Just off Edwinstowe’s charming high street, Launay’s is a restaurant dedicated to providing the whole package for diners. Here, exceptional food, an impressive setting and expert staff combine to create a truly extraordinary dining experience. Proprietors Alain (head chef) and Alison (who runs the front of house) are, like their restaurant, instantly likeable. Launay’s is a culmination of all the experience they have gained together over the years, and their shared love of good food and entertaining is clear. Fusing traditional English and French cuisine with modern dishes from Europe (and beyond), the menu focuses on core values of freshness, honesty and provenance and changes with the seasons to reflect a policy of sourcing ingredients only from quality, local suppliers. You might try a fantastic starter of 30-day-aged sirloin of beef with cashew nuts, wild mushrooms, red wine jelly and chestnut purée, then perhaps a main course of halibut steak with Dieppoise sauce, mini salmon fishcake, wilted spinach and glazed carrots. The desserts are similarly supreme, with the Retro Sweet Shop comprising a homemade collection of childhood favourites including cinder toffee, marshmallow, chocolate mice, candy floss and cola cubes – outstanding. Make sure you visit for one of the fabulous monthly gourmet evenings of seven sensational courses of seasonal, sometimes experimental fare (£34 per person). Committed to quality and great service, Launay’s offers a first-class affair in an unintimidating atmosphere – a winning combination.
