier served a welcome glass of Champagne – a beautifully light mousse premier cru from a very small producer. In fact only 1200 bottles of that vintage were produced so it was quite a treat.

To begin a trio of pork-based canapés: a crispy croquette of pulled pigs cheek, a pastry shell of smoked pork and an exceptional cheese chou topped with a sliver of air-dried coppa from Beale’s Farm, one of the most renowned producers of charcuterie in the south east of England. To say the latter canapé melted in the mouth would be an underestimation; it evaporated.

The refurbished dining room at The Pass - credit South Lodge

Oysters are bang in season at the moment with the plump Irish beauty gently poached in the shell in its own juice. The cream of turnip, dill-led herbs and an uplifting pop of salmon roe added considered complexity.

A duo course of celeriac – again very much in season right now – and beef followed. The substantial canapé of smokey beef carpaccio with sweet, nutty celeriac purée was a delight yet – for me at least – the highlight of the course, and perhaps the meal, was the pulled beef with hen of the woods mushroom topped with fried straw hair celeriac alongside a nick-and-nora coupe glass of the most unctuous bone broth I’ve ever tasted. As I write this review I can still taste it in my minds eye.

Brill, leeks, oyster, mussels in a sparkling wine velouté at The Pass - credit South Lodge

Neither of the following two courses failed to impress. Supremely fresh south coast day boat brill – a lighter and slightly sweeter alternative to turbot that is a natural go-to for many chefs – in a classic French foamed velouté of oyster, mussels, and splash of Sussex sparkling wine with leek was upliftingly light before the intensity of the duck dish. The gravy and mere morsel dumpling of liver and heart provided body with a carved rare pink duck breast with the finest sliver fat again proving to be a melt-in-the-mouth experience.

We skipped the cheese course – although I have to say the trolley was literally screaming ‘eat me’ – and headed straight to the pre-dessert. A creamy zingy kumquat-forward ice confection with lemon thyme and fiery pink peppercorn proved to be an exciting and unexpected taste journey. It is undoubtedly the prettiest plated dish I’ve seen for a very long time.

Kumquat, fromage blanc, lemon thyme at The Pass

And to complete, a rich yet perfectly portioned ganache of chocolate topped with coffee and salt caramel. I’m no fan of chocolate – I find it a rather one dimensional and claggy foodstuff – yet I wolfed this final course down. Again, the masterful layering of ingredients – and in this case temperatures – allowed each to sing yet in perfect harmony.

Safe to say service is impeccable. Our adventurous sommelier was absolutely superb, and clearly had great enthusiasm for hunting down wines that you’d be challenged to find anywhere else. There were some real bangers served notably a silky smooth Lebanese blend of three red grapes that accompanied the duck dish and a supremely rich but not overly sweet dessert wine with notes of bitter orange peel, rounded raisin and a lift of vanilla and perhaps a hint of hazelnut.

A seven-course tasting menu with canapés is priced at £150 with the signature wine pairing an additional £95 or £160 for the prestige wines. You can also order wines by the glass or bottle from the list however when pairings are this considered I think its worth pushing the boat out for the complete gastronomic experience. A vegetarian option is available – and major allergens can be accommodated – but let the restaurant team know in good time rather than on the day.

Ben’s cooking is precise with a very finessed presentation style. As I’ve noted several times in my review, the stand-out for me is his faultless layering of texture and flavour which is something that most chefs don’t seem to be able to fully achieve.

The Pass has proved yet again that it is not only worthy of its star and four AA rosettes; it genuinely serves up an impeccable and truly memorable dining experience that firmly puts South Lodge hotel and the bounty of Sussex on the culinary map.

The Pass, South Lodge, Brighton Road, Lower Beeding, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 6PS

01403 891 711 • www.exclusive.co.uk/the-pass/