Our punter says…

My nosy tendencies were immediately indulged on arrival at Core, with a revealing glass wall the only thing separating Clare Smyth and her chefs from the dining room. As a solo diner, cookbooks had been placed on my table for self-amusement, a consideration that epitomises the thought that has gone into the restaurant. Everyone was attentive, friendly and keen to explain dishes, with a helpful sommelier who selected an earthy, herbaceous wine to pair with my main course (though it did weigh in at a hefty £19.50 a glass!).

I overlooked the tempting tasting menus to choose from the three-course à la carte option.

Bulleit Bourbon, Italicus bergamot liqueur and manuka honey. A selection of ‘snacks’ swiftly materialised. Highlights were jellied eel on a

choux pastry filled with rich tomato and basil purée, and a sweet, smoky morsel of duck leg.

To start, I went for soft and crumbly Charlotte potato with a smooth beurre blanc packed with the umami punch of dulse, a red seaweed indigenous to Clare’s native County Antrim. I later overheard head sommelier Gareth Ferreira disclose that it was inadvertently becoming a signature dish.

Next the roast grouse, smoked over bell heather, intensely savoury with the help of a grouse jus glaze, silky bread sauce and powerful grouse faggot. Though a delicate crouton promised crunch, it quickly went soft on top of the bread sauce, and the dish could have featured more non-carnivorous components.

A reinvented cherry bakewell with sour cherries, spiky sorbet and biscuity crumb was a pleasant pre-dessert before a lemonade parfait. The palate-tingling parfait with delicately crisp honey tuile, creamy yogurt foam and lip-smacking lemon curd was the perfect end to a meal. But wait – earthy chocolate tart and spicy passion fruit and pepper jelly petits fours arrived to have the final say, and I certainly wasn’t complaining.

THE BOTTOM LINE

I usually feel out of place at such lofty culinary establishments, yet at Core I felt welcomed and comfortable. A beautiful setting, exciting menu and innovative new dishes provide a compelling argument to return.

Total for one, excluding service: £103.50