"It is a scandal that this restaurant is deemed worthy of a Michelin star… …this is (should be) a two star restaurant. Comfortably. One of the most impressive things is how they have managed to incorporate an ambience of cool vibes, warmth and extraordinary professionalism all at the same time. It’s not very often that a restaurant manages to achieve this. Whilst I don’t imagine that’s a lucky coincidence, it does have the feel of effortlessness to the diner. All of this is noticeable, almost as soon as you walk in. There is a striking absence of pretentiousness, despite having significantly more justification to display some than many other restaurants of lesser quality. We were welcomed by both our waiter for the night and, shortly afterwards, by the owner/head chef. Both of whom were welcoming, warm and knowledgeable. When I asked the owner whether or not the wine pairing was worth it, whether the wines were that good, I received a blisteringly honest, hilarious, and accurate, response, that was both down to earth and reassuring. I knew then that we were going to love dinner. And we did. We had the 8 (cum 9) course tasting menu. And I had the wine pairing. I can honestly say that we adored every single course. There was not one course that failed to blow us away. And that included dishes that we would not typically choose/enjoy. Around 3 courses in we started playing “which course has been your favourite so far?” Aside from being an almost impossible game, the answer would change after every course. It would be impossible to review every course, and I certainly wouldn’t do it justice if I tried. But a few highlights that come to mind would include: The salmon we were advised to eat this very slowly. Somewhat bemused, we did as we were told. Definitely sagacious advice. I recommend you do the same. It was dreamy. The fried chicken this was wonderful. We were told that some of the regulars would order extra portions in advance of their visit. I can see why. If we are lucky enough to be back in the area, we will do the same. The walnut gelato this was an example of something that I would not normally get excited about. How wrong I was. Easily one of the best puds I have ever had. Get chef to explain how it is made. It will blow you away. And likely explains how and why it is as good as it is. Pro tip: if you have the cheese cake as one of two pudding courses, don’t ask the chef if it is Basque. The wine pairing was, as advised by the owner, absolutely fantastic. Matched perfectly. I even asked for the bottle to be brought out a couple of times so that I could snap a photo and order some when I got home. As a reflection of how good these wines are, I have really struggled to find the exact same bottles, and have had to settle for close matches. I can’t recommend this restaurant highly enough. Thank you for a wonderful evening. Given the chance, we will be sure to return."
