Stark
Broadstairs, Kent
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* Stark is relocating to new premises on Mersea Island, Essex, from June 2024. Last service at Broadstairs, 31 May 2024. Watch for news of the new venture.*
The diminutive proportions of the kitchen and 12-seat dining space, together with the injunction that any requests for substitutions or adaptations can’t be granted, is wholly understandable. Ben Crittenden’s six-course tasting menu (with optional, but astute wine pairings) puts you wholly in his hands and acquiescing is certainly no hardship. With just Crittenden and his sous-chef manning the stoves, they pull off an impressive feat. Throughout our springtime visit, there were moments of brilliance: the duck liver parfait stopped us in our tracks, and a lamb broth possessed such depth of flavour and delicacy that we were lost for words. These dishes were truly sensational. Likewise, torched mackerel was a textural tour de force, with crunchy roast peanuts, pickled cucumber ribbons and a miso-laced jus becoming far more than the sum of their parts. Skrei cod was an impeccable creation, too – layers of sweet flesh in yet another stellar broth, topped with sautéed sea vegetables and crisped fish skin. Elsewhere, wagyu beef was resplendent: set atop a delicate green peppercorn-studded butter sauce with shavings of truffle and daikon plus a sweetly savoury mushroom purée, it was a triumph. The steampunk-style interior acts as a characterful canvas for these culinary fireworks, though we would have appreciated at least one vegetarian dish, and the two desserts (formerly a highlight) were less than spectacular. If you don’t opt for the wine pairings, options are pretty limited, but what’s listed is carefully chosen. We advise booking well ahead.
