Nik (10 November 2008)

We ate there on Saturday for maybe the thirtieth or fortieth time since we moved to Crystal Palace seven years ago, and it was perfect as always. To start, I had an Algerian fish soup that was to die for, fresh and sweet-salty, full of flavour and with a nice touch. There were a couple of tiny blobs of harissa that must have been put on the bottom of the bowl before the soup went in. My wife had a bourek of courgette with fig compote that I had a taste of, the bourek was light and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, with a dark, naughty fig sauce that complimented it perfectly. For mains, I had my very first ever partridge, which was cooked to perfection, rich and gamey, juicy and tasty, with a lovely medley of vegetables with it; I loved the slices of braised field mushroom, while my wife had a beany venison stew, melty and fragrant, served with puff pastry. The house white is a Sauvignon Blanc that's persant and fruity, the crème brûlée was rich and sweet without being over done and cloying, and the aqua vit is a perfect coda at the end of a very satisfying meal. Serge, the head chef, and his staff, are an intelligent bunch of people, his seasonal and innovative menu has been well crafted, while the floor staff are kind and welcoming. At £55 for the two of us, it was well worth it. We will be going back again.