Winter warmers: cosy, dark restaurants for cold, dark nights Published 22 November 2024
Ynyshir’s iconic black paint job in 2021 has inspired a proliferation of darkly-painted, moodily-lit restaurants that come into their own on cold and dark winter nights. Here are our favourite restaurants in which to relish the glow of hospitality by candlelight.
Experimental seafood cookery in modernist surroundings
First find your restaurant. With very little signage and a hidden square to negotiate, diners are unlikely to eat here on a whim; a visit is booked in advance and eagerly anticipated. Billed as an ‘experimental’ ventur… Read more
First find your restaurant. With very little signage and a hidden square to negotiate, diners are unlikely to eat here on a whim; a visit is booked in advance and eagerly anticipated. Billed as an ‘experimental’ venture from Alex Claridge and the team behind the Wilderness, the neutral toned space follows current fashion: no distinction between the fully open kitchen and the dining room; hard surfaces (wall, floor, kitchen counter) and 14 unyielding counter stools providing close-up views of the action – namely the preparation of what is primarily a multi-course, Japanese-inflected seafood tasting menu.
Service is warm and welcoming, but it pays to give careful attention to the announcement of each dish – no menu is offered until you leave. And it’s all effortlessly modern. A tartlet of mackerel is infused with a hint of heat from jalapeño, while slivers of wild, line-caught sea bass are enlivened with a whisper of smoke and seaweed, and the sweetly acidic flavours of yuzu vinegar – just the sort of bite-size morsels one wishes came in a serving of 10. Dishes are inventive but restrained, classical yet able to embrace broader influences: take a simple layering of brown-crab custard with finger lime, apple, white crabmeat and a few leaves of oxalis or a translucent roundel of lightly cured Cornish cod, wrapped in autumn truffle and served in a hot-smoked bone broth with yeast butter and egg yolk.
Each flavour blends tantalisingly with the one preceding it, so a plump, sweet scarlet prawn in a delicate, chilli oil-infused broth (made from the head) might be followed seamlessly by hamachi poached in brown butter with a dashi, sesame and ginger-based broth. Wines are chosen with the food firmly in mind, but given the lack of menu information, wine matching (or tutored advice from the sommelier) seems a sensible way to proceed.
A visit to Alex Bond's city-centre restaurant is a voyage of exploration in every sense. Alchemilla occupies the cellar of a Victorian coach-house; surrounded by worn brick walls, the interior is a fascinating blend of industrial … Read more
A visit to Alex Bond's city-centre restaurant is a voyage of exploration in every sense. Alchemilla occupies the cellar of a Victorian coach-house; surrounded by worn brick walls, the interior is a fascinating blend of industrial and ancient, with red-brick arches lit through concreted skylights and narrow-paned, misted windows. Smartly uniformed staff curate the experience with appreciable cheer, and most tables afford a view of the huge, busy kitchen. Initial nibbles are sensational, from a potato tortilla topped with Cheddar cream, shaved white truffle and sherry vinegar gel to a perfectly formed spherical doughnut filled with 'nduja XO jam, adorned with a sliver of cured scallop and dill mayo. The all-but-inescapable proliferation of east Asian ingredients and seasonings is mostly handled with dazzling panache, as is evident from an exhilarating course of lobster tail with kimchi purée, pickled squash and confit lemon, overliad with a garnish of fennel cress, basil and shiso. Not every dish registers as a ringing triumph, however: the meat course on the seven-course tasting menu, a small piece of pink venison with artichoke purée, glazed quince and a cheesy tartare, with a bitter chocolate smear, highlighted what can happen when individually fine elements are not sufficiently balanced against each other. Dessert compositions offer the most intriguing kind of challenge. A teacake with blackcurrant meringue and beetroot jam is a Proustian evocation of the Scottish Tunnock, while a savoury kombu ice cream covered in puffed rice with Japanese vinegar, anointed in vanilla oil, stops provocatively short of being sweet at all. The sourdough bread, with its wafer-thin crust and wholegrain crumb, may well be the best for miles around. An enterprising wine list, with terse flavour-wheel tasting descriptors, could do with a more extensive (and imaginative) by-the-glass selection, but there is an appreciable attempt to find interesting new flavours in its various territories.
Established in the mid-1980s, at a time when London was just beginning to tire of the artful conceptualism of nouvelle cuisine, Andrew Edmunds brought informal bistro dining back to one of the lesser-known back-streets of north So… Read more
Established in the mid-1980s, at a time when London was just beginning to tire of the artful conceptualism of nouvelle cuisine, Andrew Edmunds brought informal bistro dining back to one of the lesser-known back-streets of north Soho. Despite the eponymous owner's sad death in 2022, nothing much has changed: the Georgian townhouse still feels homey, with candles stuck into old Burgundy bottles on the clothed tables. The handwritten menus have moved on a little and now feature the likes of burrata with agretti in romesco, although the pulsing heart of it all is the kind of straightforward food you could cook at home, but which takes on a patina of glam when eaten out. The spring season ushers in buttered asparagus to start, while the mains deal out pork chops in mustard and skate with capers, or perhaps something a little more elevated in the shape of roast pigeon on a braise of peas and broad beans. Get your geographical bearings for desserts of Paris-Brest or New York cheesecake. Not the least attraction of the place is a legendary – and legendarily kindly priced – wine collection that boasts reference producers all over the show, including such endangered wine-list species as fine German Rieslings, mature cru Beaujolais, pedigree Californians, and a honour-roll of all the major port shippers.
Offering a ‘warm sunny hug’ in any weather, compact Bar San Juan is, for one reader, ‘a favourite place to be happy in’ – although the happiness starts if you manage to score a table, since … Read more
Offering a ‘warm sunny hug’ in any weather, compact Bar San Juan is, for one reader, ‘a favourite place to be happy in’ – although the happiness starts if you manage to score a table, since bookings are severely limited by its size. The instantly welcoming, cosy tiled interior is packed with evocative memorabilia (posters, a bull's head, a Real Madrid football shirt, strings of dried chillies), while a neatly competent, Spanish-speaking team keeps tables supplied with a constant stream of tapas and drinks.
Crisp cubes of 'papas' bravas come with a boat of meaty, spicy Madrid-style brava sauce, while juicy-chewy cod's cheeks are served with bitter greens, vibrant red chillies and garlic. Other choices might range from gazpacho to spinach with chickpeas and potatoes or a silky aubergine stew topped with a slice of torched goat's cheese. Also check out the croquetas filled with free-range chicken, and the little lamb filo parcels with a Tempranillo sauce.
Puddings might be a shallow, chewy Santiago tart or boldly plain, slightly whipped vanilla custard topped with a single Maria biscuit. A short list of Spanish wines shows off its regional credentials.
