When The Boat Comes In
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Recommendation added: 23/02/2006 22:28
By: hippychick (YSUK rating +19)hippychick has been thanked 2 times for this contribution
"Norwich has a wealth of many different styles of eateries, from cheap and cheerful to expensive and sumptuous. Along Magdalen Street, a little way past the cathedral and the Maid's Head Hotel is Brummell's Seafood Restaurant, which is definitely in the expensive and sumptuous range
The frontage is simple and discreet with the entrance tucked along the side and accessed down a small alleyway, with a small but elegant courtyard. On entering the restaurant you are greeted, usually, by the owner himself and settled into a snug lounge area with small tables and in winter an open fire. Over an aperitif enjoy the luxury as you peruse the wonderful menu and wine list. Your biggest problem will be selecting form the delicious range of food on offer. The main emphasis is on seafood, but there is also meat and of course a vegetarians are amply catered for
After choosing you are left to relax as your food is prepared and then any unfinished drinks are taken to your table in the main restaurant. The restaurant is beautiful, with the expected crisp table linen, glistening glasses and polished cutlery. The room is small, intimate and cosy, without feeling overcrowded, as the owner will not book in too many people at once. The walls abound with paintings, knickknacks and objet d'arts. In fact there is so much to look at from farm implements, to unsurprisingly, fish paintings, that should you be unfortunate enough to have a dull dinner companion there is enough to look at and to spark conversation
On our last visit we indulged ourselves and really pushed the boat out. To start with we had baby octopus in red wine and its own ink and seafood pancakes with cheese and a green aniseed sauce. Both were delicious the pancakes were small, soft and rich and melted in my mouth. The baby octopus was adorably cute (as long as you aren't squeamish of course!), again quite a rich starter but as the portions are small this does not ruin your appetite for the main course. After the starters a small complimentary sorbet arrived to cleanse out palate in preparation for the focal event of the evening
For the main meal my partner had the top of the range seafood platter and what sight it was to behold; every type of seafood you could wish for from oysters to lobster and assorted cold fish served on a bed of ice and garnished with salad. At thirty-five pounds it was definitely not cheap, but for a special night out it is just perfect. The seafood is all extremely fresh and prepared and laid out beautifully. Each mouthful is sublime. I opted for skate wing with blackened butter, a luscious large portion of skate drizzled in a nutty black butter. The fish peeled away from the bone just as it should and tasted fresh and clean
To accompany our meals we had one portion of salad and one of fresh vegetables. The salad was abundance of crisp produce and the vegetables were a selection of just cooked baby corn, mange touts, and new potatoes that still had that slight crunch that I like. Nothing lets a good meal down more than overcooked soggy vegetables in my opinion
The portions are good-sized, large enough to satisfy the hungriest of appetites but not so overwhelming or stodgy that we couldn't fit a small desert in. I chose strawberries with black pepper. Now when I first read this I didn't honestly believe anyone would really put pepper on strawberries, but it's true! My dish of strawberries arrived with light peppering of black pepper (sorry!) and to my surprise the combination if the two tastes was excellent and melded well with the meringue and sweetness of the Chantilly cream. My partner had the amaretto chocolate mousse, again something I would not normally choose as I don't really like amaretto, but I enjoyed the small taste I was allowed so much that I almost wished I had chosen it too. It is a small serving but nobody, not even a dedicated chocoholic like myself could eat much of it, as it is so divinely rich
We have been to Brummell's a few times over the years and have never once been let down. Perfectly cosy and warm for cold winter nights with the curtains drawn across the large windows and cooler, but still with the intimacy it is renowned for, on summer nights. The patron, Andrew Brummell is an excellent host, attentive to each guests every need, yet not all intrusive. At times he may seem a little dour when compared to some other waiters and owners we have encountered, he is quite possibly one of our favourite restaurant owners and after a leisurely dinner we often sit and chat with him at the bar
I can definitely recommend Brummell's if you like seafood as the range on offer is superb; just look at the website to see their ample menus: http://www.brummells.co.uk/. One word of warning if you do decide to visit, this is not a cheap night out - on one occasion we managed to spend over two hundred pounds in one night. Admittedly, we really pulled no punches and indulged in the most expensive foods, some very fine wine, including a sumptuously sweet dessert wine, liqueur coffees and brandies at the bar. But for an exceptional night out it really was worth every single penny. Luckily we had just enough money on us for a cab home. After all, at the end of such a magnificent night out the last thing we felt like doing was walking anywhere"
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