Howard Partridge
Google
Man make fire! This seems to be the hottest ticket in town at the end of summer 2018, because you'll need to book and because it's all about cooking red meat on the open wood fire. Whether you want to be in the restaurant close to that fire, or out on the warmly lit terrace will depend on the weather. (At 17 degrees both were full!) All that, great service at great pace and a sense of being where it's at, promises much. Generous and tasty terrine to begin with adds to the anticipation. However, the wood-fired meat doesn't quite deliver on all that promise. Perhaps because they ask how you want everything done, rather than cooking as it suits the meat and the fire best. For our meal, three very tasty lamb chops hadn't felt the fire enough to render and crisp their fat properly. While veal escalope (which was a poor choice on reflection but perhaps shouldn't be on the menu at all) was a sort of "protein map" of the heat of the fire; great in parts but too rare in others, then drowned in half a pint of (very tasty) mushroom source, disguising most of what was below. Tarte tatin to finish was spicy and sweet, but chef should step away from the squirty cream! Overall, it was a very nice place to spend an evening, but the main attraction didn't live up to its promise on this evening, so 3.
