By Denis Sheehan FIH: The Braywood, a lesson in how a restaurant should be.
Just what makes a restaurant special is much debated, the eternal quest of ambitious restaurateurs. Special of course translates to loyalty as customers like special, and restaurateurs like loyalty.
The moment you arrive at The Braywood, tucked away on Paley Street in Littlefield Green on the outskirts of Maidenhead you suspect special is in order. The site is the previous home of The Royal Oak in Paley Street, formerly owned by Sir Michael Parkinson and his son Nick Parkinson.
The new site presents itself with a hint of what was, with the addition of a cantilevered flat roof extension added providing a spacious 70 cover dining room. There is also an elegant, pitched roof extension housing a cocktail bar. Both areas are set through ample natural light offering views of thoughtfully landscaped gardens. The gardens have terrace seating which doubtless will be highly coveted throughout spring and summer.
As we entered, we were greeted warmly with the suggestion of pre-lunch drinks in the cocktail bar to ponder the menu, we accepted, ordered mocktails, and pondered. The pondering didn’t take too long as we both on first sight of Orkney Scallops and Black Pudding knew what starters we would select, and then opted for traditional Sunday roasts, one beef and one pork.
We were escorted form the cocktail bar to the restaurant, a spacious, minimalist, contemporary, space that provoked a knowing satisfaction as we were seated. Special was again present.
The scallops and black pudding were as we suspected complementary partners, moist, firm scallops with rich savoury black pudding, there was also squash and apple, which added zest to the equation.
I had beef, pink, tender, and hearty with a selection of seasonal vegetables and perfectly cooked roasties, just what a Sunday roast should be, and rather cleverly leaving space for dessert. My dining companion assured me her pork was savoured similarly.
We then contemplated the dessert menu, not a simple exercise as multiple options warranted consideration. We almost agreed to share an apple tarte tatin with rosemary ice cream, almost, but went our separate ways. My dining partner opting for salt caramel tart, pickled blackberries, buttermilk sorbet, and my choice was bitter chocolate soufflé, chocolate sauce, marmalade ice cream.
I now have to put significant effort into not waxing too lyrical, and at the same time attempt to describe just how wonderful the chocolate souffle was. Just like my coffee I like my chocolate bitter, as the labelling on the menu promises, it was. It was also light and fabulously fluffy. The waiter who served our desserts did so with a touch of theatre, carefully puncturing the top of my souffle with a spoon and pouring some chocolate sauce into the small gap. As I ate down the sauce presented itself complimenting the gentle bitterness of the souffle with a rich velvet layer that was pure decadence. I needed more and added generously. We sat quietly and reflected on a sumptuous meal.
Let me now get back to special. Our visit was shared by a full restaurant, it was evident that others were enjoying their experience similarly to us, and from observing their interactions with the front of house team most were regulars. The setting, the exterior and interior architecture, and the food were a cohesive mix of excellence, the service was exemplary, and it was the service for me that sets The Braywood as a lesson in what a restaurant should be. Effortless and programmed into the DNA of a coordinated team where everyone plays their individual role and contributes to the whole. Every need anticipated, never servile, always patient, choreography personified.
The service experience is led by General Manager Thomas Gammella, the 2023 Gold Service Scholarship’s Scholar, so perhaps to be expected.