With a warm welcome and classy cooking, this neighbourhood Italian honours the family behind Bristol’s successful and ever-growing Bianchis restaurant group. The unpretentious and relaxed dining room has a laid-back, lived-i… Read more
With a warm welcome and classy cooking, this neighbourhood Italian honours the family behind Bristol’s successful and ever-growing Bianchis restaurant group. The unpretentious and relaxed dining room has a laid-back, lived-in look with a scuffed floor, low lighting, a 60s soul soundtrack and bottles of wine stacked on all available shelves. Comfy seating and damasked tables add to the sense that you are here to enjoy yourself and eat well. With a belt-busting four courses on offer, it is perhaps advisable to start with a light antipasto of, say, radicchio salad (with smoked ricotta, courgette, red onion and pumpkin seeds) ahead of, maybe, a bowl of gnocchetti nero in bisque with crab, kohlrabi and soft herbs. The pasta here is so good you may be almost reluctant to move on to a 'secondi' – grilled pork tenderloin with soft polenta and cime di rapa, for example. Be brave, it's worth it. Puddings are mercifully modest, though such is the density and richness of a chocolate and hazelnut tart served with intensely savoury crème fraîche that a little goes a long way. A fine selection of cocktails and an extensive wine offer, including ‘Aldo’s list’ of serious (and seriously expensive) vintages will lubricate your evening, while the chatty, informal but very efficient staff make you feel that you are dining among friends.
Are high-profile restaurants above pubs becoming a thing in London? On the first floor of the Three Compasses pub in Farringdon, this reworking of Henry Harris’s famed (and much missed) Racine in Knightsbridge revives the ch… Read more
Are high-profile restaurants above pubs becoming a thing in London? On the first floor of the Three Compasses pub in Farringdon, this reworking of Henry Harris’s famed (and much missed) Racine in Knightsbridge revives the chef’s avowed mission to provide resolutely French food and drink after a gap of seven years. Reached via steep stairs, it’s a pleasant, light-filled room, where a lot of effort has gone into creating a mood that is warm and unpretentious. Come here if you want straight-talking Gallic brasserie classics, dishes straight out of Larousse Gastronomique. Escargots à la bourguignonne, perhaps, or Bayonne ham with celeriac rémoulade, then rabbit with mustard sauce or côte de boeuf with sauce béarnaise. All dishes are chosen from a large, densely written blackboard menu, hoisted from table to table – a convincing slice of France if it weren’t for the mainly English accents of the on-the-ball waiting staff. Our meal opened with a gutsy, rich scallop dish (one of the evening specials), served with its coral atop a purée of fennel, lemon and olive oil, ahead of a Racine classic – tête de veau with a punchy sauce ravigote (one of the best-selling items on the menu). To conclude, we enjoyed a hard-to-fault pot de crème aux griottines. The mainly French wine list is a good one, with about 14 by the glass (from £7.50), and bottles from £29.95.
In the same building as its misleadingly named sibling Gonzo’s Tea Room (actually a cocktail/burger/disco hangout), Brix & Bones is all about powerful, expert, generous open-fire cooking – the sort that also requir… Read more
In the same building as its misleadingly named sibling Gonzo’s Tea Room (actually a cocktail/burger/disco hangout), Brix & Bones is all about powerful, expert, generous open-fire cooking – the sort that also requires leathery aprons, muted lighting, cracking drinks and a pacey soundtrack. Ask for a seat at the bar, the better to immerse yourself in the whole spectacle while chatting to the ‘passionate’ and engaging young team.
Share a board of Cobble Lane charcuterie and maybe some Norfolk ‘crunch’ bread with treacle and acid butter. Brancaster mussels with ‘nduja, sea beet and fennel could follow, or you could go for one of the taco riffs (perhaps Korean pulled pork with pickled ginger and coriander). Superlative steaks and immense chops are licked with flame, slicked with the melted fat of 85-day aged Limousin beef, then seared, smoked, seasoned and spiced as befits each item, while fish might be whole plaice enlivened with guanciale beurre blanc and chives.
To finish, there’s abundant love for B&B's bone-marrow fudge doughnuts when they’re available, otherwise a sweet hit of chocolate fondant with honeycomb and pandan might do the trick. Wines are suitably bold – from the savoury, black fruit notes of a northern Rhône Syrah (Domaine Gérard) to the lush complexities of pure Sangiovese (Brunello di Montalcino Il Palazzone). Diners are welcome to take advantage of Gonzo’s rooftop garden bar if it’s open.
*Bangkok Diners Club will open in Edinburgh Castle's restaurant space from Wednesday 2nd April. Watch out for a new review coming soon.*
Not that Castle. This one is a reconditioned late-Georgian pub in the Ancoats district of Ma… Read more
*Bangkok Diners Club will open in Edinburgh Castle's restaurant space from Wednesday 2nd April. Watch out for a new review coming soon.*
Not that Castle. This one is a reconditioned late-Georgian pub in the Ancoats district of Manchester, now part of a regeneration zone that has conjured a modern neighbourhood where once there was industrial wasteland. Generously upholstered banquettes, mirrors and plenty of daylight from big windows are spirit-lifting in themselves, but the cooking lifts the place into another dimension. There is a traditional Sunday lunch offering, but the more speculative contemporary food makes weekdays equally popular with readers. Locally grown purple artichokes are served alla giudia, a Roman Jewish deep-fried treatment that produces a crisply seared surface on a creamy, bittersweet inner texture – not to be missed in their season. When did you last eat a fantail squid? Here they are, hauled in from Brixham and served with new season's peas for textural contrast. For main course, there might be a satisfying fish dish such as hake with pepper dulse and Jersey Royals, while meats offer locally farmed Tamworth pork belly with hispi cabbage or lamb shoulder with broad beans and – of all the things to come upon in Ancoats – nasturtiums. A whopping great pie of Ryeland lamb shank should provide plenty of sustenance for a hungry pair of diners. Seasonal fruits make the dessert list a welcome recourse, whether it be strawberry fool and elderflower cream or Yorkshire rhubarb sorbet with a brandy-snap.
