MARK TAYLOR ENJOYS A PINT AND A PIZZA

Despite its flaws and gatecrashing tourists, this restaurant has potential, says Mark Taylor

IMAY be doing them a huge disservice but I would put money on the fact Kazakhstan-born siblings Andrzej and Inna Dombrowski don’t possess a particularly deep knowledge of English cricketers and probably don’t realise they’ve named their restaurant after one of the best.

As a cricket-obsessed kid growing up in the 1970s, one of my heroes was Kent player Derek Underwood who was one of England’s all-time great spin bowlers and a man who certainly deserves to be remembered by some sort of monument, even if it’s a restaurant in Bath.

Sadly, there was no evidence of signed shirts, bats or framed photos of Underwood on display at the restaurant on Argyle Street so let’s assume the owners didn’t look to England’s great spinner for inspiration. Still, at least the food might bowl you over.

At first glance, it’s not entirely clear what Underwood is. The front area is more of a cocktail joint but beyond the bar, there is a small dining room overlooking Pulteney Weir and a larger dining area downstairs.

One of the problems faced by a lot of central Bath restaurants is that many city visitors treat them more like free tourist attractions.

Within minutes of my arrival, a group of German tourists with wet backpacks wandered into the dining room, brushing past my table to have a look at the view of the weir from the window.

Once they had snapped a couple of souvenir shots with their iPhones, they walked back out of the restaurant. Perhaps staff should install some sort of turnstile or at least start charging for photos. They’d make a fortune.

Thankfully, the four Americans who arrived soon after actually stayed for a meal and they were certainly thrilled to bag the best table looking down at the River Avon swirling beneath Pulteney Bridge.

‘Wow, Bert, that’s a fantastic view,’ purred Bert’s wife, trying to be heard over a decidedly retro musical backdrop – everything from Toto’s Africa to Imagination’s Just An Illusion. It was a bit like being at a party where the DJ only had early copies of the Now That’s What I Call Music! compilation series.

Bert, meanwhile, was trying to order the roast beef even though it was Thursday. The Sunday menu had been erroneously added to the other menus on the clipboard.

It was all a bit chaotic, truth be told. The young waiter then asked me if I wanted my starter at the same time as the main course. Oh dear.

The head chef at Underwood is Scott Galloway, whose CV includes stints at Homewood Park and the Royal Crescent hotels. His food is modern European, although the evening menu also includes ‘bar snacks’ of burgers and charcuterie boards.

I began with the Forshmak (£8.50), a Jewish dish that looked like a savoury cheesecake with its puck of rye bread topped with a creamy mix of fermented salted herring, slices of green apple and speckles of red Russian caviar. It was a dish that promised a little more than it delivered, the fishy topping being claggy and the flavours all falling a bit flat.

It was followed by rump of lamb (£22) which was carefully cooked, pink and velvety. It was teamed with a punchy aubergine and black garlic puree, fluffy potato fondant, buttery confit shallot, crunchy tenderstem broccoli and rich and varnish-like red wine jus.

To finish, peach and pink Champagne mousse (£8) was a smooth sphere of sponge and mousse streaked with peach puree, flanked by almost-ripe slices of peach, pert raspberries and red berries which added a nice thwack of acidity to cut through the creaminess of the mousse.

It brought to a close a meal that was excellent in parts and average in others and by the end, I was warming to Underwood despite its flaws and gatecrashing tourists.

From the street, it might look like a cocktail bar that serves a bit of food but that would be underselling it somewhat. I think there’s a good restaurant trying to get out, it just needs to push a bit harder. And perhaps put some Derek Underwood photos up.

RATING: 3.5/5

Underwood, 19 Argyle Street, Bath, BA2 4BQ Tel: 01225 807770 www.underwoodbath.com

> Rump of lamb (£22) was carefully cooked, pink and velvety