Eileen Leahy dropped by to discover the secret ingredients to its stellar success so far…
It’s hard to imagine that the grand period style-building that is now the perfect home to The Lyle restaurant was once a run of the mill pub serving pints, a Sunday carvery and portions of takeaway fish and chips. But that in fact is exactly what it was before its new owner took over the sizeable Forest Road establishment in 2020.
My husband and I were invited along to dine there last week and couldn’t believe the transformation the building – and its epicurean offering – has undergone. In fact it is almost impossible to imagine it in its former guise as The Spread Eagle pub.
Outside the building has had a great deal of work done to it in order to improve its alfresco offering and bring its period charm back to life. Currently it looks positively picture perfect and so inviting thanks to the thousands of twinkling festive fairy lights festooned upon it.
Inside it feels more spacious than before and without doubt far more sophisticated and luxurious. The décor is deeply stylish and firmly on point courtesy of its dark navy panelled walls, leather banquettes, burnt orange and pistachio velvet scalloped chairs and bronze statement wall lights which could easily double up as works of art. First impressions count and The Lyle has aced it when it comes to reflecting an air of effortless chic.
A glimmering brass panelled – and very well stocked – bar is the hero statement in the space. It curves around the main run of the restaurant and on the night we visit is busy with couples sipping cocktails and groups of friends sharing flutes of fizz.
The stylish overhaul of this historic building into a refined restaurant which looks like it could easily compete with some of London’s finest, is hugely impressive and if the food has the same impact then my guest and I are in for a very good evening.
We’re warmly greeted by our host and shown to our cosy corner table which is adorned with a crisp white linen cloth, gleaming glassware and shiny silver cutlery. Like the bar, the restaurant is full of contented diners happily chatting away, clinking glasses and clearly enjoying their culinary choices. It’s interesting to note that although The Lyle doesn’t boast a central location in town that clearly doesn’t matter given how busy the place is.
As we settle into perusing our menus we’re introduced to our waitress for the evening. Ruby, who is also The Lyle’s Head of Front of House, is extremely cheery and clearly passionate about her role. She delights in telling us about the provenance and inspiration behind the menu and choices of wine she believes will complement certain dishes. She even goes as far as pouring us little measures so we can make our minds up.
To kick off proceedings Ruby suggests we order a serving of the restaurant’s fresh sourdough style bread which is baked daily and comes accompanied by a trio of signature butters (£4). In addition to a perfectly rounded quenelle of salted butter, there is also a delicious charred onion and parmesan offering and an intriguing sounding smoked beetroot and balsamic one. As we tear chunks of the warm bread and slather them with the different butters our taste buds immediately perk up. The onion one is sweet and fully flavoursome while the smoked beetroot is a perfect balance of earthy and tangy with real staying power on the palate.
The kitchen at The Lyle is headed up Gary Jarvis, who was sous chef at The Ritz and Head Chef at The Curlew in Bodiam. His reputation for excellent food that’s the perfect blend of classic and adventurous and looking as good as it tastes is clearly very much in evidence here too.
As we ponder the menu with a glass of perfectly chilled aromatic Viognier from the Languedoc region in South West France it’s hard to make an immediate decision on what to eat as the choice of starters and mains is extensive. It’s also a nice touch that each dish comes with a wine recommendation from the establishment’s adventurous sommelier. In addition to European and New World classics there’s also a decent showing of English wines as well as varietals from Sardinia and Bulgaria.
My husband likes the sound of the slow cooked pork belly with beurre noisette cauliflower purée, candied hazelnuts, and coriander (£12) and also The Lyle prawn cocktail (£13.50). And as soon as Ruby informs us the latter is an ingenious take on the retro dish – usually served up in a goblet and slathered in Mary Rose sauce – his decision is made. She further explains how Head Chef Gary has turned the 70s classic on its head, deconstructing it so you are presented with four meaty chargrilled king prawns presented on slivers of charred baby gem and served with a tangy tarragon mayonnaise, reduced prawn bisque, apple and radish. On savouring it my husband declares the smoky, piquant prawn dish a taste triumph.
I meanwhile have opted for the seared scallops (£14.50) which are pan fried in dried roe powder and come served with a pickled kohl rabi and a remoulade, smoked roe mayonnaise and confit lemon. “Gary uses every bit of the scallop,” reveals Ruby and I can testify it works: the scallops are plump and beautifully pan fried to perfection and further complemented by the complexity of the additional ingredients. Who knew the humble roe could be so diverse?
Our mains arrive perfectly timed after we have scraped our plates clean and finished our glasses of Viognier. For the main event at The Lyle you can choose from its A La Carte menu which like the starters has a good variety of vegetarian dishes too, or you can order from its Grill Menu or go for one of its special Lyle Pies.
Ruby describes the Steak and Onion Suet Pudding which is elevated to fine dining status with a celeriac, pancetta and mushroom filling, (£22) as being like a hug in a bowl. But after our generous starters and sourdough I fancy something a little lighter and my husband has already spied the filet steak and triple cooked truffle chips (£36) on the menu. He declares it one of the best steaks he has ever had and gives the feisty peppercorn sauce accompanying it a ten out of ten.
I like the sound of the roasted halibut which has been braised in butter lemon and curry salt and comes with charred leeks, sweetcorn purée and an aromatic lobster sauce (£28). But eventually I opt for the Gressingham duck which is pan seared and served correctly pink with an indulgent and sticky confit leg croquette, baby fennel, fennel jam, samphire and a sweet yet fragrant lavender jus (£26).
It is butter soft, and every bite is a delight. On Ruby’s recommendation we opt for a side of tender stem broccoli to share which comes sprinkled with toasted almonds and is cooked al dente. We both go for a glass of red with our mains after Ruby has talked us through the various viticultural options. The hearty Malbec my husband has with his steak and the Sardinian red she suggests to partner the duck are both spot on.
By now the bar is in full swing with waiters shaking up cocktails and artistically pouring them into all manner of chilled vessels. Mojitos, Martinis and Old Fashioned are collected by numerous waiters and theatrically distributed to customers from trays.
As we take a look at the dessert menu I’m pleased to see you can choose a Dessert Cocktail (£10 each) – a sort of hybrid pud and post dinner digestive and the perfect way to end a meal in my book. Admittedly a lot of them do sound incredibly indulgent such as the Lemon Cheesecake which is anointed with Pinot Grigio Limoncello, gingerbread syrup, cinnamon, Frangelico, cream but my what a way to end dinner! Having said all that by now I am feeling fairly full so Ruby suggests an espresso Martini instead.
Meanwhile my husband, who has more of a sweet tooth, enjoys looking at all the other mouth-watering pudding choices (£9.50 each). They include Blackberry Bavarois with gingerbread, clotted cream and blackberry egg custard and also Sticky Toffee pudding with apple, ginger and caramelised almond. But as tempting as they sound he decides to go for Textures of Lemon – a palate cleansing citrus dish. Once again Gary has used all elements of the fruit including pith, zest and juice to create a delectable lemon shortbread, topped with lemon posset and purée, lemon sorbet, confit zest and lemon tuilles. It’s a zingy yet indulgent confection which I sneak a few bites of and it perfectly rounds off our incredible dinner.
The Lyle has been a fabulous dining experience. Amazing food -much of it locally sourced; a warm and friendly ambience and hugely sophisticated.
In short the ideal recipe for success for a restaurant of this quality and calibre.
Long live The Lyle!