A joint venture by local chefs Dave Marrow (Terre à Terre) and Isaac Bartlett Copeland (Isaac At), Embers is deliciously warm and glowing, the air full of the sweet scent of smouldering birch and ash – thanks to the f… Read more
A joint venture by local chefs Dave Marrow (Terre à Terre) and Isaac Bartlett Copeland (Isaac At), Embers is deliciously warm and glowing, the air full of the sweet scent of smouldering birch and ash – thanks to the fire cage in the centrepiece kitchen. Charcoal walls and chunky wood tables complement the cooking-over-fire vibe, while a seat at the counter is the best place to view the action. The menu kicks off with a handful of nibbles including sourdough bread (smoky and warm from a brief toasting), which is almost a meal in itself when teamed with beefy whipped 'dripping butter'. From the selection of small plates, we enjoyed three excellent combos: skillet-roasted potatoes and pickled jalapeños smothered in mole and chimichurri mayonnaise; tender roasted chicken leg with a deliciously charred and caramelised BBQ honey coating and a slick of roasted garlic aïoli; and wood-fired leeks with buttery marrowfat pea purée, crunchy garlic crumb and kale – the latter rather chewy, the only off-note in the dish. Our verdict? Generous, heartfelt, please-all cooking, characterised by big flavours and lots of delicious fat, with wonderful, fragrant smokiness running through each dish. In addition, there are centrepiece plates to feed two or more, say venison rump with beetroot ketchup and pickled blackberries. Our standout dessert was a supersized take on a Rolo, combining a bittersweet, velvety and spoonable dark chocolate exterior with a smooth caramel filling, all topped with milk ice cream and a crunchy milk chocolate crumb. The wine list reflects the freshness of the entire offering, with plenty of interesting sips including a decent showing from English vineyards. Terrific cocktails too.
Inventive seasonal small plates and intriguing natural wines
Reopened in January 2025 after a seasonal refit that brought an extension to the kitchen and a revamped bar area, Erst retains its industrial-chic styling – and still fits seamlessly into the regenerated Ancoats district as … Read more
Reopened in January 2025 after a seasonal refit that brought an extension to the kitchen and a revamped bar area, Erst retains its industrial-chic styling – and still fits seamlessly into the regenerated Ancoats district as a reliable and often inspiring local resource. Patrick Withington is a confirmed exponent of the small-plates approach, and much of what the kitchen turns out is surprising, ingeniously constructed and founded on excellent prime materials. Even the salads score highly for lively mixtures of flavour – witness castelfranco leaves offsetting the creaminess of Corra Linn (a hard sheep's cheese from Lanarkshire), with pear and walnuts in support.
The flatbread that arrives well lubricated with beef fat and scattered with flakes of dried Turkish urfa chilli fully deserves the legendary status it has acquired. Tema artichoke with fermented celeriac in barigoule broth showed a delicate approach to winter warming at our visit, while the skewered lamb coated in ras el hanout butter (another established favourite) was as spicily and fragrantly satisfying as ever. By contrast, skate wing in sherry seemed a clash of mistimed elements, but a dessert of olive-oil cake with ricotta ice cream and candied citron is still a good bet for those who have wearied of salty caramel.
Natural wines are the hot ticket among the drinks, and it's worth gleaning some advice from your server about what goes best with what. Before you get embroiled, though, consider the house aperitif, which might involve celery liqueur and apple shrub in a productive liaison with gin and house vermouth.
Swans in the middle of Manchester! Who would have thought? But Flawd is on the New Islington Marina, a network of canals and water basins now home to barges and wildfowl, new apartments, green spaces and walkways. The feel is Dutc… Read more
Swans in the middle of Manchester! Who would have thought? But Flawd is on the New Islington Marina, a network of canals and water basins now home to barges and wildfowl, new apartments, green spaces and walkways. The feel is Dutch or Scandinavian, enhanced by a fine-weather terrace. It’s a suitable setting for a contemporary bottle shop, wine bar and sharing-plate eatery of restricted size with a buzzy atmosphere, enthusiastic staff and a funky playlist. As soon as you walk in, you know it’s a place in which to have fun.
The blackboard menu changes regularly and features local and regional ingredients such as Lancaster smoked mackerel, Garstang Blue cheese and ‘big dollops’ of outstanding sourdough bread from neighbouring bakery Pollen. Charcuterie is from Curing Rebels in Brighton, however, although who cares about regional pedantry when it’s this good?
This place has pedigree, and it shows: flair and imagination define the largely plant-focused cooking, which goes big on flavour. Unctuous whipped split-pea dip might be paired with fermented kale or spring onions, while stewed autumn tomatoes are served with ‘nduja and garlic toast. Elsewhere, grilled romanesco is paired with goat’s curd and treviso (‘a deliciously earthy combo’), and assorted brassicas are heaped with autumnal chestnut mushrooms and topped with shavings of cured ox heart (like ‘poor people’s truffle’).
The word Flawd refers to an 18th-century term meaning ‘drunk’, which is fitting as they major on natural and low-intervention wines from small producers. It’s also a trick to disabuse drinkers of the perception that such wines are ‘flawed’. With a range of styles by the glass, it’s easy to delve into this brave new world – and if that lacks appeal, there’s also an excellent choice of craft beer. Note: there are no reservations and no desserts. A flaw, perhaps, but not a fatal one.
Like a shaft of Mediterranean sunlight illuminating the Kelvingrove end of Argyle Street, Gloriosa certainly lives up to its Latin name: ‘I think everything they do is exceptional,’ cheered one fan and others also find… Read more
Like a shaft of Mediterranean sunlight illuminating the Kelvingrove end of Argyle Street, Gloriosa certainly lives up to its Latin name: ‘I think everything they do is exceptional,’ cheered one fan and others also find plenty to shout about – praising everything from the bold seasonality of the menu to the ‘refined vibe’ and the sheer ‘enthusiasm and thrills’ emanating from the place. The focaccia with olive oil is ‘as fresh as nonna would demand,’ noted one reader who also waxed lyrical about the green lentils in vinaigrette (‘as fresh as an Alpine morning’), while a dessert involving meringue, custard, cream and rhubarb conjured visions of a ‘jardin Provençal’. It’s all about vibrant, confidently executed dishes with colourful grace notes, from the Spanish-inspired grilled red Grelot onion with ajo blanco or ox heart with chickpeas and salsa rossa to crafty Italian pasta riffs such as paccheri with Isle of Wight tomatoes, marjoram and ricotta. Diners are warned that the house special of roast chicken with Caesar salad takes 30 minutes: ‘our chickens are cooked to order,’ declares the menu. If you can’t wait that long, perhaps order the hake with borlotti beans and roast violet artichokes finished with sage and aïoli. ‘Beautifully cool’ staff complement the food to perfection, while the wine list shines the spotlight on small-scale independent European producers, with house pours at affordable prices; alternatively, a bergamot-spiked Old Fashioned might float your boat.
