Sienna

Sienna has just clocked up its sixth year of trading in Dorchester and continues to go from strength to strength. With cream and natural wood colour schemes, this restaurant truly lives up to its name. Careful sourcing of top quality ingredients, many of them from the South West, together with a diverse wine list, great service and a relaxed atmosphere are still very much at the forefront in this cosy place run by Russell and Eléna Brown.

Combining these principles with imaginative Modern British cooking helped Sienna to achieve its third AA rosette in January 2007, having previously held 2 AA rosettes since their opening year, as well as being listed in Michelin and the Good Food Guide. Prior to their opening, Chef Russell worked in top restaurants across the Westcountry, including Percy's and the Horn of Plenty in Devon and Yalbury Cottage Hotel in Dorset. He has been a full member of the Master Chefs of Great Britain for the last ten years.

Dishes at lunch could deliver pan fried fillet of wild sea bass with white beans and piquillo peppers, saffron and orange butter sauce, or ham hock and slow roasted chicken terrine with Pommery mustard mayo and pea shoot salad. This might be succeeded by loin of new season Dorset lamb with shepherds pie, pea puree and lamb jus, ending with a chocolate hazelnut fondant with milk chocolate and raisin ice cream. The overall effect is one of flavour rather than volume.

Menus at dinner might feature breast of wood pigeon wrapped in prosciutto ham with roasted beetroot, puy lentils and horseradish, or the fillet of plaice with prawns, chilli, garlic and pan fried potato gnocchi. Move on to the main course of slow cooked local pork belly with roasted red peppers, spiced aubergine puree and salted pine nut brittle or probably the breast of Label Anglais free range chicken with English asparagus, foie gras ravioli and chicken jus.

A graceful conclusion could be provided by the orange pannacotta with hazelnut dacquoise and honey foam, warm apricot and almond tart with crème fraîche ice cream, apricot and vanilla syrup or the platter of West Country cheeses with walnut bread, biscuits and apple chutney.

Homemade breads, canapés and petit fours emerge throughout the food experience, whilst similar attention to detail is applied to the wine list. Using two West Country wine merchants, they have selected a range of wines specifically to suit the style of food. Now standing at around fifty bins, the list draws from all the major winemaking regions in the world and includes both classical and unusual grape varieties. Nine wines by the glass including three dessert wines, and a small selection of half bottles make food and wine matches a realistic proposition.

Sienna is short on only one thing - space. Don't leave anything to chance and for more details, visit their Website.

Photography copyright 2007 RichardBudd.co.uk