Darcy’s Brasserie & Bar at Mosborough Hall – Restaurant Review
By Helen Johnston
At last the moment had come. We were opening the door to a restaurant and going INSIDE!
No more shivering on some rain-soaked, wind-battered terrace, clutching mugs of hot tea and pretending we were enjoying ourselves.
We were on the next stage of the roadmap and that meant being allowed into the comfort of a proper dining room, taking our coats off and luxuriating in the warmth.
May was still delivering a punishing mix of wet and windy weather outside, but we were indoors and looking out at it through the rain-spattered windows. What joy!
“Comfortable”
We were at Mosborough Hall Hotel, a splendid 12th century manor house on the border between South Yorkshire and Derbyshire. It’s set in beautiful grounds with a curving driveway and plenty of lush greenery.
We were sampling the delights of Darcy’s Brasserie and Bar and went first into the conservatory bar area with its comfortable sofas where we enjoyed a pre-dinner drink and had our order taken. Then we were directed through to the restaurant where images of Sheffield’s Jarvis Cocker and Phil Oakey were among the modern artwork adorning the walls.
The new menu has been developed by head chef Alex Fretwell using locally sourced fresh ingredients presented in a contemporary fashion, which means the food is constructed and arranged to look as lovely as possible. There are also gluten free, dairy free and vegan options.
The line-up of starters looked tempting –delights such as pork cheek potato cake, pan-fried scallops, and pea and shallot tortellini – but we decided to get stuck straight into the mains and then treat ourselves to a pudding.
There were four of us and two of us went for the mallard duck breast (me on the principle of always ordering something I rarely have at home), with the others choosing textures of wild mushroom risotto, and chicken and red onion stuffing Ballantine.
The duck was delicious, ser
ved pink and not fatty at all, as duck can be sometimes. It was served with a maple jus which was just the right sweetness to complement the meat, alongside dripping potato, carrot and kale.
“Delicious”
For those with a larger appetite there are various sides which can be added, such as hand cut chips, seasonal veg or a tossed salad. We had a Spanish red Tempranillo to accompany our meal which went down very smoothly.
The double chocolate and raspberry brownie won hands down as the top choice for dessert, with only me choosing the date sponge instead. The brownies were accompanied by chocolate crumble and vanilla bean ice cream and were declared delicious. My sponge came with caramel sauce, yoghurt ice cream and toffee popcorn and was so enormous it defeated me and I had to leave the final few mouthfuls.
The waiting staff were attentive and friendly and clearly enjoying being back to normal, or what passes for normal in a pandemic. They checked everything was ok for us without ever being intrusive. It’s been a tough year for hospitality staff and it was good to see the restaurant filling up and hear the chatter of fellow diners.
Everything was done to ensure Covid safety, with sanitiser available and everyone wearing masks when walking around. The loos were also clean and tidy, always the sign of a well-run venue.
Darcy’s was the perfect venue for our first restaurant experience since we were eating out to help out last summer. It was a relaxing, happy evening and all credit to the hard-working staff for making it so.
Mosborough Hall Hotel, High Street, Mosborough, Sheffield, S20 5EA
For further information and to book go to mosboroughhall.co.uk
