Mark Anderson eats al fresco at Hotel du Vin
Bloody typical, we’re enjoying one of the best British summers any of us can remember and I arrive at Hotel du Vin to sample the season’s Al Fresco Menu on one of the few rainy days in July.
No matter, I was meeting an old friend who always brings a sunny demeanour with him to our infrequent working lunches. I say working, no work ever takes place, but every day is a working day for him so we pretend its work and he’s tacked on a meeting with his creative people at Ouseburn’s nearby Toffee Factory to make it look as though it was all brilliantly well planned, which it never is.
We settle ourselves next to a window in the hotel’s bistro restaurant where we can at least admire the decked courtyard that is often thronged in good weather as it provides one of the best outdoor eating spots in the city, while my friend regales me with tales from Glastonbury festival spent with his teenage daughter and we bond over a new and shared passion for VW camper vans.
And so Hotel du Vin’s Al Fresco menu fits the bill. A short, simple collection of bistro dishes designed for the summer season. The menu offers two courses for £25 with a half bottle of wine, or three for £30 – knock off a fiver if like me you need a siesta after a glass at lunchtime, but do give it a go if not as my friend smacked his lips over the lemony La Picoutine white offered with his lunch.
We both went with the ham and nectarine starter which was suitably light and fresh. I’d have liked a little bread to mop up the tasty oil dressing and should have asked for it as du Vin bake their own.
I’ve lived on bread, olives and cheese through the so-far stunning summer, and a meal seems incomplete without a crusty wedge. We flicked through the Glasto pics on the iPad and planned a joint assault on next year’s festival in twin campers as our mains arrived. A risotto of summer vegetables for him and poached salmon for me. I can’t wax too lyrical on either – both dishes are beautifully presented, well cooked and tasty; good examples of fresh, light, simple cooking that the season, for once, requires and we enjoyed them.
We’re both regulars here and as usual we enjoyed the smiling, relaxed attention of the staff and want to congratulate the wine waiter in particular on his knowledge and enthusiasm for every glass poured. As I write this we are promised more good weather but my tip would be to look out of the window and if you see a bit of blue, pop down and sample a taste of summer in one of the nicest possible settings. Pretend to be working if you must.
