BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

Jersey’s Michelin-starred restaurant proves why it’s the Island’s number one.

STANDING ON GREEN STREET IN THE HEART OF ST HELIER IS BOHEMIA, Jersey’s only Michelin-starred restaurant and an integral part of the five-star Club Hotel & Spa complex. Entering the restaurant either from its own front door or via the hotel at the side, its most striking feature is its unassuming, almost modest atmosphere. Wading through the crowds of business people, office workers and upmarket tourists who swell the hotel’s bar on the Friday night that we visit, Bohemia emerges as a neutrally decorated restaurant placed alongside the bar area, giving diners all the space and peace they need while still benefiting from the bar’s after work buzz.

Having held its star for the past four years, the restaurant is now making new waves with its kitchen table concept, inviting diners to pass through the dining area and into the kitchen itself, where groups of two to six diners can take their seat at a raised table set back from the cooking area to watch head chef Shaun Rankin and his team at work. On television, professional kitchens are filled with swearing, sweat and minor burns, but Bohemia couldn’t be more different. Calm and refreshingly unpretentious, Rankin’s attitude seems to permeate the entire atmosphere of the restaurant, making for a relaxed and hospitable experience where the food is star.

Invited to try the nine-course tasting menu, things began with a huge slab of roast foie gras, crusted with cashew nuts and served with mango and mint chutney and a separate mango sorbet. The sorbet’s cool sweet tang cut through the rich foie gras and even left us wanting more, a wish swiftly granted with a large duck egg. Cooked to perfection, the delicate egg perched wobbling on the plate, one cut sending its yolk oozing out over the accompanying morels, asparagus and locally grown shitake mushrooms. Other stand-out dishes included a Royal Bay oyster, lightly poached on the outside and still raw on the inside, served on light saffron noodles and topped with Sevruga caviar, and an outstanding goat’s cheese ice cream and carrot jelly, its strange fl avours and textures fusing perfectly. That’s to say nothing of the Jersey Royals, so deliciously sweet and buttery as to divert attention from the excellent main courses they were served with.

A plate of belly pork, glazed pig cheek, roast foie gras, scallop brochette and a lovely long stick of pig’s ear could probably have done without its foie gras, which was, after all, the second portion of the evening, but in all the food was so expertly crafted and deliciously executed that it was difficult to find fault. By the time dessert arrived the pleasure was beginning to turn to pain. White chocolate cannelloni and a tarte tatin served in its own small copper saucepan demanded to be given the attention they deserved, and though the heart and tastebuds were willing, the stomach was not.

Shaun Rankin and his team have been showered with praise and rightly so. Their quality, imagination and dedication makes Bohemia one of the best restaurants in Britain, and the kitchen table alone is worth a trip to the island.

BOHEMIA BAR & RESTAURANT

GREEN STREET, ST HELIER
JERSEY JE2 4UH
TEL. +44 (0)1534 880588

LONDON

FIFTEEN
15 WESTLAND PLACE, N1
TEL. +44 (0)870 787 1515

Founded by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver in 2002, Fifteen is still one of London’s most talked about restaurants, and has now spread to Amsterdam, Cornwall and Melbourne. Operated today by the Fifteen Foundation charity, the restaurant continues its aim of training unemployed young people, motivating them, helping them to achieve qualifications and even set up in business for themselves. Oliver is no longer to be found in the kitchen, but the restaurant still serves the British/ Italian food he’s famous for. Bruschetta of freshly picked Devonshire crab with agritti, chilli and lemon aioli puts a famous British ingredient centre stage in an Italian salad, as does potato gnocchi with a Snowdonian mountain lamb ragu, served with wild mushrooms and chilli pecorino. When it opened it was impossible to get a table, and though it’s more accessible it’s still popular, so book ahead.

BRUSSELS

LA MAISON DU CYGNE
2 RUE CHARLES BULS/CHARLES BULSSTRAAT
TEL. +44 (0)1534 720 2495

Boasting outstanding views and a wonderfully historic old world atmosphere, La Maison du Cygne is a truly palatial restaurant. Standing at the heart of the Grand Place, the 17th-century townhouse has fl ourished under award-winning chef Donald Loriaux and has become a hot destination for locals and tourists alike, who come for their own slice of the city’s heritage. If the decoration is ancient, though, the food is altogether more modern, taking classic French dishes and giving them a contemporary twist. Ideal for a long business lunch, the restaurant’s 20,000-strong wine cellar has enough treats to tempt even the most dedicated executive, so make sure you clear your calendar for a few hours and head off to this charming Brussels institution.

ANTWERP

I FAMOSI
STEENBERGSTRAAT 11
TEL. +32 (0)3 231 29 01

A step away from the Sint Andriesplaats in the old city, I Famosi exudes style with its warm lighting, ambient music and hum of conversation. Owner Fabio Gambone ensures an easy atmosphere and top service in his contemporary yet traditional trattoria. Classic Italian cooking combines with decadent touches to create tantalising dishes such as ravioli filled with ricotta cheese and spinach and topped with an asparagus and smoked salmon sauce, or tortelloni with shrimp and capers balanced by a light courgette salsa. Pure nostalgia radiates from the wooden fl oors, booths, mirrors and fl oral motif on the ceiling, not to mention the black and white photos that cover the walls to commemorate Italian movie stars from the golden era of the 1960s and ‘70s.

AMSTERDAM

OPEN
WESTERDOKSPLEIN 20
TEL. +31 (0)20 620 1010

Just opened in February, this restaurant is already creating a buzz in a town not known for being easily impressed. An architectural surprise, Open perches above a canal with windows on every side to provide dramatic views of the area between the Westerdoksdijk and West-dokskade – Amsterdam’s latest up and coming neighbourhood. Adding to the sense of space provided by the vistas, the restaurant itself is designed to feel airy but not impersonal. Comfortable seating and high ceilings give a laid back lounge feel, helping to make Open a great place for meeting up with friends, or even a romantic one-on-one.

The menu is uncomplicated, highlighting seasonal fare and quality ingredients, which guests are invited to view. True to its name, Open has an open kitchen that let you glimpse the hustle and bustle that goes into preparing your dinner. The staff are well drilled and their attention to detail is superb, all the while maintaining the restaurant’s relaxed atmosphere for a great time.

WORDS BY STEVE WATSON