Black House Grill, Chester - Food a-loud

Dec 8 2006 By Tom Evans

Black House Grill

And the portions, while satisfying, fell short of being intimidatingly huge. Which meant puddings. Nothing on the dessert menu caught our eye but we were intrigued by a section of the cocktail menu that seemed, to the untrained eye, to consist of more desserts.

This offered the opportunity to have pudding but to call it a cocktail. Erica went for a Grand Marnier hot chocolate - a liquid pudding, in other words - while I went for something called a 'Number Four Split' - a tall glass of milkshake with chocolate sauce and strawberries, topped (no kidding) with a bourbon biscuit. Both were beautifully done, even if Erica's was a touch heavy on the booze for her taste.

If you're detecting something slightly pretentious about the dining experience, you're right. The place is self-consciously hip, from the bare brick decor to the Gordon Ramsay schtick blaring out from the kitchens. 'Some customers do find it a bit off-putting,' admitted a waitress when I asked about all the shouting. It doesn't get any more down-to-earth when you have a brief flick through the cocktail menu.

It's a 24-page glossy booklet, filled with arty black-and-white pictures of cocktail glasses and painstaking descriptions of the origins of the word 'espresso' and the history of Heineken. There's one on every table. You don't have time to sit down and read the thing (especially as they gave us a two-hour time limit), so why bother printing it?

Rant over. I'm being extremely harsh and I must stop because the food was simply outstanding and the service excellent, both of which matter far, far more than a bit of pretentious window-dressing. It's not cheap but it's not expensive either and its city setting makes it convenient as well as high-class. It's definitely worth shouting about. Yes?

YES CHEF!

Factfile

* Black House Grill, Newgate House, Newgate Street, Chester CH1 1DE
* Starters: Ravioli £5.95; clam chowder £4.50.
* Mains: Fajitas £9.55; steak £14.50; chips, vegetables and sauce £9.
*'Cocktails': Hot chocolate £2.75; split £3.75.
* Drinks: Water £3.75.
* Total (for two): £53.75 pBest bit: Flawless food.
* Worst bit: Pretentious presentation.
* Would suit: Trendy young things who appreciate quality food.
* Wouldn't suit: Anyone looking for a quiet, understated evening out.