Restaurants

Renowned for innovative updates of British food, Mark Hix now has free rein to indulge us with his passion, in this his first independent project after leaving Caprice Holdings. The menu is a roll-call for local, seasonal produce, the farmers and growers duly name-checked. Hix’s food is set against a simple, pared-down decor that recalls postwar village halls. A Scottish granny would have approved our starter, ‘Hix cure’ smoked salmon – a medium cure with subtle smokiness, served unadorned. Grilled cod, cooked on the bone until opalescent and still moist, arrived with sea purslane, a salt marsh plant with a briny seafront flavour. Not so successful was the Dickensian-sounding beef and oyster pie. Its burnished crust, which held a single oyster, was hard, and the filling overcooked to the point of dryness. Crunchy chips were fabulous yet bubble and squeak was cold at its heart. The flavours of drop scones served with honeycomb ice-cream and honey worked a treat, but were spoilt by burnt bits hidden at the bottom. Service, though willing, can be a bit clumsy, giving a sense of amateurishness to an otherwise professional operation. The drinks list contains an imaginative choice of Brit-brews.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009