Review - The Dome at Yorkshire Spa Retreat, Nawton, N Yorks

The Dome features a restaurant and bar at the brand new luxury lodge park set in 11-acres of rolling Yorkshire parkland near Helmsley and is open to non-residents as well as lodge guests.

As reported in The Press, The Dome is housed within two dome-shaped buildings providing scenic views across the park’s natural swim pond and landscaped gardens. It will also have an outdoor dining den for private parties.

Well it will have those views - within weeks. The actual spa is yet to open, although guests are already staying at the luxury lodges on the scenic site.

It was very much work in progress for the spa when we took up an invitation to try out Sunday lunch at The Dome.

A 45-minute drive from York, we were ready for refuelling when we arrived at the restaurant, set in some of our area's most beautiful countryside.

Inside The Dome - watch our video of the new restaurant

Leading the kitchen team at The Dome is head chef Stefan Rares-Burducea who has trained alongside Michelin star and industry-respected chefs including Adam Jackson and Paul Owens. Stefan, who hails from Romania, reached the final stage of Masterchef in his home country back in 2013 at the outset of his career. He moved to the UK in 2016.

But don't expect to see Eastern European dishes on the menu. It's Yorkshire first and foremost, with a pledge to offer the best of local produce on the plate.

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We began with a truly excellent bottle of Sileni, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, enjoying a glass in the bar area while we studied the menu and placed our order.

There was no rush, and that suited us just fine. We were able to take in the venue - the vaulted ceilings and large glass windows made it airy and light, but not cold. In fact, we were so toasty, our waiter asked if he could open a window to cool the interior for guests.

The food was equally impressive. We had two starters - a deliciously butter-smooth chicken liver pate with a sweet red onion jam and a doorstep piece of toasted brioche (£9), and smoked salmon and prawns smothered with Marie Rose sauce and salad leaves (£10). Each portion was generous and proved a strong opening hand for the new kitchen crew.

Smoked salmon and prawn starter at The Dome

Four options were available for main courses, we tried three - the roast beef (£18), the belly pork (£18), and the fish dish (£23). The veggie option was a truffled pumpkin risotto (£16).

The mains were tasty too. If there was a winner, it would be a close call, but the roast beef was really excellent; a pile of thin, melt-in-the-mouth, slices of still-pink meat, with a light yet crisp Yorkshire pudding and gravy, plus roast potatoes, cabbage and bacon and cauliflower cheese on the side. The pork belly was a close second; the meat tender and tasty, and served with a tangy sauce and an apple dip. For something a bit different, I had the the pan-fried halibut which arrived atop a sweet stew of braised fennel and sun-dried tomato. I loved this and happily scooped up forkfuls of the succulent, meaty fish with the soft veg. On the side came broccoli and cauliflower, still with a bite.

To finish, we had a round of coffees and shared two desserts (again these were generous in size). The lemon curd cheesecake (£8) was thick, smooth and creamy and struck just the right note between sweet and tangy. The sharpness of the berry compote that came with it was a good addition too. But the five-star dessert was the sticky toffee pudding (£8) which was soft, squidgy and warm and made extra moreish with a helping of perfect salted caramel sauce and scoop of cool vanilla ice-cream.

The Dome is taking bookings for its festive, Christmas and New Year's Eve menus and you can find out more at: www.yorkshire-spa-retreat.co.uk/

Details:

The Dome at Yorkshire Spa Retreat

Gale Lane, Nawton, York, YO62 7SD

Tel: 01439 413102