Tucked away among a row of suburban shops, Hern is easy to miss and there's nothing outside to suggest it is even a restaurant. No menu, no opening times, and even the signage is minimal – as discreet and modest as chef/patr… Read more
Tucked away among a row of suburban shops, Hern is easy to miss and there's nothing outside to suggest it is even a restaurant. No menu, no opening times, and even the signage is minimal – as discreet and modest as chef/patron Rab Adams himself. Yet this tiny spot is full most nights with diners lapping up good food at keen prices. Cordon Bleu-trained Adams, who served time under Gordon Ramsay and Josh Overington, offers a short carte on Wednesdays and a four-course set menu from Thursday to Saturday. Local and seasonal ingredients are a given, along with low waste and sustainability, while the repertoire is driven by clean, uncomplicated ideas. Take a dish of Batavia lettuce, given a 'green goddess' dressing (yoghurt, lemon, anchovy, heaps of herbs) and finished with pangrattato and finely grated Ribblesdale cheese, or mascarpone, sprouting broccoli, black olives and chilli piled onto fresh toast. Fried polenta fingers are a wonderful snack, sizzling hot and crisp from the fryer and paired with vibrant pesto, while the bread is freshly baked, pillowy focaccia – a throwback, no doubt, to the days when Adams ran his own wholesale bakery. The chef's take on 'chicken parmo', the Middlesborough-invented takeaway of choice after a night on the lash (breaded chicken escalope, béchamel sauce and cheap block Cheddar) would be called 'posh parmo’ in the north-east. It's made from tender chicken and decent cheese, with asparagus on the side, though for size it would match any parmo you would find on Linthorpe Road. For something lighter, you might be offered sea bass with a vibrant red pepper sauce and marinated courgettes, while dessert might be a beautiful lemon posset, studded with strawberries and topped with a cooling elderflower granita – perfect for a searingly hot evening. A short wine list is arranged by character, while sharp, helpful service completes a terrific local package.
* Miller Prada is leaving at the end of January 2025 to pursue a new project. Humo's kitchen will continue to be run by current head chef Robbie Jameson.*
In the opulent nook formed by the angle of Hanover Square and Regent Stree… Read more
* Miller Prada is leaving at the end of January 2025 to pursue a new project. Humo's kitchen will continue to be run by current head chef Robbie Jameson.*
In the opulent nook formed by the angle of Hanover Square and Regent Street, Humo is a high-end concept restaurant with enough glamour to make waves in an arc from Japan to the Americas. The place is sultrily lit like a nightclub, the staff very forthcoming with chat and explanation, and the presiding genius is Miller Prada – a Colombian chef with a keen interest in the gastronomic chemistry of fire (the name is the Spanish word for 'smoke'). To wit, there is a long, deep, wooden counter for ringside views of the three-foot flames and the griddle wheel. There's also a strong emphasis on seafood, with preparations that emphasise marinading and seasoning in the Japanese manner. Sea bream is cured in kombu for days, seasoned with umami-booming cedarwood soy and 25-year-old balsamic, and dressed with fermented datterini tomatoes, while cubes of fluorescently orange trout arranged in single file are aromatised with wild kelp and dotted with three month-aged caviar. Elsewhere, a scallop slivered into lateral wafers and interleaved with nectarine comes in a foaming sabayon full of the scent of Speyside whisky barrels. It sometimes happens that one element in a marinade or dressing dominates, as is the case with the coffee-scented yellowtail, made with Castillo beans from the chef's family farm back home, where the coffee note outshouts the lime with which it is also sauced. There is Kagoshima black sirloin at a mesmerising £60, but the Cornish lamb doesn't land well, being over-trimmed, underseasoned and barely served by its dribbles of thin beetroot sauce. The signature dessert is 'La Nube', a magical mingle of beechwood-roasted banana, grand cru chocolate, Alphonso mango and sea buckthorn. The wine list feels weighted towards the money-no-object constituency, the glass selections (from £11) having the aura of a first draft rather than a settled selection. House Champagne is the currently rather patchy Billecart-Salmon.
Tucked off a small track on the old road to the Highlands, Killiecrankie House eschews the image of a fusty, rural lodge in favour of elegant revitalisation. Co-owners Tom Tsappis and Matilda Ruffle began their sweeping transforma… Read more
Tucked off a small track on the old road to the Highlands, Killiecrankie House eschews the image of a fusty, rural lodge in favour of elegant revitalisation. Co-owners Tom Tsappis and Matilda Ruffle began their sweeping transformation by renovating what was a faded hotel into a glistening restaurant with rooms. As the first commercial venture for the couple, the ambition is comprehensive and striking. In the bar, pink Murano glass leaves dangle over the marble-topped counter and the pre-prandials being drained beneath, while the dark, cosseting dining room is laid with mid-century furnishings that invite diners to peer into a shining, open kitchen. Behind these stoves, Tsappis and his small team take a lengthy, narrative approach to feeding the room – think elaborate sonnet, not punchy haiku. Across 13 or so courses, dishes flit between land and sea, raiding the Scottish larder with the enthusiasm now demanded of cooking at this level. Venison, appearing as both port-glazed loin and tartare on a recent visit, is from the Urrard Estate, over the garden fence. Langoustines are from Skye, mussels from Shetland. Pheasant, appearing as an opening canapé, comes as a luscious, velveteen pâté, laced with the acidic tang of black garlic, and balanced with earthy chestnut. A single mouthful, but beautifully put together. Later courses show humour (a small jelly mouse dissolving in a jug of hot broth) but, more importantly, technical skill. A chawanmushi (savoury Japanese custard) sits just on the right side of set, using the rich umami of miso to balance its sumptuous, creamy depth, while an equally luxurious risotto opts for pine nuts as a base, adding butter and bite to a plate topped with delicately pine-smoked oyster mushrooms, balanced with bursts of tart redcurrant. Drink pairings could be signature wines, a range of non-alcoholic creations or an eclectic assortment that takes in cider, sake, beer and less traditional vineyards – including bottles from Matilda Ruffle’s family vineyard in China. A diverse list is also available, including a dozen or so by-the-glass options and a couple of pages of bottles that start in the £40 bracket and barrel upwards to the mid-hundreds. Guidance offered on these reflects the well-informed, light-hearted and friendly service from the entire team.
Chef-patron Phil White made his name at seafood stalwart Fishers in Leith, and brings his love of fish cookery to this modest restaurant in the heart of the city – with help from his front-of-house partner Rachel Chisho… Read more
Chef-patron Phil White made his name at seafood stalwart Fishers in Leith, and brings his love of fish cookery to this modest restaurant in the heart of the city – with help from his front-of-house partner Rachel Chisholm. LeftField sets out its stall as a warmly welcoming neighbourhood bistro – the room hummed with relaxed chatter and there was a cool guitar-led soundtrack when we visited. Huge picture windows frame a tree-trimmed view of Edinburgh's ancient volcano (aka Arthur's Seat), the paintwork is bottle green, the long bench lining one wall is cushioned in a Granny Smith hue, and the window boxes outside are plugged with hellebores and heucheras.
