Licence to Grille

Plush May 2007

From Hoxton to Harrogate, its quality all the way at Grille says Neil Frizzell.

The word yummy may seem a little unsophisticated, especially when talking about one of the most chic, cool and eagerly anticipated dining experiences to come to a city in the last ten years. But, frankly, the food at Grille is yummy. It is a truly brilliant example of great British and European cooking with exceptionally high quality ingredients, cooked with the kind of simplicity that can only be achieved by a supremely confident chef. Great raw ingredients cooked with skill and flair. Now, doesn’t that sound like a recipe for something yummy to you?

The Grille in Harrogate opened last month following the huge success of the sister restaurant in the very trendy East London district of Hoxton. Owners John Pallagi and Simon Wright hail originally from Yorkshire, so already understand the tastes of the Harrogate dining clientele. And it certainly shows. The restaurant itself, in the Balmoral hotel, on the green and leafy Franklin mount is both elegant and relaxed, rather like the diners seated within the bustling dining area.

The big leather sofas, exposed brick work, crisp lighting and large mirrors give the restaurant a luxuriant informality, which suits daytime dining just as much as an evening meal out. All of which is very useful, as Grille is open from 7am until midnight every day.

We visited Grille just two days after they opened, but already things were running along at a vibrant, efficient and friendly swing. As we sat at the bar enjoying our pre dinner drinks, I found time to look around at my fellow diners. Everyone seemed to be genuinely happy in their surroundings.

Like all truly great restaurants, what makes Grille such a pleasure is the food. The menu features many instantly recognisable favourites such as chicken Caesar salad or prawn cocktail for starters. But, just because these dishes are familiar, does not mean that they are in anyway unimaginative. In fact, to pull off a really good chicken liver parfait (£6) is almost harder than serving up something exotic, because as diners we judge them more harshly. Well, the parfait was splendid; as was the Roquefort cheese and spinach tart (£6.50) which my companion and I shared. The portions were generous, the tastes unfussy and the presentation as good as the décor of the restaurant had led us to expect.

For our mains I ordered the grilled swordfish niçoise salad (£15), whilst my companion, taking inspiration I think from the restaurant, chose T Bone steak with chips in a béarnaise sauce (£20). My swordfish was by far the most delicious fish I have eaten for months, if not years. It had a fantastic grilled, almost barbequed taste, and because it came on a bed of salad, beans and anchovies I could much away with all thoughts of expanding waistlines far from my mind. My partner’s steak came, rather excitingly, on a chopping board with a tin of thin French frites and was cooked to perfection.

To accompany my meal I had ordered from the over 25 different types of wine available by the glass (perfect for a wine enthusiast who wants to drink in moderation) a Banchetto Bianco from Italy, which went as well with my starter as with my main.

At this point in the meal, the informal dress code and comfy seats became a true blessing as I was able to relax, rest and prepare for pudding. Oh yes, with two such fantastic courses I was eager to try Grilles sweet selection.

My companion and I shared the dark chocolate truffle mousse with ice cream and dark chocolate shavings (£5.50) and the honeycomb cheesecake with marshmallow and raspberry ice cream (£5.50). They were both so delicious that I tried in a valiant display of pure greed to finish off both, but sadly the generosity of Grilles portions confounded me.

I suppose I’ll just have to try harder next time, because, with such high quality food, informal sophistication, a vibrant atmosphere and great choice, I shall certainly be returning to Grille very soon indeed.