Often, ?fine dining? is enough to make you break out in a cold sweat.
The formality, the diddy portion sizes and the thrusting of wine bottles up your nostrils, in some kind of mysterious exercise in self-importance. It?s almost like lathering in pretention is the dish of the day.
Dish, however, offer the best of both worlds. Some mouthwatering plates of food, lavished with expertise and fine ingredients, but in a cosy and relaxed atmosphere.
On entering we?re welcomed kindly by the waiter as you would hope. The only issue is he?s the only one. Despite it being almost a ?boutique? restaurant ? for want of a better word ? and only having three other tables to service, we waited for a considerable time for attention, by which we not only had picked our drinks, but also our food too.
It?s a good job the grub was worth the wait?
I chose the soup of the day, tomato and chilli tuscan bean. There was no lie told when I was generously informed there would be a slight kick to proceedings. Accompanied by a side of delightful sour breads, the soup warmed the soul and kicked the back of the throat.
To my tastes, it was ideal. Stepping out of the brisk February air, I needed something to heat me up and it did, in more ways than one. A satisfying tomato tang that is as familiar as any, followed by the sharp hit to the pallet thanks to the chilli really clears up your mind, body and soul.
My friend went for the saffron macaroni with a telagio gratin and aged parmesan. The effervescent saffron and fulsome parmesan brilliantly brought alive a dish so engrained into this nation?s culinary canon.
Dish pride themselves on providing a modern British dining experience and it?s easy to see eye to eye with that line of thinking. The Pre-Theatre menu mains show highlights of fine British cooking; from the slow-roasted belly pork to the goat?s cheese beignet (fritter to me and thee).
I, however, opt for the pot roasted chicken thighs curiously placed on a bed of chickpeas and pearl barley. Thankfully, it was more appetising on the pallet than it was to the eye.
However, the chicken is cooked so well it falls off the bone ? as tender and as succulent as you could hope for. The pearl barley and chickpea add a richness and texture that allows for the degree of simplicity to shine through with a great deal of success.
It is presented well but you can?t help but feel it misses a slight bit of gusto in the form of some colour and perhaps even some seasoning that would further bring the dish to life.
The other main is the fish of the day; sea bream, potato, beetroot and wild nettle and walnut pesto. Admittedly, this is a considerably better rounded dish. Pleasing to the eye, the pallet and not at all overbearing.
The richness of the beetroot complements the dexterity of the potato and adds vivacity to the plate, allowing for the sea bream to come to life ? purely figuratively of course. Add in the curious nettle and walnut pesto and the dish becomes very well put together and realised.
Cooking fish to excellence is often a perilous task. Yet, Dish seems to have no trouble. Light, flavoursome and it comes apart with a beautiful ease highlighting a great deal of care.
It just seemed a shame that the lax service hindered the enjoyment somewhat. No tap water despite a clear request for some and a failure to replace cutlery after the starter seems like self-defeating laziness, for which there should be no excuse.
Never before had I come across the Tonka Bean ? knowingly, anyway. I was told to expect vanilla overtones with a cinnamon kick on top of the Rhubarb Crumble it comes with. I waited with a great deal of interest.
The waiter was not wrong. The sweet crunch of the crumble, the sharp twist of the rhubarb and the hit of the Tonka custard could not have gone better together. An archetypal British winter dessert with an inventive modern twist, which left me feeling as warm and content as I could have hope.
The other dessert was a white chocolate mousse with almond truffle. The delicacy of the mousse was the most striking aspect. The spoon slices through like a knife in water and the almond truffle adds a satisfying, palatable contrast and a delectable crunch.
The Pre-Theatre set menu offers two courses for ?13.50, three courses for ?16.50 and three courses and a glass of wine, bottle of Heineken or a soft drink for just ?19.50. We had the latter with a 175ml glass of Pleno Viura, a fruity, dry white that refreshed the pallet and complemented the main courses especially. ?39.00 is considerable value for the quality, quantity and quintessential Britishness on offer.
Dish focus their efforts on creating a menu of modern, British cooking that is as salivating on the plate as it is on paper. To a large extent they succeed. Hearty, traditional ingredients that are presented in a contemporary manor to create a vibrancy and uniqueness to their reputation. There is a good ambiance too ? it never seems too posh or too casual, and the staff are knowledgeable and friendly.
But they occasionally let themselves down as a result of their own atmosphere. Small and well formed it is, but attention to detail in terms of service is important. Leaving one member of floor staff bordered on the ridiculous at times. That should not take away from a delightful menu and sumptuous dishes, however. Dish should be known for some outstanding food and given time, it?s a dead cert they will be.
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