<a target="_blank" href="http://www.hilltop-kitchen.co.uk/">Hilltop Kitchen</a>

Coombe Farm House

Alldens Lane

Godalming GU8 4AP

BY NEAL MARTIN |&nbsp;MAY 12, 2023The
Food:

Our focaccia
and olive oil 

Charred
leek with thyme honey, Rosary ash and hazelnut

Boquerones,
parsley and chili

8-hour
braised Herdwick lamb, white beans, salsa verde and rainbow chard

Basque cheesecake
and forced Yorkshire rhubarb

The Wine:

2021 Bruno Lafon Pinot Noir Le Sud&nbsp; &nbsp; 87

Driving
to Hilltop Kitchen, I am listening to a lunchtime talk show on Radio 2 when the
presenter discusses the so-called “pork scandal.” An undercover investigation discovered
industrial-scale, country-of-origin fraud as well as unscrupulous mixing of fresh
meat with rotting carcasses at a processing plant. An anonymous insider calls
in and divulges how rotten flesh is jet-washed away so that the meat can be
reprocessed. A nation’s stomachs churn, and millions consider vegetarianism. What
do you expect in a country subjugated by profit-ravenous supermarkets and a
population accustomed to the cheapest food possible without considering the
consequences?

How
ironic that within an hour, I chew blissfully upon the most tender, succulent
lamb that exhausted superlatives a while ago. It has been slaughtered about 20
meters from my plate. I could pay twice as much for the same dish in a
hifalutin’ restaurant in London, and it will not be nearly as fresh. I make a
mental note. Rethink where you eat. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1683834332703-hilltop+view.JPG">The view from Hilltop Kitchen 

A
fellow Vinous subscriber had tipped me off about Hilltop Kitchen a week
earlier. Though I inhabit a wealthy part of England, Surrey is bereft of worthy
dining places. I’m not talking haute cuisine and Michelin fodder. Just places
where chefs care about what they serve, restaurants with personality and
individuality. The fact that Hilltop lies around 20 minutes from my front door
is a bonus, ditto the stunning vista from our table across a grassy vale, where
future lunches innocently chew the cud and offer the occasional baa or moo.The
genesis of Hilltop Kitchen came during COVID. Co-proprietor Alex Winch, who
previously worked at Portland Restaurant and <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/vinous-table-the-harwood-arms-london-uk-mar-2022">Harwood
Arms</a> in London, explained how he and co-conspirator Sam Fiddian Green were frustrated
about the lack of decent local places to eat. I know that feeling. With the
hospitality industry in crisis during lockdown, the pair decided that instead
of bemoaning the situation, they should do it themselves. Hilltop embraces the
increasingly popular concept of opening a restaurant at a source of produce, in
this case, Coombe Farm House, owned by Winch’s family. They constructed a
makeshift wooden structure that adjoins an outbuilding equipped with a basic
kitchen. They installed overhead heaters, decorated with wildflowers for that
rustic farmhouse vibe, installed a few wooden tables and benches, et voilà. It
stretches the concept of “restaurant” since it does seem a bit transitory, hence
my use of quotes. Indeed, Green later details their plan to relocate to a more
permanent residence with designs to create a Michelin-starred gastropub. If the
standard of cooking is the level that I encounter, then that’s a given. &nbsp; <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1683834361732-hilltop+anchovies.JPG">Boquerones, parsley and chili The
menu could be described as seasonal European, using the products from the farm,
including a vegetable patch out yonder. We share starters. The menu
specifically states our focaccia since it is baked on-site. This is light
and fragrant. A little more rosemary and sea salt might not have gone amiss,
but otherwise delicious. The charred leek with thyme honey, Rosary ash and
hazelnut is divine. The leeks are perfectly cooked and seasoned, the thyme
honey lending unexpected sweetness and counterbalancing the earthiness. The
boquerones (anchovies) are refulgent, lined up on the plate. Parsley and chili offer
vivid flavors, assiduously seasoned with just the right salinity and spiciness.

<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1683834395315-hilltop+lamb.JPG">8-hour braised Herdwick lamb, white beans, salsa verde and rainbow chardGiven
the provenance of the meat dishes, there is no alternative but the 8-hour
braised Herdwick lamb, seasoned with miso before being resealed. It is the most
succulent, tender lamb I can remember eating: every mouthful, pure joy. The
accompanying salsa verde and rainbow chard lend a bit of bitterness to counter
the meat’s sweetness, while the white beans provide substance and texture. A
faultless main.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1683834433521-hilltop+cheesecake.JPG">Basque cheesecake and forced Yorkshire rhubarb Finally,
the Basque cheesecake and forced Yorkshire rhubarb are worthy ways to finish
lunch. The cheesecake has a blackened surface imparting a subtle charcoal
element that balances the cheese. There is a touch more heaviness and less
sweetness than normal cheesecake, and the Yorkshire rhubarb contains real bite
and acidity.The
wine list is rudimentary, and I suspect they will upgrade to proper stemware
once a more permanent location is found. I choose a simple wine from the
Languedoc Pays d’Oc, a 2021 Le Sud Pinot Noir from Bruno Lafon.
Crunchy redcurrant and strawberry aromas are present on the nose. The palate is
simple but balanced with plenty of crunchy red fruit. It has a bistro-like
charm with no signs of any ripeness that you might find in some Pinots from the
Côte d’Or. Considering the reasonable price, it does its job with minimal fuss. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1683834468987-hilltop+wine.JPG">I adore
Hilltop Kitchen. It offers delicious, perfectly-sourced, well-executed fare
with minimal fuss and maximum care. It might be a temporary building built on a
budget, yet it contains more charm than many a chichi yet sterile restaurant that
one finds in the capital, notwithstanding they cannot offer that blissful vista
across the English countryside. It must be beyond idyllic on a sunny day. Undoubtedly,
we will be hearing much more about Sam Fiddian Green and Alex Winch in the
future. I depart thinking about how soon I can return and feel that I have just
witnessed the opening chapters of two glorious careers. &nbsp; <div></div>© 2023, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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