Merchants

To quote its own description of itself, with which most would agree, Merchants is a hearty British brasserie. This in itself is a refreshing statement in a world where so many gastropubs - the concept is fine but the word should never have been invented - are in fact doing much the same job as the old brasseries were wont to do.

They go on to say that they advocate no-nonsense, wholesome cooking using only the finest ingredients and drawing inspiration from the bustling, unpretentious salons so common in capital cities; in the light of experience a perfectly justifiable statement.

So let's look at what's on offer. An a la carte menu sets the tone, supported by menus for business lunch and a fixed price dinner. The a la carte has six starters amongst which you can expect to find beef fillet carpaccio with asparagus, rocket and truffle salad and truffle oil dressing, or perhaps marbled Barbary duck and foie gras terrine with a toasted brioche. Special temptation with the native lobster raviolis with light lobster cream froth.

Around six main courses are of a nature that leaves you wishing you could order the lot, but what about the sauté wild brill fillet with crustacean ravioli, steamed leeks and sauce vièrge, or some very tasty roasted English lamb, fresh peas and broad beans, maxim potato and goat's cheese wrapped in pancetta. However, in my experience brasserie frequenters are not, in general, adventurous eaters, so the Aberdeenshire beef fillet with pommes Pont Neuf, balsamic jus and béarnaise sauce should find a warm reception on many a receptive palate.

Be sure to leave a measure of space for one of the offerings from the pastry chefs who are well versed in the ways of titillation by dessert.

Whilst not obsessive, considerable care is taken to ensure that the wine list keeps up with current trends, with at the moment particular attention paid to South America. Australia comes in for plenty of attention, and Riesling is staging a comeback.

Merchants is in a stage of evolution with new and exciting developments happening. Keep in touch with them by clicking on their straightforward Website.