It’s twenty years since the then Mayor of Bakewell married us at Fischer’s Baslow Hall. Since then we have added this date to our other anniversary and ensure that both dates are properly celebrated.
Resisting the temptation to start with Bucks Fizz this year, we stick to a normal breakfast and then take one of our usual walks. On Wednesdays that’s to San Juan, we buy some flowers from the farmer’s market, then get a coffee from the Melia Hotel’s beach cafe.
For lunch we break from routine and enjoy croque monsieur and Mercier.
Michelin now has eight rosette / star ratings in Tenerife. All but one are on the Southern coast, and it’s time to check out another. Nub is sited within the Gran Hotel Bahia del Duque in Adeje, which is quite a way from where the Michelin Guide app says it is located: however we can categorically confirm Michelin is very wrong geographically, even though culinarily it’s spot on!
The tasting menu is available for both carnivores and herbivores, with a paired wine option. It starts with a selection of five canapés served on the restaurant’s terrace with plenty of time to make the decision about choosing form the wine list or going with the pairing. The Gran Hotel Bahia del Duque is right next door to our preferred hotel in Tenerife, El Mirador, hence we’ve not visited before, but the gardens with views over the pool, and over to Roque del Conde, the flat-top mountain visible nearly everywhere, are lovely.
Our canapés are each of such quality and taste explosion we’re left with the difficult decision which might be the best – maybe the tomato on meringue, or perhaps the salad? We love the cute little towel holder.
Moving into the modern stylish restaurant, the tables are well spaced out and the service level attention to detail is suddenly appreciated – here are nearly as many staff as customers and not once are we hurried, required to wait, fold our napkin or sit down unaided.
We slowly work our way through the seven savoury courses, each with wine pairing. A honeycomb tuile covers the kéfir and tomato concentrate. Then foamed carbonara with brioche followed by squid with raspberry spaghetti. Next comes the surprising combination of empanada and corn crème brûlée, we’ve never before tasted a savoury brûlée but what an excellent taste.
Following on is a twenty five vegetable minestrone, such amazing tastes it’s hard to believe there is so much to offer with so many textures. Cod with sourdough and cilantro foam is a taste explosion, and finally the “Poor Wagyu” with potato, onion and egg reaches an exceptional peak. Sadly the paired wines don’t always harmonise, and after five great matches the last two are somewhat lacking, unable to rise to the occasion.
A melon fizz amuse arrives to cleanse our palate and then we’re asked to step away from our table, and taken to a kitchen setting where we are treated to the next two wonderful deserts. Mango sour is really a gorgeous mango, honeycomb and foamed Pisco Sour. Next the wine turrón with ice cream is delightful.
On returning to our table past the wine cellar, we’re presented with no less than thirteen petit fours, each one yet another taste sensation. We note some customers are taking theirs away in a doggy-box, but we manfully work our way through the lot.
Over four hours this restaurant has proved itself a worthy holder of a Michelin Rosette and we won’t hesitate to return when the occasion requires.
