Shaun Dickens at the Boathouse | Henley-on-Thames (UK)

This kitchen delivers dishes with a contemporary edge and lots of technical know-how.
Plenty of finesse and innovation shown here at very fair prices!

Set on the banks of the river Thames in Henley-on-Thames (UK), near the bridge crossing the river and just around the corner from the train station and the Rowing & River Museum we find Shaun Dickens at the Boathouse. The stylishly converted boathouse has a modern setting with a great decked area at the back facing the river. where you can watch all the action on the water. Shaun Dickens at the Boathouse opened in April 2013 and is Shaun’s first solo venture.

Head Chef Shaun Dickens trained at several Michelin starred restaurants. The first 3 years at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons ** in Great Milton, followed by two years at Thomas Keller’s Per Se *** in New York. Returning to the UK in 2009, Shaun joined L’Ortolan * in Shinfield under Alan Murchison. After that Shaun united kitchen and garden when he became Head Chef and Farm Manager at Fallowfields Country House in Kingston Bagpuize, Oxfordshire.

Shaun Dickens at the Boathouse is open for lunch and dinner on Wednesday to Sunday. They even offer breakfast during the weekend. Besides the à la carte menu, they offer a set Lunch Menu and Mid-Week Menu (both at £28 for 2 courses or £34 for 3 courses) and a Tasting Menu (6 courses at £63 or 8 courses at £75).

We went for dinner on a Saturday three weeks ago and had the 8-course Tasting Menu.

Seeded bread with lightly salted butter. The texture of the bread was good and certainly tasted like it was made from scratch in the kitchen.

Pea and lovage velouté with crème fraîche and chorizo. The pea and lovage make a nice herby combination, with the chorizo to add the spicy touch.

Lovely oysters with red wine shallot, green chilli and a herb granita. Unfortunately the granita had melted, so the oyster was not as cold as I expected. Could have done with some more chilli as I didn’t get any heat.

Joanne got a chicken terrine instead of the oysters. Chicken terrine was quite mildly seasoned. Nice combination though with the olives and gremolata (a chopped herb condiment classically made of lemon zest, garlic and parsley). Unfortunately the sun-dried tomatoes were too strong for the terrine and overpowered.

Well balanced dish with charred broccoli with pickled stem, touch of preserved lemon and toasted almonds for the crunch. It all sat it a lovely roast garlic velouté. Simple, yet very sophisticated. Great dish!

Spicy chorizo with sweetcorn pudding is very good, together with charred onion. Creamy burrata on top with some young parsley. Very enjoyable dish with great textures and flavours. Only feel sorry for the burrata as it doesn’t play the main part. I would have called the dish Chorizo and Sweetcorn.

Good cuisson of the skate and seasoned well. Great arrangement with the soft coco beans, crunchy confit courgette, salty samphire, lemon peel, and herby sauce vierge. Very well balanced and lovely taste.

Pork tenderloin nicely cooked. Spicy red cabbage with a bit of Asian spice, enhanced by pickled ginger and soy. Pak choi goes well with it. The radish is the odd one on the plate. I would leave it out. All together a tasty combination of flavours. Asian pork dish with a good sweet and sour balance.

Rich fruit loaf, stuffed with currents, with molten Witheridge cheese over it, with a drizzle of Henley honey, apple jam and celery. Very nice, but quite heavy as a cheese dish after 5 courses, which were all very generous portions. Hope we have room left for dessert!

Sweet compressed pineapple, coconut sorbet with a hint of lime and pink peppercorn. Warm coconut sponge cake on the side. Nice level of sweetness and light tang from the pineapple. Comforting dish with a sunny tropical feel to it! Couldn’t finish it though, it was just too much.

Surprising light chocolate curd with a crunchy graham cracker on top. Roast banana chunks, dollops of rich toffee and banana ice cream. Nutty chocolate crumbs around it. Everything balanced out very nicely. Excellent dessert.

The restaurant has a very pleasant and romantic atmosphere. Perfect for a special occasion, after a nice stroll along the Thames! We had our aperitif on the decked area outside, with adds a nice touch as well.
Waiting staff is a bit mixed, Some show experience, others are clear rookies. Which is not a problem, because we all need to learn. But what is annoying though is when you see staff walking passed tables empty-handed multiple times, without picking up the empty plates.

The Boathouse kitchen delivers dishes with a contemporary edge and lots of technical know-how, witness the Charred Broccoli (with the delicious roast garlic velouté), the Salad of Burrata (with great texture and flavour combinations) and that light chocolate curd!
Some dishes had minor issues, which can be corrected easily. I would tune down on some of the portion sizes though. You always need to have room to enjoy the dessert as much as the starter! But plenty of finesse and innovation shown here at very fair prices. £75 for this 8 course dinner is more than reasonable given the quality on offer.