'Local gem' St James Restaurant in Bushey reviewed

But after my visit to St James Restaurant in High Street, Bushey, on Wednesday, October 18, I can now see why it has been going strong for 26 years.

I went with my mum at around 1pm and we both had the tasting menu, which came to £45 plus 12.5% service charge each. We were not charged for the Watford Observer review.

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The head chef, Marco Angelilli, combined two tasting menus, as my mother and I require gluten free food. The restaurant can accommodate for other allergens if you tell them before you order.

Over the course of two hours, we were presented with six small courses of which you can purchase as larger main meals.

The first was a mushroom cappuccino with truffle foam that was a perfect amuse-bouche (‘mouth amuser’ in French) to start.

Left: We were given gluten free bread on arrival. Right: mushroom cappuccino with truffle foam (Image: Newsquest)

Served next was a citrus cured salmon, with a lemon cream, gin and tonic cucumber and avocado mousse. The flavours combined went well together and were not overpowering.

Citrus cured salmon (Image: Newsquest)Then we had the pan-fried scallops served with red Thai Curry sauce, samphire, and cashew nut salad.

I’ve had scallops before, but this was by far the best – cooked to perfection with the spring expected.   

I’m not the biggest fan of Thai food, but I enjoyed this sauce because it had subtle spicy flavours and worked well with the softer flavour of cashew nuts.

The head chef kindly made my mum a salmon sauce, which she described as creamy and delicious, to go with her pan-fried scallop as she isn’t keen on spicy food.  

Left: pan-fried scallops served with red Thai Curry sauce. Right: pan-fried scallops served with a salmon sauce (Image: Newsquest)

For the fourth meal we had a rump of lamb, slow cooked lamp dauphinoise potato, borlotti beans, honey glazed carrots, crushed chestnut served with tarragon jus.

To put it simply, it was a delight to the taste buds.

Rump of lamb and slow cooked lamp dauphinoise potato (Image: Newsquest)Then we had pan-fried salmon served with crushed roots, beetroot mash potatoes, green beans served with teriyaki sauce.

I can’t fault this dish, or any of the others in fact, but it was probably my favourite. The sauce with the salmon and beetroot flavours is something I am still thinking about.

Th pan-fried salmon (Image: Newsquest)For dessert I had the chocolate Cremieux served with hazelnut mousse and salted caramel ice cream and my mum chose the St James Toblerone cheesecake served with pitted cherries, berry’s coulis and Chantilly cream.

Left: chocolate Cremieux served with hazelnut mousse. Right: St James Toblerone cheesecake. (Image: Newsquest)We both have a sweet tooth and tried a bit of each other’s. We still can’t decide which one we prefer. They were both rich, in a good way, and the flavours rounded off the lunch perfectly.

We were told that the cheesecake has been made with the same recipe since the restaurant opened 26 years ago and it’s a favourite among regulars and I can see why.   

I moved to Bushey in 2007 with my mum, and to our embarrassment we have never been to St James Restaurant.

We’ve clearly missed out by not going over the years.

St James Restaurant has been in the High Street, Bushey, for 26 years. (Image: St James Restaurant)All the staff are friendly and while I was there some other diners came in and chatted away with the owner Alfonso Lacava, it was clear they were regular customers.

It isn’t only main meals that are available, the restaurant also sells, bottomless brunch, set menus for lunch and diner, as well as an afternoon tea option.

We may have made an error in judgment by never eating at St James Restaurant before, but that is about to change as just before we left, we booked a table for two next week.