Theatre critics get free tickets for official openings, and allow previews to pass unappraised. Restaurant criticism offers no such amnesty, with some newspaper reviews now regularly written – explicitly or not – on the basis of previews. The surprise – and, ideally, anonymity – which should characterise a restaurant critic’s presence is therefore often absent. Another way of bringing readers early reports is to visit during an opening offer period, when a half-price menu is offered to the public at large. With all its obvious downsides, this is not a bad halfway house, and it was such an offer which enticed us to preview this basic Borough seafood parlour, which has since ‘officially’ opened.
So, what could be deduced at that early stage? That the seafood – the Wrights are wholesalers of some note – looks set to be among the best in town. Our lunch was one of splendid native oysters, and dressed Cornish crab better than any we’ve had in Cornwall. It doesn’t sound much of a meal, but, with some very good bread, it seemed like a feast. For those of greater appetites, plâteaux de fruits de mer are the obvious choice. The wine list is pertinent, but it is short and sadly offers only house selections by the glass. There is also a small range of beers and ciders.
‘So what do you think?’, said a man who seemed vaguely in charge of the chaos. We replied that the food seemed pretty good to us. He nodded. ‘And the service?’ Before we had formulated a response he answered his own question – ‘pretty dreadful at the moment, isn’t it?’ So there you have it – the truly self-critical restaurant. We may be biased, but this seems to us a trend not to be encouraged.
