Food-lover who’s eaten at 70 three-Michelin-star restaurants declares Cumbrian eaterie L’Enclume ‘the best in the UK’ – here’s his spellbinding footage of a £1,154-per-head meal there…

‘A defining experience in my life – it’s my favourite kitchen in the UK.’

So says Alexander Varga of Cumbria’s three-Michelin-star L’Enclume restaurant, founded by head chef Simon Rogan and located in the medieval village of Cartmel, on the edge of the Lake District.

What makes this lavish slice of praise so noteworthy, is that Alexander has a huge breadth of Michelin-star dining knowledge. Not only is he the co-owner of one-Michelin-starred restaurant ’42’ in Esztergom, Hungary, but Alexander has eaten at no less than 70 three-Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, including Heston Blumenthal‘s Fat Duck, as we reported.

His Michelin-starred touring is a ‘mission to find inspiration in gastronomy’ – and he creates spellbinding videos of his experiences.

The video he created for his L’Enclume visit has so far been viewed over 200,000 times – and no wonder. It was a unique experience, with Alexander offering thoughtful insights along the way.

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Restauranteur Alexander Varga is the co-owner of one-Michelin-starred restaurant ’42’ in Esztergom, Hungary. He visits restaurants around the world for ‘inspiration’. He’s pictured above in L’Enclume, which he said was ‘a defining experience’ in his life

L’Enclume’s savoury cheese pudding, caramelised in birch sap and topped with stout vinegar jelly and grated Berkswell cheese 

West-coast monkfish tail served on top of king oyster mushroom, topped with caramelised red-baron onions. Alexander described this dish as a ‘taste orgasm’

L’Enclume, above, was founded by head chef Simon Rogan and is located in the medieval Cumbrian village of Cartmel

Pork belly and smoked eel fritter with a puffed onion tapioca. Alexander explains that under it is a lovage emulsion and on top fermented sweetcorn puree and lovage cress. ‘A strong opener,’ says Alexander

He opted for the 15-course £250 tasting menu and the top-tier £290 ‘select’ wine pairing (served by a sommelier with an extraordinarily flamboyant mustache) – but ordered a few extras on the drinks front that pushed the total up to £1,154 ($1,456), including service.

But what he got for that money was, he told MailOnline Travel, a ‘revelation’.

He said: ‘The entire menu was a revelation, with each dish seamlessly complementing the next. Having dined in over half of the UK’s three-Michelin-starred restaurants, the structured progression of flavours at L’Enclume left me pleasantly surprised at every turn.

‘There were no flavour combinations that fell short of expectations.

‘Every plate was a masterpiece in its own right.’

Alexander opted for the 15-course £250 tasting menu and the top-tier £290 ‘select’ wine pairing – served by a sommelier with an extraordinarily flamboyant mustache (above)

Alexander ordered a few extras on the drinks front that pushed the total up to £1,154

 The main-course lamb is showcased prior to being served

The finished main course dish: Dry aged Herdwick lamb loin and yellow pea puree, with a sauce infused with fennel vinegar, plus fermented yellow beans and tapioca. The dish was served with a lamb fat crumpet and after eating it, Alexander says: ‘It doesn’t happen often, but I’m at a loss for words’

Salt-baked artichokes cooked in brown butter, with Welsh truffle. The broth is ‘infused with roast chicken, caramelised artichokes and truffle’

The dishes included savoury cheese pudding caramelised in birch sap; ‘ultra-delicate’ Orkney scallop with homemade XO sauce; pink fir apple potatoes ‘gently cooked in chicken fat and pickled walnut’; pork belly and smoked eel fritter with a puffed onion tapioca; salt-baked artichokes cooked in brown butter; monkfish tail served on top of king oyster mushroom; and lamb loin and yellow pea puree.

In the video, he is so impressed with the lamb main course, which came with a sauce infused with fennel vinegar, that he admits to being ‘at a loss for words’.

Was that his favourite dish?

He told MailOnline that actually, if he had to highlight one dish, it would be the king oyster mushroom, which he said was ‘outstanding’.

His group tried the dish with a 2006 Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Millenaires Champagne, which retails for around £150, with Alexander revealing that the Champagne ‘amplified the umami in the dish’ and that it was ‘a taste orgasm that is very rare to experience’.

Pink fir apple potatoes ‘gently cooked in chicken fat and pickled walnut’, with a sauce made from Parkhouse cheddar and oil from burnt onion ash. A ‘really creative dish’, says Alexander

Orkney scallop brushed with homemade XO sauce [made from dried shrimp and scallop], served with crown prince squash, rosemary oil and a sauce made from nasturtium flowers. Alexander describes this dish as ‘powerful’. The scallop is ‘ultra-delicate’ and the sauce ‘concentrated and delicious’

L’Enclume means ‘anvil’ in French, with the name reflecting the restaurant’s origins as a 13th-century blacksmiths shop. Above is an edible celebration of this history, a dessert called The Anvil. It’s made with caramelised pink lady apples and custard, with a caramel mousse and extra flavouring courtesy of a housemade miso – and covered in an apple and spruce sauce. ‘Another banger,’ adds Alexander 

Kendal mint cake ‘stones’, which formed part of the dessert portfolio

Was it worth the financial outlay? ‘This is my favourite kitchen in the UK, so there is no question,’ says Alexander

Any downsides?

Alexander admitted that he would have enjoyed ‘a more serious wine pairing’, but concluded: ‘While I hesitate to label any establishment as the absolute best, I can attest that L’Enclume offered one of the most memorable dining experiences I’ve encountered. Its exceptional menu, unique countryside location, and commitment to the farm-to-fork concept undoubtedly set it apart.’

So was it worth the financial outlay?

‘This is my favourite kitchen in the UK, so there is no question,’ said Alexander.

For more fascinating foodie videos from Alexander visit www.youtube.com/@alexandertheguest and follow him on Instagram at www.instagram.com/alexandertheguest and on TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@alexandertheguest. Follow his restaurant on Instagram at www.instagram.com/42restaurant.