The Art School

I visited the Art School last night as recommended by my date (which makes a change as usually I’m in charge of these matters).
I therefore had no idea what to expect from this visit.
We entered the restaurant as a fairly late booking at 21:00 and were immediately offered a seat by the fire while we settled in and worked out what we wanted to do about food and drink.
Both menus that night came with a complementary glass of champagne but we opted for some Gin and Tonics (and they have quite an impressive selection to choose from and they come well presented).
Both menus also came with a collection of canapes and we were asked about our dietary needs (none) before they were served at the fire. We weren’t rushed at any point despite being clearly the last people to arrive for the evening.
We opted for the tasting menu with the accompanying wine flight and that’s when the magic began. I’m a huge fan of being told what it is you’re eating or drinking by somebody who is clearly passionate about the subject. Both our waiter and the sommelier were clearly in that category and guided us expertly through our (many) courses.
The highlights? The spanish black pudding with the perfectly cooked scallop and accompanying salad (with lovely little slices of granny smith) and a perfectly chosen glass of Sauvignon Blanc from the new world. The goose and rhubarb with the powerful St Emilion and the cheese — oh the cheese course.
Eating all this food took us well over four hours and by the time we had finished the chef (Paul Askew) had left the building but not before coming over to have a wee chat with us about our experience.
Again not at any point were we rushed to finish, despite being the only customers left in the restaurant so I want to thank their entire team for being so friendly and welcoming. This is what a dining experience should be. We were even asked a couple of times if were happy with the cadence of delivery and if we needed a break before the next course — fantastic.
Things I’d change? Not very much — I’d probably have replaced the little steak course with something more interesting. Gee yes — I think that’s probably it. Wow.