Aven in Preston

Couldn't resist the opportunity to visit Aven and enjoy the collaboration with Dan Merriman as we had supported his efforts to win Masterchef. We visited yesterday and the whole experience was lovely from front of house staff and management to the wonderful food of the talented chefs, all of whom were friendly and humble. Sean's food was delightful and we will return again to sample Aven's "house chef" menus. The artistry of food preparation and delivery was superb and worth every penny. Equally, the wine flight was matched perfectly including a very unexpected but complimentary beer match! I wasn't expecting that!!

We take the train to Manchester, drive all around Lancashire to the ‘starred’ restaurants but Aven in Preston is equal to them all. Judge a restaurant by its bread - this is the best, by its food - think Black and White Swan but in Preston. If you’re within a decent commute you should try it. Tonight was a collaboration with Masterchef Professionals winner Dan Merriman and resident chef Sean Wrest. The food was amazing from start to finish. Highlights were the Crab, Monkfish and Lamb!!! but restaurants are only as good as their Front of House and the young team tonight were exceptional. Good food is ruined by bad service, bad food is mad palatable by good service but great food with great service is devine !

Fantastic experience, all the hosts made us feel so welcome and we were treated efficiently and professionally with a very personal service. The food was delicious, we had been here 2 weeks earlier, and the quality, taste, and consistency was perfect. It was very tasty, very creative and delicious. A really good evening for all of us.

The tasting menu with wine flight was a really nice experience. The menu flowed, focusing on seasonal and local produce, the wine pairings were well matched to the courses. All the courses were cooked to a high level, and service was comfortable. All in all a very nice meal.

Excellent lunch. Went on Saturday 29th , every course was excellent , but worthy of a call out was the Cod dish, which compared favourably with dishes from 2 star Michelin restaurants. Service was efficient and friendly in a northern relaxed manner. Will definitely be back.

Exceptional and imaginative, can't wait for the next event

I appreciate that the building is not owned by the restauranteurs, but access to the toilet is not easy for disabled customers.

What a gem. Excellent service, very knowledgeable about the beautiful food and paired perfectly with the wines. Fine dining at its best.

An absolute delight. The food was incredible and service was exceptional. Can’t recommend highly enough. The manager Sam and her staff made us feel comfortable and welcome. A lovely experience

Food and service here is outstanding.

It is expensive but is well worth it for a special occasion. The staff were very knowledgable about the food and wine. The menus in the envelope on arrival is a nice touch and I think you should do this for the flights of wines.

We had a wonderful meal at Aven. The food and service were faultless. My partner booked it as a surprise birthday celebration, and it was a perfect experience.

Amazing food, excellent service. Will come back again. Me and my partner both don't eat red meat and this was catered for.

We went for my wife's birthday and had an absolutely fabulous food and drink experience with great, friendly service. We highly recommend Aven and will definitely be returning.

Aven is a hidden gem in Preston. Not cheap but WOW the food is beautiful, the flavours outstanding and the attention to detail is unmatched. Oli and George both came out of the kitchen to engage with the diners and it was a memorable experience.

Fantastic special evening with Olly, George and the team. All courses were exquisite, beautifully presented and most importantly full of flavour. The matching wine flight was also very good. Service was impeccable as always. Whilst this was a special event, having been to Aven quite a few times, the food is always top quality and the staff are very knowledgeable and friendly. Can absolutely recommend this restaurant highly. If you haven't been, give it a go, you won't be disappointed.

We had a fabulous meal at Aven, everything about it was first class. We were welcomed and seated and from then on the service and food were both excellent. We had a tasting menu and wine flight both of which were delicious, well presented and varied. The atmosphere was lovely, busy but quiet so we could talk. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening, we will recommend Aven to friends and family and will definitely return in the future.

Perfect way to celebrate my wife’s birthday. Michelin quality in every way apart from the price. Such lovely staff.

I often say I was born in Manchester but made in Hospitality and so I am not easy to impress!!! Simply wow! I have no words for how something so beautifully simple can be so wonderfully exquisite and inclusive! From the welcome to the food to the overall experience - there is not one thing I would change and I would highly recommend! This did not just live up to my expectations it blew them apart quite literally! Thank you team you have just created another new fan x

Fantastic food and service. Would highly recommend.

