Who knew cabbage could be so exciting? I have to confess
that thus far in my life, I have failed to be thrilled by brassicas of any
kind. But Richard Buckley and the team at Demuth’s have entirely changed all
that, and I don’t mind admitting that while they were about it, they got me to
think differently about the whole concept of vegetarianism too. At this cosy,
elegant little restaurant on North Parade Passage, you won’t find any of the
usual risottos or pasta dishes on the menu – here, it’s all about serving the
most beautiful seasonal vegetables in a way that makes them really sing.
While we were perusing the menu and getting stuck into a
nice glass of red, we were served wild garlic bread with salted butter – a
really delicious appetiser, with a lovely delicate garlic flavour running
through the bread. As the sky darkened outside and the candles were lit, we
were treated to a beautiful view of the Abbey, softly lit-up, just outside our
window.
To start, I chose beetroot sprinkled with fresh mint and
served with ewe’s cheese and a blackcurrant dressing. The mint with the
beetroot was gorgeous and unusual, and the sweetness was nicely balanced by the
sharp blackcurrant dressing. However, I think of the two I’d probably recommend
the starter Mike (my boyfriend) chose – mixed brassicas with steamed garlic
custard and a redcurrant & tarragon dressing. This is the moment when I
realised cabbage could be exciting – I would say it was deep-fried, because it
was crisp and packed with salty flavour. I could honestly eat a whole plateful
and go back for more.
For the main course, I had a goat’s cheese & lemon thyme
royale, with cherry sauce and fondant potato. The potatoes were fabulous – rich
and yet soft, somewhere between roasted and boiled – and the cherry sauce was
full of deep, bold flavour. I was expecting the goat’s cheese to provide
the biggest flavour in the dish but it
was actually a little shy for my taste buds, although it did go very well with
the cherry sauce. Mike chose crisp potato batons with fresh peas
and a pea sauce, which was exquisite in its presentation (bold red radishes
making a lovely contrast with the creamy pale green pea sauce) and delicious to
boot, although again, I thought the potatoes were the star of the dish.
By the time we got to dessert, we were both feeling rather
full, so we shared a plate of little chocolate fancies – spiced chocolate
ganache, cardamom chocolate parfait and honeycomb, served with an orange and passion
fruit gel. The beauty of this dish was that the chocolate wasn’t allowed to
overwhelm the fruit, which came through with wonderful summery flavours. The
chocolate was rich but just the right side of bitter, so that it wasn’t cloying
after two previous courses – this was probably due in part to the fact that the
whole dish was vegan, which is quite amazing. Plenty of the items on the menu
here are vegan and/or gluten-free, so this is a brilliant place to keep in mind
if you have guests whose food requirements are a little trickier to cater for.
In short, if your taste buds are a little jaded or you’re
just eager to try something new and exciting, this is a brilliant place to
check out. And if you like what you find, note that Demuth’s also runs a
fabulous Vegetarian Cookery School, with courses ranging from Moroccan to
Italian, via tapas and desserts. Check out http://www.vegetariancookeryschool.com/about/introduction/
for more.
While we were perusing the menu and getting stuck into a
nice glass of red, we were served wild garlic bread with salted butter – a
really delicious appetiser, with a lovely delicate garlic flavour running
through the bread. As the sky darkened outside and the candles were lit, we
were treated to a beautiful view of the Abbey, softly lit-up, just outside our
window.