EVER since I cracked open the finest crme brule I've ever tasted at Duke's Hotel in Bath, I've been wanting to try out the hotel's latest offshoot, Blinis.
This delicatessen doubles as a restaurant, sharing the same cook as Duke's Hotel two-star Michelin chef Martin Blunos and has at least two unique attractions.
The first is that you can enjoy a great view of the Avon, as Blinis is perched overlooking the weir beneath Pulteney Bridge. The second is that if you like the food here, you're in with half a chance of repeating the experience at home the delicatessen features a range of ingredients used on the menu.
There's a small snackbar at the rear of the deli, and a curtain hides a flight of stairs leading to the basement.
Here, the lunchtime shopper can unwind in a sumptuous setting among deeply padded furnishings, bolster cushions, wine-coloured carpet and crisp white linen.
We were given a canap to start; a piping hot risotto ball which had been fried until golden, served with a little sprig of salad. Spot on.
We both ordered asparagus soup with creme fraiche to start. It arrived in its own miniature soup terrine and was delicate and smooth with pieces of fresh asparagus floating beneath the surface.
Then I chose fresh new season pea and bean risotto served with a mixed leaf salad, and Gavin chose halibut fillet with peppers and aubergine, finished with warm shellfish oil.
The risotto had a light toasted surface, and beneath was a creamy risotto, gorgeously fresh. The salad was just slightly adventurous, with a little parsley and dill and a light dressing that allowed the herbs to enjoy a bit of the limelight.
Gavin's halibut fillet was pretty sensational, too. It was beautifully presented, nicely cooked and topped with a piece of celeriac. Again, the shellfish oil on the vegetables was subtle, making its presence known without screaming blue murder.
For dessert, we had the poached pear and rice pudding. Despite its ordinary name, the rice pudding is anything but. It looked like a deep-fried snowball and tasted fantastic.
The poached pear sat among tiny squirls of caramel, alongside an upright crescent of homemade wafer, which was weighted down with a ball of homemade ginger ice-cream. Superb.
Criticisms are few, but the lunch menu is limited and this is extremely pricey, if fine, dining.
You get what you pay for, but at £20 a head for lunch and roughly £40 for dinner, make sure your occasion deserves it.
Blinis Delicatessen and Restaurant
16 Argyle Street, Bath
(01225) 422510
Fact File
The restaurant opens Tuesday-Saturday inclusive for lunch and dinner
Vegetarian options are available
Evening set menu is £44.50 per person
No smoking in the dining room
Gourmet hampers from the deli
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