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heat, so you might think summer is not the best time to open a new restaurant. Still, in some cases it does give a place time to find its feet before those cooler months, much better suited to gluttony. Though in the case of Stephen Bull (full report next month) and Burt's no such settling-in period is needed. Both opened over the last few weeks and both already look set to earn themselves a comfortable place right at the top of the culinary league table. Burt's is from the stable of Inigo Jones, the enormously successful restaurant own- ed by Jean-Jacques Kaeser and Peter Ward. Having noticed the increasing de- mand for good vegetarian food, they de- cided to open another restaurant which offered nothing but fish and vegetable dishes. This has been modified so as not to alienate confirmed carnivores but the im- petus is decidedly Green.
Vegetarianism used to mean basket- weave and oatflecked pottery, but not any longer. Kaeser and Ward have fitted out their restaurant accordingly. In you go through a dark tinted-glass door, so dark in fact that you begin to wonder if the restaurant has actually opened yet. Just past the vestibule is a modishly equipped bar, against which stand a line of spanking new, sparkling chrome stools cushioned in grey leather. A single file of white-napped tables stretches out to the back of the room and along its periphery; walls are a bleached-out blue-grey covered with a fashionable array of black-and-white and sepia prints. The newness of the place combined with the starkness of the decor gives an impression of coldness at the moment but no doubt time will mellow it.
Paul Gayler, the chef at Inigo Jones, has masterminded the menu here. At any rate, he is tagged its 'executive chef, though the white hat is worn by a protégé of his, Phil Mears, who, at just 23, shows himself to be a chef of considerable talent — we shall no doubt be hearing more from him. There is just a hint of pretension about the menu, with its headings 'FROM THE EARTH' and `FROM THE SEA', but the cooking is good enough for this not to matter.
Terrestrial produce first then. You have a choice of four starters: a chilled water- cress soup with mint and cucumber; terrine of leeks, artichoke, truffles and cabecou cheese which comes with a beetroot vinaig- rette; cold fennel soufflé with tapenade, the pungent olive paste from Provence, and vinaigrette-soused little vegetables; and a spring roll filled with grated celeriac, a superb creation, nutty and aromatic, scented and flavoured with coriander, sesame oil, soya and red wine vinegar. Piscivores could start with a hickory- smoked eel mousseline; slivers of salmon, carpaccio-thin, marinaded with lemon balm, shallots and ginger, which comes with shellfish tempura; oysters, or a warm thyme-infused salad of red mullet and potatoes in a pastis vinaigrette.
The couple on the next table were having the main course of sable of polenta and woodland mushrooms, a golden, cris- py case surrounded with turnips and broc- coli and creamy morel sauce, and as it wafted towards me I was tempted, but decided to give some fish a go instead. Of the two we tried — the salmon, cut in thick round chunks like tournedos, topped with egg-yellow saffron mousseline, in cucum- ber and chive sauce, and the brill, which was steamed and came lying in a light vanilla-scented sauce with chopped basil and diced raw tomatoes — the brill was truly magnificent.
Puddings are exceptional. From the reg- ular menu we chose a wafer-thin apple tart with apple sorbet and calvados sabayon and I haven't had anything quite like it since I was last in Normandy. The special of the day was a pistachio and liquorice parfait, beautifully textured, beautifully aromatic, so good that I must plead with Mr Mears to put it on the menu every day without fail.
Compared with the menu the wine list is a snip — at least there is a good choice of wines to choose from below the £13 mark, as well as the grander ones for a lot more, and four house wines ranging from £7.50 to £11.30 a bottle. But now for the bad news: dinner for the two of us, with three glasses of champagne and a half bottle of crisp white wine from the Loire, three courses each and coffee afterwards, plus service at 15 per cent, came to just over £90. Make friends with someone with an expense account.
Burt's, 42 Dean Street, London WI; tel 01-734 3339.
Nigella Lawson
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