While there are concessions to meat eaters (slow-cooked beef brisket, say) and vegetarians (roast cauliflower with ginger-spiced butternut squash purée and cashew dukkah), seafood is the star of the show. To begin, a curl of warm and tender chargrilled octopus on a mound of garlicky baba ganoush sprinkled with sesame seeds and fennel crunch (with just a hint of heat) is plate-scrapingly good, while a delicate dish of sea trout comes topped with braised fennel on a bed of creamy pea-green pearl barley plus a skilfully subtle side of chargrilled broccoli and lemon. Even better is a meatier, more substantial chunk of large-flaked roast cod with white beans, chorizo and crispy capers.
From the small dessert menu (a choice of three plus cheese), the must-try option is the chocolate mousse with whipped caramel and shortbread – a sort of wickedly moreish, deconstructed millionaire's shortbread. The carefully curated wine list homes in on France and Spain (with a brief foray to the Lebanon) while shining the spotlight on organic and biodynamic producers.
Originally conceived by the owners of the Clove Club, this ‘Britalian’ restaurant is almost as well-known for its bar as its restaurant –so it was with some reluctance that we bypassed the Negroni-based fun … Read more
Originally conceived by the owners of the Clove Club, this ‘Britalian’ restaurant is almost as well-known for its bar as its restaurant –so it was with some reluctance that we bypassed the Negroni-based fun in favour of the dining room. Until we clapped eyes on the space itself, that is: a stunning covered garden worthy of a Roman palazzo. Seating is divided between an attractive cosmopolitan room and a terrace complete with a fireplace, cobbles and foliage (you can specify where you sit when you reserve). For the Luca-on-a-budget experience, try the bar, where lunch is currently £32 for two courses. Otherwise, those with cash to splash can knock themselves out with four courses, Italian-style, and a bottle or two from the impressive Italian list – specialist subject Barolo (sub-£50 bottles are few). Vitello tonnato may now be ubiquitous in London but we’ll never tire of it when it's as satisfying as this. The veal is more well done than is fashionable – a good thing – but is tender and flavoursome beneath a generous spoon of tonnato mayonnaise and a frisky celery, artichoke and lemon salad. Terrific stuff. Fresh pasta is a standout: mezzi paccheri with a pork sausage ragù gains depth from anchovy and freshness from mint, while green and yellow variegated ribbons of tagliatelle with rabbit, lardo and green olives are comforting and luxurious in equal measure. Secondi at inspection include Hebridean lamb with caponata, Hereford beef fillet and short rib, and a dish of John Dory with mussels, mousserons, Jersey Royals and a frothy lemon verbena sauce. Tiramisu, like your nonna might make, is a bravely unfancy finish; vanilla panna cotta with Yorkshire rhubarb is a nicely executed pairing, if lacking the ‘Luca’ signature that characterises the restaurant's best dishes. Overall, a confident operation. Credit, in particular, for setting a tone as conducive to business as it is to pleasure.
Best New Restaurant 2024
Can Tomos Parry ever put a foot wrong? His follow-up to Brat – and Brat x Climpson’s Arch – has opened with a bang in Soho. There’s a familiar no-frills vibe to the large, light-fi… Read more
Can Tomos Parry ever put a foot wrong? His follow-up to Brat – and Brat x Climpson’s Arch – has opened with a bang in Soho. There’s a familiar no-frills vibe to the large, light-filled dining room with its very open, fired-up kitchen and sultry, smoky smells. Of course it’s noisy, but that's all part of the tremendous atmosphere, and it matches the straight-to-the-point cooking of broad-shouldered seasonal dishes with Spanish overtones – notably the mar y montaña cuisine of northern Spain and the Balearic Islands. Parry’s pursuit of, and belief in, great ingredients brings a compelling set of flavours to his short, punchy menu, which is dominated by sharing plates – from a spider crab omelette or a dish of wild mushrooms with a runny-yolked egg popped on top to our fantastic opener of beef sweetbreads served with grilled young leeks and shallots, cooking juices and a little pop of acidity from slivers of fresh lemon. We followed with whole red mullet grilled on the bone, with a rich sauce of olive oil and butter spooned over – so simple, so fresh, and absolutely perfectly timed; all it needed was some richly flavoured, ever-so-gently smoked wood-fired rice (a dish that is fast achieving cult status). Sitting close to the kitchen, we could see that the mutton chops, four-year Jersey beef sirloin rib and eight-year Friesian sirloin rib were also doing a roaring trade. Vegetables are less in evidence but not neglected: plates of braised early-autumn veg and beetroot with mountain mint and sorrel were on offer when we visited. We weren’t so impressed by the ensaïmada (a Mallorcan pastry) with hazelnut ice cream, and regretted not ordering the torrijas (Spain's answer to French toast) with blackberries instead. Service is excellent, informed and highly motivated, and the short European wine list is well chosen, with everything available by the glass (from £6).
World-class wines and compelling cooking from a modern classic
The Noble Rot concept is disarmingly simple: lay on modern bistro food with its roots in the French repertoire, add a massive portfolio of world-class wines at affordable prices, and they will come. Even when there are only a coup… Read more
The Noble Rot concept is disarmingly simple: lay on modern bistro food with its roots in the French repertoire, add a massive portfolio of world-class wines at affordable prices, and they will come. Even when there are only a couple of early birds in, the atmosphere is already tingling – of course, it helps that staff are always warmly amiable and helpful. Here at the original Bloomsbury branch of the three NR siblings, the ambience of dark wood, framed graphic art and chalkboard specials invites due comparison with Parisian places, as does the lively, compelling cooking.
One seafood aficionado ate a summer lunch of Brixham crab mayonnaise with crispy polenta and seaweed, ahead of braised Cornish turbot in a delightful sauce of oxidised Chablis Grand Cru (Dauvissat's 1988 ‘Les Clos’, no less), and emerged wondering what had taken her so long to get here. Other temptations have been smoked ox tongue with mustard cream and saladings, and mains ranging from roast Landes guinea fowl in Madeira with celeriac and truffle to tenderly juicy pheasant with chestnuts and soft polenta. The chocolate mousse cake is as irresistible a menu fixture as it was when it first appeared, but Basque cheesecake with Yorkshire rhubarb will run it close.
And then we come to the wines. With taster glasses for a couple of sips from £3, but rising to Daumas Gassac and Barolo aged a decade and more, there is a world of adventures better than roller coasters awaiting you. Bottle prices start at £27 for Iberian house selections, but if price is a mere frippery, aim your sights at the flotilla of Old and New World classics that follow.
