As an aside, this was the Tuesday evening just after Valentine’s weekend, so perhaps understandable! Also shows how far behind I’m getting with my blog…
Absolutely nothing wrong with having four neat squares of crust-removed Welsh rarebit for canapes, the cheese still hot melted and the pickle beneath tangy and sweet. The amuse bouche of roast garlic and shallot soup was punchy and warming, fighting valiantly against the 200th day of crappy weather going on outside. We both picked the same starter: mackerel fillet with crab and potato galette and pickled beetroot. This was a soothing and homely dish, the mackerel cooked perfect with crispy skin, the crab only slightly there in the couple of fat little potato cakes and the beetroot delicately pickled. It would have been a lovely light lunch, but a bit big and simple for a snazzy starter.
Our shared dessert, a presentation of autumn fruit, was my favourite pud for quite some time. The apple parfait sprinkled with bright green sugar carried the taste of cox’s orange pippins straight from childhood. The apple tart next door was crackingly good in delicate pastry. In the middle sat a tiny pint of guinness, which turned out to be a blindingly good mulled wine jelly with cream on top. Next door to that was a pretty pink poached pear with spicy cardamom ice cream and a cinnamon – or surely cassia? – tuile. Last but not least, a little jar crammed with a delicious plum crumble, the crumble baked with enough star anise to make it sing like Barry White.
Two dishes at 5 North Street were cracking, and maybe we just picked the safe starter. The food was £50 each for 3 courses, and I think that’s probably about bang on for the quality. There’s a decent wine list with a range of options, and we had a good half-bottle of claret. I enjoyed the peace and quiet, but I suppose when (not if) we come back we’ll probably have to put up with some fellow diners!