2nd time visiting - even better than the first. Food is exceptional Staff are superb and make the evening

Tried the tasting menu and was blown away. Intimate dining with great service.

We had a fantastic first experience at Aven, visiting for my sister-in-law’s birthday treat, and it did not disappoint. From start to finish, we were welcomed with impeccable service and treated to the most delightful, fresh, and flavorful dishes. The portion sizes were just right for us, but we also decided to try the butter pie based on glowing reviews—and it was absolutely the right choice! Every detail of our meal was thoughtfully executed, making for a truly wonderful dining experience. Thank you, Aven, for a memorable afternoon!

We dined here on early dinner service. As ever, the service and ambience were exceptional, and the food was inventive and, as ever, Michelin star calibre. It was a privilege to dine at this gem of a restaurant

Lovely atmosphere in the restaurant- tables not on top of each other which always makes for a better dining experience. Food has sophisticated flavours, subtle blends and top notch ingredients. Service friendly, but unobtrusive - Will definitely re-visit.

Really fabulous food and service as expected. One disappointing and very expensive cocktail but everything else was perfect. We love this place, shame it can only be a rare treat.

Amazing experience, it could not have been better - fantastic quality food, lovely friendly staff and great atmosphere. I would absolutely recommend Aven and can't wait to go back and sample the spring menu!

We had a very pleasant evening ,the staff were very knowledgable and friendly. It was a dining experience for a special occasion

The staff including the chef proprietor were delightful. The bread was lovely and flavoursome. The fish was as perfectly cooked as I can ever remember having. The venison likewise was spot on. The only downside is that due to the small room with 8 tables, the background noise was intrusive, making conversation difficult at times. Would definitely go again.

A fabulous gem in the heart of Preston. A faultless meal with some truly outstanding dishes - we loved the crumpet course, the butter pie and of course the bread! These dishes demonstrate an exceptional skill and quality of ingredients. Just wow!

Absolutely exceptional. Amazing service, atmosphere and most of all food. One of our favourite meals out of all time!

Food was amazing one of the best meals we've had and excellent service. Good value for money for the quality of food.

Went on Valentines Day expecting the room and/or table to be decorated. Unfortunately you would not have know it was a special dau.

The food is amazing, the attention to detail from chef to server is incredible can't recommend enough.

Thank you for inviting us to provide feedback on the service we received at your restaurant on 12 February. We are more familiar with high quality restaurants in France than in the UK so our comments are influenced by the service we have received there. As to be expected, the quality of the food in the taster menu was very good as was the wine pairing. We enjoyed food which we could not easily replicate at home so it was a treat to experience a variety of flavours. However, we were unimpressed with the substitution of a beer for one tasting. The sommelier had a very good customer attitude and gave interesting information about the wines. The waiters were also helpful and gave comprehensive information about the courses, though it was difficult to assimilate the information. This may have been partly because of the tight siting of the table into the corner which was immediately below the loud speaker so it was difficult to hear what we were being told. Also, it was because, having learned the script by heart, they recited it in a mechanical way rather than using a more human to human approach. In our opinion, table service could be improved. We may be dated in our view, but we believe that it is customary to serve the female first when serving a couple and to avoid reaching across one diner to serve the other. Waiters need to be more aware when glasses need topping up with water. I had to gain the attention of someone three times. We have noted that in quality restaurants, although each of the waiters may be assigned to specific tables, all staff are checking as they pass other tables to assess diners’ needs. It may be better to leave a pitcher of water on each table so that it is accessible when not being served. One aspect of your service philosophy that we appreciated was that we were not continuously interrupted with the question of whether everything was "all right". This unfortunate experience occurred at a Michelin star restaurant in a village near to Preston and Blackburn. We hope our comments are not received as criticisms but simply our responses to your request. We enjoyed the evening and the food was first class. I have to admit, though, that if I had ordered the set menu which has the same meat dish as the taster menu, I would have hoped for an extra slice of venison and possible another carrot!