Of all the multifarious eating and drinking opportunities in the heart of Soho, this ‘warmly welcoming’ little restaurant is one of the more compelling. Rita’s goes about its business with gusto, its popularity n… Read more
Of all the multifarious eating and drinking opportunities in the heart of Soho, this ‘warmly welcoming’ little restaurant is one of the more compelling. Rita’s goes about its business with gusto, its popularity not surprising given the casual vibe, the warmth of the service and straight-to-the point modern American-style cooking. It’s not going to win any prizes for inventiveness – dishes tend to be simple assemblies built around seasonal British produce – but barbecued beef tartare with garlic, raw vegetables and lots of herbs, and a special of corn-crusted turbot served on a heap of courgettes and set in a puddle of herb butter – were good calls on a warm spring evening. Salt-fish taquitos have been praised, fried chicken parmigiana puts in an appearance, and flavours are ramped up with prime cuts and sharing steaks (order with ‘wrong way’ French fries). Desserts feature the likes of sunflower ice cream with caramel sundae, and the express lunch of, say, fried chicken roll, Caesar salad or eggplant panino is good value. Cocktails star alongside a European wine list stuffed with on-trend low intervention producers.
Carefully curated seasonal small plates in a moody basement
Tomás Gormley (one half of the duo behind Heron in Leith) is now at the helm of Skua – a bijou basement eatery down steep stone steps on St Stephen Street in Stockbridge. Flickering candlelit interiors, black wal… Read more
Tomás Gormley (one half of the duo behind Heron in Leith) is now at the helm of Skua – a bijou basement eatery down steep stone steps on St Stephen Street in Stockbridge. Flickering candlelit interiors, black walls, marble tables, banquette seating and a hip, ambient soundtrack give the place a late-night drinking den vibe, while the pared-back menu is a carefully curated selection of small plates inspired by the seasons.
'Shallot' with fermented spruce, fig, cobnut and béarnaise has an exciting, plate-scraping sharpness, the caramelised onion balanced with the mustard-laced sauce and sweet chunks of fresh fruit. Pretty-as-a-picture Belhaven lobster, meanwhile, arrives as a butter-smeared mound of smoked crustacean meat teetering atop a dark squid-ink crumpet. It's mouth-coatingly rich – if a little claggy. However, the showstopper is a dish that looks almost boringly plain but turns out to be simplicity elevated to another level. Billed simply as ‘halibut', it's an exquisite creation involving chicken butter, sea radish and tender leeks, plus 'bonfire smoky' potatoes and sensationally seasoned greens.
There's just one dessert, but one is all you need when it’s a Willy Wonka-esque chocolate creation with a retro 'Caramac' twang. Cracking the crisp casing on its bed of crushed biscuits releases a white chocolate mousse with spiced apple at its centre, a disc of pickled ginger gel adding another spicy kick.
The drinks list is equally innovative with a handful of signature cocktails putting a bespoke spin on the classics. Alternatively, there’s a decent selection of natural and rare wines curated by Heron’s bar manager, Seoridh Fraser – check out the blackboard scrawled with intriguingly described daily specials. Named after a predatory seabird, Skua might have started life as Heron's little sister, but in terms of culinary prowess and wow-factor it's a thrilling prospect in its own right.
Brilliant local asset and serious gastronomic destination
Tim Allen moved some 250 miles from his former post at the Flitch of Bacon in Essex to set up Solo, his first independent venture. The erstwhile roadside pub is warmly welcoming and comfortable, tables are well spaced, chairs padd… Read more
Tim Allen moved some 250 miles from his former post at the Flitch of Bacon in Essex to set up Solo, his first independent venture. The erstwhile roadside pub is warmly welcoming and comfortable, tables are well spaced, chairs padded and two blazing fires were 'much appreciated' on a wet autumn evening when we visited. Service is relaxed (as is the atmosphere), but it's clear that this is a serious operation. It's a brilliant local asset, too – the no-choice set lunch is excellent value for the quality on offer.
The chef's cooking has confidence, his ideas speak of maturity, and you get the impression that he spends every spare moment trying out new ideas – his six-course evening taster (including vegetarian and pescatarian versions) changes regularly with the emphasis firmly on local and regional ingredients. You might begin with perfectly al dente agnolotti filled with spinach and dressed with a Parmesan foam, sweetcorn, a lightly poached quail’s egg and a rich brown chicken jus, then proceed to Cornish brill with diced salt-baked celeriac, ceps and smoked eel in a lovage-infused sauce.
Cauliflower, heady with Madras spices and the sweet-sour flavours of lentil dhal with lime buttermilk, has the making of a signature dish, while tender Aynhoe Park venison loin, paired with beetroot and red verjus, was evidence of the use of top-quality produce. A riff on raspberries teamed with caramelised white chocolate and verbena could be one of a pair of desserts.
On Sundays, Allen cleverly weaves a traditional roast in a mini four-course taster that is refined enough to wow but served with 'zero pretentiousness'. There is plenty of decent drinking by the glass on a short, global wine list that includes some skin-contact, organic and biodynamic bottles.
After several years as a mobile pop-up, the Stretford Canteen might not bring this hitherto neglected area the same degree of worldwide recognition as the Stretford End at Old Trafford (Manchester's United's home ground), but it i… Read more
After several years as a mobile pop-up, the Stretford Canteen might not bring this hitherto neglected area the same degree of worldwide recognition as the Stretford End at Old Trafford (Manchester's United's home ground), but it is certainly at the forefront of giving it a shot in the arm. The investment that has gone into upgrading the Stretford Mall (formerly Arndale) has paid off, but unfortunately, the restaurant's location on a heavy-duty arterial dual carriageway is the opposite of picturesque.
The frontage is muted and decor is on the lower end of the budget spectrum – there’s just enough room for a few tables, a high counter overlooking the kitchen... and that’s about it. But it’s easy-going, with tables close enough to encourage cheerful chit-chat. The vibe is charming French bistro, unsurprising when we learn that the owner's family background dates back to the much-missed old Beaujolais restaurant in central Manchester. Price is the main indication of plate size, but most are generously portioned, so having just one or two small plates is no problem. It’s largely a welcome return to evergreen favourites such as celeriac rémoulade, grilled king prawns with lemon and aïoli, melting short ribs with astringent parsley salad, pommes dauphinoise and so on.
Although some of the dishes tried at inspection were a tad disappointing, others such as salt-baked beetroot with orange, hazelnuts and goat's cheese, and a chocolate mousse with crème fraîche scored well. And, to drink, a fruit-filled, spicy Côtes du Rhône Villages was well-advised. It may not qualify as a destination restaurant but, as far as good neighbourhood eateries go, this one hits the back of the net.
