There’s more crunch fail from the deep fried Mars Bar that should be the eponymous hero of the dish, but the under cooked batter is an unpleasant texture. Whilst that’s a huge disappointment, the rest is a sticky, sweet, crunchy and chocolatey dream and then there’s the smile inducing Irn Bru sorbet… READ MORE
First up is gol gappa; crispy shells filled with chick peas, potato and vermicelli, accompanied with a sweet pouring sauce with a spicy kick, loaded with tamarind and mint. We clash knuckles going for the final shell, but I’m there first and they’re far too addictive for me to even consider any act of chivalry… READ MORE
Roast bone marrow is a menu mainstay since the 90s and I’m grateful for a donation of one from which I slather its rich, fatty innards onto sourdough toast before loading with a lemon dressed flat leaf parsley, caper and shallot salad and a sprinkle of salt for two mouthfuls of perfectly balanced decadence… READ MORE
I’m not nearly so honourable when it comes to the next plate that offers up a fresh take on mozzarella, with stewed flat piattone beans and sweet datterini tomatoes, fresh mint and topped with the crunch of fried breadcrumbs. It’s a dish that offers a titanic blow for blow battle of textures and flavours… READ MORE
Being a sucker for double fried anything, I’ve gone for the Korean chicken burger. It also promises kimchi and gochujang aioli, although the tick box quantities mean it’s nowhere near the flavour-explosion I’d imagined, but worst of all is the soggy batter. Oven chips and bought in coleslaw are unable to pick up any slack… READ MORE
By now, we’ve racked up £82 on ‘small plates’ and I’m pretty sure that’s amounted to six forkfuls, half a chickpea ‘churro’ and a cracker’s worth of ‘flatbread’ each. It’s mostly delivered on textures and flavour, but feels like we’ve shared a menu of tasting dishes... READ MORE
The bright pink, medium rare onglet boasting a fire-licked crust is as melt in the mouth as meat gets, with an almost spicy peppercorn sauce emboldened with cream and brandy served with chips that offer perfect crunch, despite being smashed into the gravy for dredging purposes… READ MORE
Chakalaka is every bit as good as it sounds; beans in a softly spiced and lightly sweet tomato sauce. A swirl of whipped goats cheese offers the perfect earthy tart limelight to meltingly moist lamb combining with crispy shards and a lick of hay smoke… READ MORE
My tempura battered soft shell crab brings the same joy from the matchstick potato and buttery sweetness of the demi-brioche bun. The subtle flavour of crab is bolstered by mango and chilli salsa, shellfish mayo, pickled cabbage, picked white crab meat and lemon… READ MORE
Build-your-own anchovies on toast starts the belief that we’re looking at very well priced food. A generous pile of superior quality anchovies—meaty, firm and packing umami with the saltiness—sit on top of fresh tomato reduced almost to a sweet puree and then also a zesty, tangy and fragrant salsa verde… READ MORE
I’ve ordered two of the raw black bream because I just know one won’t be enough. It delivers on its promise with melt-in the mouth freshness heightened by hints of orange in EVO oil and unexpectantly sweet and tart rhubarb and perky piquancy from green peppercorns. I nearly order a third… READ MORE
Next is a super-succulent fillet of cod, with celeriac two ways; salt baked and pureed, with crispy, robust cavolo nero and crunch from linseed wafers, although the subtle flavours offered by salsify are lost in a bath of rich, yeasty gravy that dominates the whole dish. It just about wins me over… READ MORE
By sight alone I know it’ll delight and it does exactly that; with perfect on the bite, caramelised grilled octopus, crispy potatoes, and a decent dollop of ‘nduja aioli providing a light kick of heat, and with sweetness coming from roasted Calabrian peppers and Sicilian datterini tomatoes… READ MORE
The hake collar is the meaty, fatty bit of a fish at the pectoral fins, behind the gills and when grilled over hot charcoal, the skin gets all crispy. With no hidden little bones, they’re perfect for dipping in the dreamy accompanying custard-like aioli, topped with burnt onion dust and chives… READ MORE
My dressed crab is everything I want from a plate of food; there’s lightly sweet buttermilk with citrussy-anise attitude from a dill coulis swirl, freshness and crunch in abundance from rainbow radish and tart, green apple, but the sweet, delicate flavour of the crab still takes centre stage… READ MORE
A supermodel-gorgeous, rotund slab of porchetta with golden crunchy crackling around fatty, succulent belly and lean loin in equal measure, stuffed, rolled and slow roasted. It’s sweet and savoury flavours amplified by the fresh zing of gremolata loaded with peppery parsley, garlic, lemon and grassy olive oil… READ MORE
I’ve no plate envy whatsoever, with my herb flecked pappardelle, topped with a white ragú of slow braised shreds of lamb. It’s surprisingly light and fresh, allowing the sweetness of the lamb to rightly do all the hard work, although there’s a third too much pasta than the sauce requires… READ MORE
The hot, meaty spread of ‘nduja on ‘grilled bread’, more like crunchy, oil soaked, fried stale bread is throwing new light on the tomato and mild cheese combo. It’s the dream stage for creamy slabs of mozzarella and allows fresh, sweet datterini tomatoes and pickled chillies to combine for tongue tingling pleasure... READ MORE