This was my first time booking in for a tasting menu and it was such an amazing experience. The food was absolutely unreal and the team at Aven are super passionate, knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend!

Just had a 6 course taster which felt like 8 , what with the extra tasty morsels.. I did the flight of wines, hubby the Ales. Great food and service.

Well worth a visit for anyone. Great service, knowledgeable staff, comfortable atmosphere, professional without being stuffy and above all out of this world food. Alex, Oli, Sean and the team have built a wonderful little place that doesn't deserve to be a hidden gem. I congratulate you on your success but regret the day coming soon I will no longer be able to get a table.

Absolutely fabulous evening, couldn’t fault anything!

A very nice restaurant located in the centre of the culinary desert that is Preston. The menu is fixed although they did call us 48 hours before to confirm any allergies. The exterior of the building is very dark, with only minimum signage and not particularly easy to find, nor welcoming. A spot light or two could easily fix this. Internally, the place is well-decorated but, in my opinion, overly lit which spoils the feel of the place a little. Food-wise, excellent quality but despite adding an optional course (delicious though it was) there just isn't enough to eat. I don't say that expecting a super-sized meal, but compared even to top-drawer restaurants like Galvins etc. in London, the portion size was too small - particularly on the last plate which consisted of 30g of venison, half a baby carrot etc. We chose not to have the dessert out of preference and were allowed to substitute it for the optional cheese plate. The cheese portion was bigger than the venison. Great service, super-friendly. Nice choice of wines, but some flecks to improve before we'd return.

We had a fabulous birthday celebration at Aven. Truly great and tasty food and great service and atmosphere.

Lovely evening. Great food and service

Excellent once again. A special day with the Oli and Chiara collaboration. Will be back in March and May for the George and Gaston collaborations! Can't wait!

From the moment we walked in, we knew we were in for something special. The atmosphere was absolutely spot on—warm, inviting, and with just the right level of background music to create a buzz without drowning out conversation. The vibe in the room was effortlessly cool, making it the perfect setting for a relaxed yet refined evening. The food? Simply divine. Every dish was beautifully presented and bursting with flavor, clearly crafted with skill and attention to detail. From the first bite to the last, it was a feast for both the eyes and the palate. The service was equally impressive—attentive without being intrusive, friendly without being overfamiliar. It’s rare to find a team so effortlessly in tune with their guests, making sure everything flowed smoothly while still allowing you to enjoy the moment. An all-round fantastic experience—great food, impeccable service, and an atmosphere that hits just right. Already looking forward to coming back!

Superb attention to detail, amazing food and service. A real treat.

We really enjoyed the special meal prepared by Oli and Chiara, and their brief spiel about each dish. All superbly cooked and beautifully presented. Service was friendly and unobtrusive as always. Confirms our view that Aven is the best restaurant in the north

Another great Masterchef collaboration. Found a couple of the courses a bit repetitive this time - lots of seafood and creamy sauces. Sadly the mussel dish was a bit gritty.

Excellent food Excellent service

We had a lovely lunch with Ollie and Chiara and team - the food was superb and it was great that they introduced their dishes and spent time chatting with their diners. We had a parking issue and Sam went out of her way to help us.

We went to Aven for the collaboration between Ollie and Chiara, and had a wonderful dinner. The food was exceptional, and Ollie and Chiara came out to explain courses, which added to the experience. The staff are very good, attentive without being intrusive. It was my husband’s birthday, and it was a lovely way to spend it, a fantastic evening. Thank you.

We had a great evening with a menu devised by Oli & Chiara, Masterchef finalist. The food was delicious and we enjoyed the informal atmosphere at the restaurant. The staff were friendly, efficient and well informed. Highly recommended

We were well looked after with excellent food. The atmosphere is friendly, but from the point of view of someone with bad hearing the acoustics are dreadful and it very diificult to hold a conversation

Always a pleasure to eat at Aven The service is exceptional and the food is amazing Can't wait to return

All 4 of us absolutely loved our evening at Aven. The food and the service was all excellent. Will definitely be back.

