The Place Bar & Brasserie, Chichester
Chichester's Ship Hotel has seen several makeovers in recent years, and has a style that suits this rather grand city centre Georgian building with its circular Adam staircase. It's worth popping in to see this feature alone.
Matt Wolfman and Mike Ashton took over the Ship recently, and the transformation has come on apace. And no more so than in the restaurant.
Now renamed The Place Bar and Brasserie, the same two-tiered restaurant with conservatory remains, as well as the very spacious bar, but it has been jazzed-up with new comfy tweedy brown chairs, white panelling and snazzy silver-edged mirrors.
Staff bend over backwards to make sure you have a good time.
The new chef has been given his brief – to source local, organic, seasonal produce and pare down the menu to match the minimal good looks of the hotel.
Increasingly, West Sussex and Hampshire have produce to boast about, and the menu is dotted with well-sourced ingredients such as the excellent Sussex Parmesan and feta, Selsey Bill crab, South Down lamb and O'Hagan's pork and apple sausages.
Ice cream comes from far away in relative terms – Devon – but at least it's organic and sourced from a small farm, so that's OK.
Fish is of the 'we only serve locally-caught, non-threatened species' variety.
There's samphire, a rarity, on the menu as well as caperberries, local asparagus and home-made burgers. The list is a small, well thought-out mix.
Prices range from £5.90 for chicken liver pate with onion jam and rustic toast, £7.90 for the potted Selsey Bill crab and £5.75 for a warm, crispy pork belly salad to seared scallops with ginger, garlic and chilli (£7.90) for starters. Many of these are available as a main course.
Mains include grilled mackerel fillets with a fennel salad, new potatoes and garlic mayo (£12.90) and honey and harissa free-range chicken with tabouleh salad and a cucumber and mint raita (£11.95).
Vegetarians are served by tagliatelle or a spinach, feta and tomato pancake, both at £10.50. Or choose some of the same dishes that turn up in a £12.50 two-course menu for lunchers and pre-theatre goers.
My first clue of good chefdom came with the 'rustic' bread, a fine basket served with good butter or a slick of olive oil and balsamic. This was compounded by what turned out to be one of the better fishcakes I have had this side of the South Downs.
Served with buttered spinach and a parsley sauce, the cake contained mackerel rather than the usual salmon, for which full marks. It was topped with hot horseradish-type sprouting pea shoots – an inspired touch. The spinach was ace, as was a wine reduced green sauce. An extra dish (£3) of samphire, a sea vegetable often called sea asparagus, was simply boiled and tossed in butter. And it was delicious.
Dan Woodbridge, the chef, prefers to make his own puds, bar the Devon ice cream. The short list includes creme brulee, 'the Ship's own gorgeous treacle tart with creme anglaise,' three-nut chocolate brownies or fresh fruit pavlova with fresh local cream summing up how it can be done.
The Place has a heart and soul when it comes to cooking.
You'll find well-sourced quality food more akin to a brasserie – exactly its lauded aims.
My bill came to £20.63, including a passable sauvignon blanc and service.
The Place Bar & Brasserie, Ship Hotel, North Street, Chichester. 01242 778000.
Open: Midday-3pm and 5.30pm (6pm Suns)-10pm all week.
Food: ****
Service: ****
Atmosphere: ****
Disabled access: Yes.
Smoking: No.
How to get there: Exit the A27 at the Tesco roundabout on to the A259 (Via Ravenna), left on to Orchard Street (A286) and right on to North Street at the Northgate roundabout. Car park.
Now renamed The Place Bar and Brasserie, the same two-tiered restaurant with conservatory remains, as well as the very spacious bar, but it has been jazzed-up with new comfy tweedy brown chairs, white panelling and snazzy silver-edged mirrors.
Staff bend over backwards to make sure you have a good time.
The new chef has been given his brief – to source local, organic, seasonal produce and pare down the menu to match the minimal good looks of the hotel.
Increasingly, West Sussex and Hampshire have produce to boast about, and the menu is dotted with well-sourced ingredients such as the excellent Sussex Parmesan and feta, Selsey Bill crab, South Down lamb and O'Hagan's pork and apple sausages.
Ice cream comes from far away in relative terms – Devon – but at least it's organic and sourced from a small farm, so that's OK.
Fish is of the 'we only serve locally-caught, non-threatened species' variety.
There's samphire, a rarity, on the menu as well as caperberries, local asparagus and home-made burgers. The list is a small, well thought-out mix.
Prices range from £5.90 for chicken liver pate with onion jam and rustic toast, £7.90 for the potted Selsey Bill crab and £5.75 for a warm, crispy pork belly salad to seared scallops with ginger, garlic and chilli (£7.90) for starters. Many of these are available as a main course.
Mains include grilled mackerel fillets with a fennel salad, new potatoes and garlic mayo (£12.90) and honey and harissa free-range chicken with tabouleh salad and a cucumber and mint raita (£11.95).
Vegetarians are served by tagliatelle or a spinach, feta and tomato pancake, both at £10.50. Or choose some of the same dishes that turn up in a £12.50 two-course menu for lunchers and pre-theatre goers.
My first clue of good chefdom came with the 'rustic' bread, a fine basket served with good butter or a slick of olive oil and balsamic. This was compounded by what turned out to be one of the better fishcakes I have had this side of the South Downs.
Served with buttered spinach and a parsley sauce, the cake contained mackerel rather than the usual salmon, for which full marks. It was topped with hot horseradish-type sprouting pea shoots – an inspired touch. The spinach was ace, as was a wine reduced green sauce. An extra dish (£3) of samphire, a sea vegetable often called sea asparagus, was simply boiled and tossed in butter. And it was delicious.
Dan Woodbridge, the chef, prefers to make his own puds, bar the Devon ice cream. The short list includes creme brulee, 'the Ship's own gorgeous treacle tart with creme anglaise,' three-nut chocolate brownies or fresh fruit pavlova with fresh local cream summing up how it can be done.
The Place has a heart and soul when it comes to cooking.
You'll find well-sourced quality food more akin to a brasserie – exactly its lauded aims.
My bill came to £20.63, including a passable sauvignon blanc and service.
The Place Bar & Brasserie, Ship Hotel, North Street, Chichester. 01242 778000.
Open: Midday-3pm and 5.30pm (6pm Suns)-10pm all week.
Food: ****
Service: ****
Atmosphere: ****
Disabled access: Yes.
Smoking: No.
How to get there: Exit the A27 at the Tesco roundabout on to the A259 (Via Ravenna), left on to Orchard Street (A286) and right on to North Street at the Northgate roundabout. Car park.
