Birthday Dining at The Cedar Court Grand, York

Seeing as The Cedar Court Grand is based in my beautiful hometown of York, England, this post tells the story more of a culinary adventure than a travel adventure. With a weakness for 5* luxury and my birthday looming around the corner, I decided it was the perfect excuse to seek out a gastronomic experience at The Cedar Court Grand. Being the only 5* in York and having heard some excellent things from local friends, I was excited to find out what it had to offer…

The evening started with an obligatory Birthday cocktail in The Grand Bar. Plush furnishings, a roaring fire and a twinkling chandelier made for sumptuous surroundings to kick off my celebrations. After perusing over 40 super refined cocktails, I decided to go for a Strawberry Martini and my mum went for a Basil Grande. The Basil Grande was definitely our favourite (a mixture of fresh strawberry puree, crushed basil, vodka and pepper). Sounds a strange combination but worked perfectly!

After drinks we moved on to The Grill Room, which had all the features that you’d expect from a 5* dining establishment. Crisp white table cloths, sparkling cutlery and decadently high ceilings. Despite being a little quiet, the ambience was lovely and we were met by our sommelier to choose our wine. Before we even began with our starters, we were brought out a complimentary entrée of a Warm Cream of Pea soup with an All Butter Pastry Stick.

Ever since experiencing Big Easy on the Kings Road, I have a new found obsession for lobster! So for starters, I went for the Shellfish Bisque with Poached Lobster and Vegetable Spaghetti. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but the delicately poached lobster fell apart at the fork and cooked in a warming tomato broth.

I’m not really big on steaks and have never ever ordered one in a restaurant. So I don’t know exaclty what came over me when it came to my choice of mains. But miraculously I decided to order the Sirloin Steak – and I’m glad I did. After some encouragement from the waitress, I manned up and went for medium-rare with peppercorn sauce and it was a delight! The steak was exactly as steaks should be, lean tender and juicy. And I was a massive fan of the jenga-stacked chips too.

Of course, seeing as Birthdays are the one opportunity where you can order a dessert in a restaurant absolutely guilt-free, I decided to abuse the situation and go for the Poached Pear & Hazelnut with Pear Sorbet, Poire William Cream, Jaconde Sponge. Wow! The desert came scattered on a glass dish with all the different components scattered around the plate in an ultra chic but messy manner. Each mouthful was different.

Having sufficiently satisfied my more discerning tastebuds, I sat back to digest my meal when all of a sudden glowing candles came from the corner of my eye. A second – I repeat SECOND – Birthday dessert was brought out for me as a surprise! (I’m still not sure whether this was meticulous attention to detail or blogger perks, but I wasn’t complaining). The playful platter included 3 contemporary mini tasting deserts including a mini glass bottle and straw with strawberries and cream inside. How cute!

The deliciously indulgent meal and the 5* service made my Birthday an incredible treat. I felt truly spoilt and will make sure I don’t have to wait til my next Birthday to return!