Wonderful food and service of the highest quality . Have already booked again . Very highly recommended .

Awesome place, all round! Service was great, food superb and price very reasonable.

***** Great tasty food. ***** Amazing service and knowledgeable staff. ***** Nice atmosphere. Highly recommended and would visit again.

Another great dining experience here at Aven, although we nearly missed out as we were on a wait list! So good to see that the penny has dropped and people are finally realising how good this place is. Both veggie and my own tasting menus were knockout- we did push the boat out as it was a birthday celebration, so it wasn't cheap, but in my opinion when you consider how much work goes into it, you get what you pay for. We were looked after by Sanuli, who we have watched from her early days learning and finding her feet, and so good to see that she is now flourishing as a very pleasant, confident front of house. She expertly explained each course to us and guided us through the wine pairings. Thanks again to Alex as always for your hard work, and special compliments to Oli and Sean and the guys in the kitchen, they are really on to something special. Hopefully we will be back soon!

Outstanding food and great service at a very reasonable price. We were very well looked after and really enjoyed the delicious tasting menu. Unsurprisingly it was a little quiet, being a midweek in January, but that didn't detract from our meal. Highly recommended.

Absolutely beautiful hidden gem in Preston.

Food was very good, special mention for providing a fish dish in place of the meat course for my partner who is a pescatarian. Most restaurants seem to just give her a veggie option. Service was good. The wine list could be a bit more varied, and maybe a few more wines below £50.

Unforgettable evening at Aven. Every course was delicious - the crumpets, cod, and the butter pie special were all highlights. We also highly recommend opting for the wine pairings. The service was excellent and we can't wait to return!

We had a fantastic taster meal and were glad that we had accepted the recommended extra course of 'butter pie' - it was exquisite. It is a beautiful setting and the staff were really helpful and knowledgeable throughout. Will definitely be returning again.

We celebrated my birthday with my husband and this is the best place in Preston! The atmosphere is simply wonderful. You feel like a welcome guest. The people who work there put their soul into it. They are very friendly, sincere and professional. Food is a separate art. Tastes replace each other in some extraordinary harmony. Thank you very much for a special evening!

The team is passionate about the quality of experience they provide and needs to be experienced with their intention in mind.

An absolutely fabulous experience from start to finish.

Always amazing. The cod was my favorite this time and I love that the chef presented a few dishes too! Sam, always a pleasure. And Alex the washing up was brilliant. X

A fantastic experience for my son's birthday. Thanks for everything dude.

Amazing food experience. We’ll be back 😊

Proceeded lunch with a stroll in the adjacent Avenham Park which was lovely, then nothing not to like about the restaurant. Good menu, beautifully prepared and served with excellent accompanying beer and wines. Would highly recommend

Lovely meal, good atmosphere and knowledgeable staff. Will defo book again and recommend to friends

Absolutely fabulous place. My wife and I ordered the set lunch - 4 courses plus some unbelievably good bread - to which we added the lancashire cream pie, because it would have been rude not to, and washed it down with an excellent Picpoul de Pinet. The service was friendly and un-pretentious, with just enough explanation of the dishes we ate. Each plate is, as you might expect from a restaurant of this quality, beautifully presented on lovely Japanese ceramics and meticulously cooked. The only disappointmet will be that you aren't given more of everything. We could easily have gorged on the first course, 'Baron Bigod, Onion Walnut' a marvellous creation that looked like a savoury Ferrero Rocher and tasted like a little ball of heaven, but that would have meant we wouldn't have had space for sublime 'Cod, Oyster, Dill' or 'Venison, Black Garlic, Carrot', and definitely would have made it as far as the sumptious 'Lemon Thyme, Apple, Honey' dessert, which would have been a catastrophe since it was one of the best puddings we have ever had. The restaurant is hosting each of the 2024 Masterchef finalists over the coming months and we certainly plan to come back. Definitely one of the best restaurants we've ever eaten in!

Quiet simply, the best meal I have ever enjoyed in the north of England. Michelin-starred food, and beautiful experience with humble, heartfelt and real Lancashire personality.