All-conquering Soho boozer with impreccable credentials
Are Oisín Rogers, Charlie Carroll and Ashley Palmer-Watts champions of a new era in pubs? The Devonshire is certainly one of the most enjoyable places to eat in the capital – if you can get in (far too many people wan… Read more
Are Oisín Rogers, Charlie Carroll and Ashley Palmer-Watts champions of a new era in pubs? The Devonshire is certainly one of the most enjoyable places to eat in the capital – if you can get in (far too many people want to eat here). Yet it looks set to become an institution – and long may it continue, for this is no ordinary pub. Ingredients are impeccable and the strong meat-focused menu serves the kind of dishes you want to eat, especially in the lively environment of a central London watering hole where drinkers have their own space and staff are noted for their relaxed expertise. Dining rooms are divided between the first and second floors where, under the direction of Ashley Palmer-Watts (formerly executive chef at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal), the kitchen applies a certain simplicity and accuracy of cooking to impeccable ingredients.
Flames are at the heart of the operation, with wood-fired Ibérico pork chops, lamb cutlets, fillet, ribeye and T-bone steaks (plus lobsters) keeping company with the likes of lamb hotpot or beef and Guinness suet pudding on the hand-scrawled menu. Three wonderfully meaty scallops, lightly roasted, served in the shell with nothing more than a buttery, vinegary sauce and strips of crisp bacon, is a terrific opener that hammers home the kitchen’s modus operandi – namely sourcing prime ingredients and treating them with the utmost simplicity. And there’s something deeply comforting about a fixed price, no-choice lunch that can deliver real quality and value in the shape of prawn and langoustine cocktail, skirt steak with excellent chips and béarnaise sauce, and light, luscious sticky toffee pudding – all for £29.
Sunday's roast ribs of beef carved from a silver-domed trolley are terrific value too and have helped restore the tradition in this part of town. To drink, everyone orders Guinness – it’s fast achieving cult status here – and you can drink well without breaking the bank from the mainly European wine list. The pub now has its own 40-cover rooftop terrace for fine-weather dining (note that you can't book this separately).
Roast chicken and clever small plates in a converted city-centre caff
In 2022, Sam Pullan and his partner Nicole Deighton took over a long-deceased caff in a tucked-away corner off Briggate, turning it into an original and innovative restaurant. The revived Empire feels young and exciting altho… Read more
In 2022, Sam Pullan and his partner Nicole Deighton took over a long-deceased caff in a tucked-away corner off Briggate, turning it into an original and innovative restaurant. The revived Empire feels young and exciting although it's tiny, with room at street level for a smart little bar, where cocktails are shaken and they serve ‘the perfect Guinness’ against a backdrop of sparkling bottles and glassware, high stools and banquettes. You can eat here or in the windowless basement dining room, which may sound bleak but isn't: lamps on each table and Egon Schiele prints on the dark walls give it a cosy, welcoming vibe.
The constantly changing menu is made up of two halves (small or large plates) – perhaps a choux pastry éclair stuffed with duck liver parfait and finished with a sticky blood-orange glaze or pork pluma, cooked over charcoal and paired with a crunchy Lincolnshire Poacher cheese croquette and a lemon and treacle sauce. And whoever added tomato and crab ragù to a simple fried duck egg is onto something.
Roast chicken is the star of the show, turned on a giant rotisserie (billed as the ‘wall of flame’), with the fat and juices dripping down to ‘schmaltz’ the potatoes beneath. Choose whole or half, then pick your 'rub' and your ‘lather’ – perhaps smoked garlic and honey, or yuzu and ginger, or garlic, lemon and tarragon.
Pastel de nata has become an Empire signature, too. Freshly baked pastry cases filled with sweet custard are typically traditional, but they are lifted by the addition of Reblochon cheese plus a spoonful of roast chestnut purée on the side. Service is full of enthusiasm, and staff are great at talking everyone through the menu. 'A breath of fresh air for Leeds.'
‘We’re so lucky to have this restaurant in our city,’ exclaimed one Hull local, adding that ‘we enjoy sitting in the Paragon Arcade, dining on the large barrel tables with our dogs’. Inside, the place… Read more
‘We’re so lucky to have this restaurant in our city,’ exclaimed one Hull local, adding that ‘we enjoy sitting in the Paragon Arcade, dining on the large barrel tables with our dogs’. Inside, the place is painted black with a narrow staircase leading up to the main dining room. It’s a welcoming local treat if ever there was one, with a laid-back vibe, ‘magnificent mezcal-based cocktails’, exclusively Spanish wines and a line-up of original tapas. Owner Nick Hill is a highly talented chef capable of delivering food that is ‘next-level tasty’: his roast chicken skin butter (served with a sourdough country roll) is ‘divine’, but that’s just the start. Croquetas and charcuterie are all present and correct but it’s worth seeking out the more innovative ideas strewn through the menu – perhaps spiced sashimi-grade tuna accompanied by potato pavé and purple shiso or skewers of BBQ lamb breast slathered in pomegranate molasses, alongside the fresh, zingy notes of ewe’s milk tzatziki, cucumber and mint. Otherwise, the coffee-brined beef bavette with white carrot and pickled mustard seeds sounds like a winner. There are usually a couple of desserts, perhaps milhojas (a posh strawberry millefeuille) or tarta de albaricoque (apricot, hazelnut and walnut frangipane tart with rosemary, honey and crème brûlée ice cream). Fixed-price lunchtime deals are ‘incredible value’ – and a perfect addition to the Hispanist’s brilliant offer if you don’t want to go the whole hog. In short, ‘a very special little gem’.
The small, busy town of Conwy, dominated by its huge castle, has a surprisingly cosmopolitan feel: a Turkish baker, French pâtissier and Italian coffee shop along with an excellent cheesemonger, butcher, deli and top-flight … Read more
The small, busy town of Conwy, dominated by its huge castle, has a surprisingly cosmopolitan feel: a Turkish baker, French pâtissier and Italian coffee shop along with an excellent cheesemonger, butcher, deli and top-flight chocolatier. It indicates a local constituency with the interest and ability to sustain such artisan outlets and perhaps explains why Nick Rudge chose to open his small, accomplished, first-floor restaurant here after a lengthy Fat Duck residency. The food scene of north Wales as seen through his eyes is proudly showcased in a choice of superb produce and often lesser-known regional traditions. He works closely with local farmers, especially Dilwyn Owen on Anglesey who provides lesser-known heritage varieties such as the almost extinct Bardsey apple (afal ynys enlli) and the y ddraig goch (red dragon) tomato. Without prior instruction you’d miss the entrance and modest name plaque. It feels like a semi-secret, almost medieval location, up winding stone stairs and along a dim corridor. The single room is tranquil and airy, simply furnished with fleecy rugs on the wooden chairs, a bar at one end, bookshelves the other. The welcome is friendly and relaxed, with a hint of formality but no pomposity. Set meals are thoughtfully constructed, conceived as a whole, in harmony with both season and location: the intent is genuine and not your usual nod to fashion. In a novel take on food miles, the wine list notes the distance each bottle has travelled to arrive on your ground-zero table. And it includes some fascinating Welsh names, along with mead and spirits to enhance the regional interest. ‘Bread of heaven’ has become a fixture; made with kefir and whole grains, it is irresistibly nutty and earthy – a Welsh sibling of soda bread. Served in hunks with salty, cultured butter and a sweeter barley-based variant, it requires considerable willpower not to fill up on this alone. But do keep some for mopping up purposes. Confit potato with barbecued leek, wild garlic and creamy velouté – typically poised and precise with well-defined flavours – launched our spring menu. The Welsh idiom continued strongly with barbecued wild sea bass caught a few miles down the coast. Light and delicate, falling off the fork, it was confidently matched with saturnine morels, vivid crisp asparagus and more wild garlic (a seasonally welcoming repeat). ‘Riwbob and cwstard‘ was a Welsh wizard dessert, the rhubarb transmuted into an inspired sweet-sharp granita on a velvety custard base. This was followed by ‘llymru’, an oat biscuit with a bitter, beer ice cream based on the ancient dish of flummery – superfluous perhaps, but still an intriguing taste of Welsh history.
