THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Coast

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Coast Restaurant Review:

It will come as no surprise that this was once a car showroom, yet the design takes it light years away from paintwork and chrome bumpers. The plate-glass window stretches the entire width of the restaurant, with ’coast’ engraved across it in a specially designed typeface. If you are a group you may be ushered into one of the fairground-like booths, teacup shaped for comfort and privacy, or one of the specially commissioned open tables that rise, pod-like, from the parquet floor. Once past the door staff---long on attitude and short on charm---the mood is decidedly hip and trendy, with noise echoing around the room to good, if sometimes loud, effect. Stephen Terry is back in the kitchen once more and serving up eclectic, sometimes wacky, combinations to a well-heeled set of bright and fashionable young things. He has mellowed somewhat though, with starters like ravioli of salmon and crab in lemon grass and ginger bouillon; a salad of ironbark pumpkin, crispy artichokes and Parmesan; and smoked eel, with caramelised pineapple, pancetta and red wine sauce. The twists on dishes remain in main courses, as in Welsh black beef, foie gras, chips and a fried quail’s egg; or lamb, again Welsh, with tapenade, courgette fries and tomato. Desserts tend to be classical---tarts and ices. The wine list is a delight, a reflection of owner Oliver Peyton’s passion.