Fine dining in a select venue without being pretentious. After having lunch with friends we rebooked for an evening meal for our ruby wedding anniversary some weeks later. Loved the wine pairing which perfectly complemented each course. Staff friendly and knowledgeable and contributed to a perfect evening. Can't wait to return!!!

Outstanding food and service. We have been to many Michelin star restaurants and the food at this place is right up there. We are sure a Michelin star is coming soon. One small comment is the cleaning staff for the hotel rooms walking through the restaurant with vacuum cleaners, bags of waste etc. Could be slightly off putting for some. Other than this it was a first class dining experience and we look forward to revisiting.

Once again another amazing visit to Aven. In the past I have talked about the staff front of house and they are fabulous, we love every second of our visits. This time I just want to thank all the people working in the kitchen and inventing these amazing dishes. Wow, the things you do are absolutely fabulous I am a bit of a fussy eater, but I never leave anything, when I visit Aven. You create some absolutely amazing dishes and I can't wait for our next visit Thanks to everyone for once again making a truly memorable experience

A fabulous evening, beyond expectations. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and cannot wait to return.

Our first visit to Aven will not be our last. Not only were we surprised to find this sweet little area of Preston (we only ever pass through) but the restaurant was a delightful small venue run by a very professional friendly team, who couldn't have made us more welcome. Admittedly for a first visit this was a bit OTT as it was the first joint chef event with Dan Merriman, winner of Masterchef Professionals '24, along with Oli Martin, who is an owner of Aven (and a fantastic chef). The meal was utterly superb from start to finish and possibly not typical due to the event. Nevertheless I could tell this restaurant would be a fantastic place to return to for more "normal" service. Can't wait to return!

What an experience! Sunday lunch collaboration with Oli and Dan Merriman - unreal. Every mouthful was a sublime hit for the tastebuds. This was one hell of a dining experience and I can’t wait to get back to Aven soon.

We visited Aven for the Masterchef collaboration evening and everything was faultless. The food was amazing but in addition to that the restaurant is a lovely setting and the service was extremely good. We will be back to try their standard tasting menu after this weekends experience.

A very well balanced tasting menu, at a very reasonable price. Excellent, friendly service. Will be back. Highly recommended.

Aven is modern and stylish. The food is exceptional quality, we are never disappointed. We particularly like the lunch time menu (always have the Lancashire Cheese pie as an extra as it is Delicious!) Every course is a favourite until the next course is eaten, fabulous flavours and beautifully served. Keep it up team Aven!

We try and visit this hidden gem every season to sample Sean and his team’s superb seasonal menu. So I thought it was time I wrote a review. We came for lunch on New Year’s Eve, which has become a tradition. The menu was as exceptional as ever. The cod with oyster was our favourite dish closely followed by the deer. Sam’s prestige wine pairing was fantastic, offering wines we have never had before, the Serbian Rizling being particularly memorable. I am delighted the team received such a glowing and well deserved review in The Times and we are already looking forward to our Spring visit.

We visited Aven for New Years Eve lunch and had a fabulous meal. Stand out courses were the cod with oyster and dill and the venison for main but everything was delicious. The wines were excellent. The service was outstanding. This really is a gem and we would highly recommend a visit.

The food was superb as was the prestige wine pairing. We have been a few times and it just gets better and better. Will definitely be back again.

Relaxed atmosphere perfect for a special occasion or treat. A hidden gem in Preston. A warm welcome always awaits and the food is out of this world.The Spent Grain bread is the best I’ve tasted. 29th December 2024.Another superb visit to Aven. This place gets better and better. It must be our fourth visit now. For a special occasion or treat you couldn’t do better than a visit here.

Fantastic food, really friendly staff and all delivered in a lovely setting. Very good value, highly recommended.

Once again, an excellent meal. Curated, cooked, served and presented faultlessly by Sean and the team. Excellent value for money.

Food was excellent, perfectly balanced, the atmosphere was nice, quite informal, relaxed and the front of house staff were attentive and happy to answer any queries. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending. I came with my brother and we both agreed we would bring our family in the future. Best wishes and fingers crossed for Michelin stars in the future.

