The List Eating & Drinking Guide 2006

 

Hitlist:  -- The New Bell

 

 
Richard and Michelle Heller's creation goes from strength to strength. A blissful bolthole in the upstairs of a 17th century Causewayside inn, with low ceilings, wooden floors, Persian rugs, old photographs and mellow walls, the New Bell offers a rare blend of charm and chutzpah that pulls in bright young things and spoilt locals. Service is personal and prompt, and Richard's food is Scottish at its best; fine ingredients done new justice by treatments that are thoughtful rather than merely tricksy. Bramble and chocolate sauce brings out the depth of a tender pan-fried haunch of venison, while a langoustine and champagne sauce plays

 

 perfectly with the lightness of the monkfish coupled with a crab, parmesan and saffron potato cake and sugar snap peas for bite. Every dish is utterly harmonious, from a starter of seared scallops with celeriac remoulade, apple sauce and crispy black pudding backdrop, to a deliciously lazy hazelnut parfait with caramel sauce and almond tuille. No show-off histrionic statements, but an inventive and beautifully thought-out menu cooked with extreme skill and respect. Leave the post-and-four at the door, relax under the romantic lighting and indulge in fantasies of a time when all roadside refreshments were this good.