Restaurants

It’s difficult to say which aspect of this Gary establishment is most impressive: the view or the grub. The first is a feast for the eyes, without doubt: best at night, when the Gherkin wears its jolly red belt and the city is a twinkling ocean as far as the eye can see. But the food – and service – are equally stunning. Everything is presented with ceremony, from the amuse-gueule butternut soup with tiny tapenade pinwheel that began our meal, to the petits fours that finished it (neither charged for). In between, the food was precise, delicious and of immaculate quality and seasonality. Dishes such as crisply based cep tart on a fan of jerusalem artichoke; a perfectly textured mutton and onion suet pud with swede; and a celeriac cheese with roasted shallots, sprouts and chestnuts – all provided imaginative employment for earthy English roots and shoots on our February visit. Pricing is interesting, with starters not far behind mains, perhaps reflecting their luxurious ingredients and complex styles. The wine list has slim pickings at the low end, particularly for reds, but if our pure-tasting Côtes du Rhone rosé was any guide, the buyers know what they’re doing.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009