First, take a moment to appreciate the irony of a place in landlocked Derbyshire having a lighthouse. In this case, though, we are hardly being warned away, but drawn in, by the shining beacon of a smart contemporary pub dedicated… Read more
First, take a moment to appreciate the irony of a place in landlocked Derbyshire having a lighthouse. In this case, though, we are hardly being warned away, but drawn in, by the shining beacon of a smart contemporary pub dedicated to seasonally informed Peak District produce in elegantly appointed, beamed and raftered surroundings. Tasting menus are the order of the day, and the kitchen rocks and rolls with imaginative energy, offering moments of discovery in every dish. Lobster bisque with croustade of ox heart is a statement snack, ahead of the obligatory but exemplary sourdough with whipped garlic butter. Japanese umami has become an indispensable flavour dimension to many a modern British dish, appearing here in the blond miso and koshihikari rice that accompany monkfish tail. The relaxing luxe of a morel mushroom stuffed with truffled chicken mousse then acts as smooth stepping stone to loin and shoulder of Peak lamb with smoked Jersey Royals and black garlic. A couple of desserts bring on preserved rhubarb with black-pepper ice cream, and then a pine-scented chocolate yoghurt creation. Wolfing down a miso fudge pastille with coffee will remind you why you urgently need to get another booking nailed in. With superlative cheeses and a drinks flight full of ingenuity – from citrus- and spice-infused sake to rot-laden Hungarian Tokaji – the Lighthouse sheds radiance all around.
That jaunty umlaut is a refugee from the German word spätzle, which is what this strongly supported European venue in Manchester's Green Quarter is all about. Hand-made dumplings might have awaited their moment in the sun, no… Read more
That jaunty umlaut is a refugee from the German word spätzle, which is what this strongly supported European venue in Manchester's Green Quarter is all about. Hand-made dumplings might have awaited their moment in the sun, not least as they have conventionally been thought of as wintry food, but their culinary geographic range – as owner Kasia Hitchcock will tell you – extends from southern Germany to Trentino, from Alsace to the Swiss cantons. Their Slavic cousins get in on the act too, in the form of pelmeni and pierogi, and the cognate tradition of filled pasta such as ravioli is referenced too. It's all in the careful hand-crafting, and the matching with a range of upstanding sauces: tomato; sage butter; Emmental and braised onion; chorizo, cherry tomato and spinach; bolognese; guanciale. Sharing boards are limitlessly adaptable, even if the only person you are sharing with is yourself ('you can dine alone here and feel perfectly comfortable,' reports one reader); a selection of cured speck, or Swiss cheeses with spiced apple chutney, adds to the sum of human happiness. With sauerkraut or dill cucumber on the side, there is certainly plenty of bite. Sweet spätzle made with brown sugar, butter and cinnamon might see you home, but if the instinct has waned a little by then, go for Earl Grey panna cotta or Frangelico-laced tiramisu. Wines from Alsace and northern Italy are beacons of quality on a list that matches flavours expertly with the fortifying food.
Should I Stay or Should I Go? The old Clash hit poses its punky question during an early course at The Wilderness. Stay, because this Birmingham restaurant is cool, unconventional and a spot worth knowing about – although it… Read more
Should I Stay or Should I Go? The old Clash hit poses its punky question during an early course at The Wilderness. Stay, because this Birmingham restaurant is cool, unconventional and a spot worth knowing about – although its all-black paint job, mirrors, scrawled aphorisms and pumping soundtrack will not work for everyone. A tip before you wander, lost and late, on Warstone Road: the (black) Wilderness sign is hung high up, above the one for the neighbouring 24 Carat Bistro. In concept-land, being hard to find seems to be as important as the colour of the paintwork. Found it? Then settle in. The welcome from an exceptional front-of-house team overflows with relaxed warmth – they are knowledgeable, adaptable and welcome feedback. The chefs seem subdued though; the Wilderness theatre, on our visit at least, emanates from the floor not the kitchen. The six- or nine-course menu is called ‘All Pleasure is Fleeting’, a reference to spontaneity and ever-changing dishes. Thankfully, the pleasures of dinner don’t fleet. Beetroot ice cream is memorably sweet-savoury, its flavour nudged into technicolour by a green-chilli pesto that’s lip-smackingly bright and finely balanced; there are tiny cubes of beet underneath, while a smooth ajo blanco punches with garlic. Memorable too is a mushroom ragù, a tangle of savouriness from morels, girolles, chestnuts and cordyceps on top of chawanmushi (announced as ‘posh mushroom custard’). A cluster of puffed potato scraps adds a little texture. Other ideas could benefit from more of that texture, but how lovely to see the invention that has gone into these two vegetarian dishes. Turbot, dry-aged on the bone to accentuate its flavour, has been barbecued – 'fleetingly' – and finished with burnt butter. Smokiness whispers through the pale dish, a little smoked eel adding silvery glimmers. An aerated sauce made with more smoked eel is brightened with dashi, enriched with cultured butter and splashed with roasted bone oil. It’s an involved and thoughtful creation that’s deeply delicious. Among the wine pairings, the savoury-spicy notes of a punchy Georgian Saperavi are a particular triumph with the venison – seared and tenderly pink muntjac loin coated in cocoa and cep powder. There’s a delicious suggestion of autumnal wood fires and blackberries in the accompanying sauce, a piece of eight-hour cooked belly and a faggot made from the trimmings. Equally delicious is the glorious Banyuls served with a dessert of frozen Tahitian vanilla-infused mascarpone covered with an intensely treacly PX sherry reduction. It’s heady stuff. A poppyseed brioche seems more breakfast than dinner but brings welcome textural substance as proceedings draw to a close.
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