Stunning food and loved the experience

I know this type of cooking is not about quantity but we were still a bit hungry. Should have had the taster menu

Absolutely everything about our evening at Aven was exceptional. Fine dining at its very best - and in Preston!

Brilliant tasting menu, great variety of ingredients and flavours across the menu which made it exciting and a good link to local producers! The butter pie was incredible! Very comfortable and relaxed environment. 1 standard and 1 vegetarian tasting menu, with a wine flight and extra course, plus service charge £240.

Lovely restaurant, nice original features and decor paired with interesting modern wall artwork. It is small with no bar for pre-meal drinks and the table we were seated on felt too close to other tables on both sides. A nice cocktail to start us off. We had the lunch tasting menu , all the food was all very tasty, well cooked and well presented but they were very small portions compared to other tasting menus we have had recently. We actually thought the first “course” was an amuse bouche!! I’m glad we opted to take the additional potato course…. The wine was reasonably priced but at a bill of over £200 for two lunchtime tasting menus, 2 cocktails and a bottle of wine I don’t feel it represented good value.

The food was beautiful. So tasty and flavoursome. Words can't explain as to how good the food was. Not being a "foodie", this was my first experience of such delights. Food I never thought that I would like was presented to me by the staff with great knowledge and they were more than where happy to explain everything to me. The vodka lime I asked for was excellent, their own take on the drink without cordial. Made my Christmas. I will be back as it was relaxing and gave me food happiness for days.

Our pre-Christmas lunch at Aven was alcohol-free so it was all about the food, the service and the room. In reverse order the room is the ground floor of terraced house just off Winkley Square. The upper floors are let as bedrooms or perhaps suites with predictable decor (real and faux panelling painted Farrow & Ball blue, tasteful prints on the wall, mid-century style dining chairs with arms) and a calm, accessible-posh ambience. Two hour free parking outside was a bonus as we went by car. We had booked by app on the day but seem to have snagged the best table in the room, a four seater in the bay window. The room would seat about 24 people with three three front of house staff plus a (female) maître d' . All young and well briefed on the food and wine. The set menu is five courses (one of which is excellent spent grain bread) for £49. I had also had the £14 butter pie optional course. The first course was a little smoked trout delicacy on filo pastry. Not much more than an amuse bouche but excellent. Then the bread which is made with spent grains from the Farm Yard Brew Co at Forton whose beer they serve. I had a couple of glasses of their Easy Sunshine - Alcohol Free Pale 0.5% which were sufficiently drinkable that we called in there on the way home and bought a case of the stuff. Then the butter pie for me. Not at all like the Wigan Butter Pie designed to feed people on the day before pay day when the meat had run out. This one was on filo pastry with confit potato, a hint of cheese in the sauce and some mushroomy shavings on top. I’d have it again in a flash. Next up was the cod which normally comes with an oyster broth but in my oyster-allergic guest had a brown shrimp one instead. Succulent cod enhanced rather than overwhelmed by the sauce. The venison was small but perfect and came with venison sausage that could have passed as black pudding (delicious), salsify, parsnip purée and a dab of fruity ketchup. Michael Winner might well have pronounced it historic. What the dessert course lacked in colour it made up in taste. The snow ball was essentially ice cream surrounded by marshmallow that must have required real skill to produce and not easy to describe either. We’ll definitely be going back.

Wonderful experience , thankyou

Amazing. A fantastic tasting menu, with friendly service and a good drinks menu to accompany. All the flavours were excellent - beautifully cooked and presented. Will definitely be looking to go back.

Just amazing - what a boon for Preston. The food is divine,the service flawless and the dining room is tiny but beautiful ❤️

We celebrated my birthday here with family. Opted for the tasting menu and wine flight. It was an absolute delight from start to finish. Every course was packed with flavour and beautifully presented. The staff were enthusiastic and welcoming. If you love food and are looking for a relaxed and memorable experience then this is a ‘must go’ destination. Absolutely faultless. Well done to the whole team!!