It’s fair to say that Emberwood restaurant, a new modern British brasserie located on the handsome Queen Square, was the most hotly anticipated restaurant opening in Bath this year, thanks to the reputation of Executive Head Chef David Hazell, formerly of Bristol’s Michelin-starred Paco Tapas and the Clifton Lido. And you know you’re in safe hands when you discover that it’s the latest venture by restaurateur and managing director of Three Graces Hospitality, Alex Ghalleb, who made a name for himself launching Julie’s in Holland Park and Dorian in Notting Hill.
With slick service from a team who either have many years’ experience or have attended a crash course with someone who has, and food of a standard that, despite the number of establishments in Bath, is still not easy to come by. Having only opened at the beginning of May, Emberwood has succeeded in establishing themselves as one of the city’s most reputable restaurants; receiving the only new Bath listing in the prestigious Michelin Guide.
Located at The Francis Hotel, where several restaurants, including the likes of Brasserie Blanc, have come and gone in recent years, Emberwood is the jewel in the crown of a multi-million-pound refurbishment. Boasting a light and airy interior celebrating the fact that this is most certainly not an outpost of a nationwide chain, the open kitchen with its charcoal-fired grill offers counter-top dining, while a sexy new bar is the perfect place for an elegant cocktail. If you’re venturing for a city break in Bath from say, St Albans, you’re hardly going to want to dine at a chain which has a branch on your own local high street.
While there will always be a flurry of interest in a new incarnation at The Francis, it’s clear, from the moment you step into the crystal chandelier adorned bar and light and airy adjoining restaurant, that Emberwood has entirely rejuvenated this once staid premises where the space that is now the Emberwood bar was the chintzy Emily’s lounge. Former guests of The Francis Hotel, keen to sample Bath’s exciting food scene who would most likely have reserved a table elsewhere are now understandably opting to stay put, while the hotel must surely be experiencing far greater occupancy thanks to visitors to the city wanting to dine here and find it convenient to check-in at the same time.
It’s not easy to create a sophisticated dining experience in such a large space, yet the designers understood the challenge perfectly and set about creating a variety of moods granting diners a sense of privacy; from a double-sided banquette in the centre of the floor topped with foliage, to generous booths, occupied by families celebrating special occasions on the night we dined, while, all the more intimate for being on the periphery of a buzzy restaurant, our sultry corner table facing the square could easily have been that of a romantic grand bistro in Paris. The attention to detail throughout is also admirable, from etched crystal glassware and bespoke crockery to Emberwood’s custom-made martini and dessert trolleys, to add a touch of theatre to the beginning and end of any lunch or dinner and give nod to the early days of the British restaurant revolution.
Zoe Burgess, author of The Cocktail Cabinet and director of Atelier Pip has devised Emberwood’s cocktail list and I was excited to see a good alcohol free selection. The bar team even adapted the usual set-up of the Martini Trolley to ensure that we got to enjoy the spectacle of watching our 0% choices be prepared: a ‘No.6 Negroni’ featuring Smiling Wolf’s dealcoholised dry gin and aperitivo and ‘Smokey Nightcap’ with Three Spirit Nightcap, treacle and 0% bitters. Highly entertaining and celebratory thanks to drinks maestro Keegan’s knowledge and enthusiasm, it felt more like a Saturday than a Tuesday: the kind of temporary amnesia you can expect if you opt for one of Emberwood’s signature drinks such as the exotic-sounding ‘Quince and Rose’ or elegant ‘Vesper No.9’ and I suggest that martini-imbibers browse the a la carte before so much as taking a sip due to an extensive menu.
Snacks like the crispy Porthilly oysters with Somerset lardo and spiced ketchup, are offered in addition to a tempting line-up of starters that showcase Hazell’s midas touch with the Somerset and South West ingredients he so carefully sources, with elevated classics like Cornish crab crab oil mayo, tarragon and pickled lemon alongside more unusual dishes like my burnt aubergine with goat’s curd, confit tomatoes and green beans. With fish and seafood sourced from St. Mawes in Cornwall, it was no surprise that my husband relished his trio of coal-roasted scallops, served in the shells with a garlicky herb butter designed to merge with the natural juices of the scallops.
Mains are seasonal, crowd-pleasing and generous, with my melt-in-the-mouth slow cooked lamb, served with a rich jus, pardina lentils, earthy jerusalem artichoke and salsa verde offering a fine example of Emberwood’s culinary flair. The ‘Hearth and Feasting’ selection meanwhile allows the food-fired oven to take centre stage with the likes of full-flavoured ex-dairy South West beef or line-caught St. Mawes day-boat fish showcasing the marriage of beautiful produce, perfectly prepared. Behind the philosophy of Emberwood is a confident chef who knows when to leave things be.
I was disappointed to learn that none of the desserts listed on the menu were gluten free, including those temptingly displayed in the wonderfully nostalgic Dessert Trolley with a specially designed drawer of Petit Fours, and although the team rustled up a perfectly pleasant vegan chocolate brownie with coconut ice cream, it felt like an afterthought coming after the impact of the previous courses. Just as I hope that alcohol free spirits can become a permanent fixture on the Martini trolley, it would be great to see at least one gluten free dessert making it onto the Dessert Trolley, just so that I could fantasise about it throughout the meal. With revamped old-fashioned hits like black forest gateau, one peek told me that this wasn’t to be confused with the version your grandmother kept on standby in the freezer just in case of unexpected Christmas guests! If you have a sweet tooth (aren’t gluten free) and happen to be old enough to remember the ecstasy of choosing something from a dessert trolley, which barely any self-respecting restaurant used to be without, this might be reason enough to make a reservation here, where only the British culinary traditions that were worth saving made it past Chef Hazell.
The charcoal-fired hearth isn’t just Hazell’s smokey-flavoured calling card, but represents his personal fire and enthusiasm for blending the old and the new to create a contemporary style of British food which can have an enduring legacy. Emberwood illustrates that our culinary heritage is no longer something to be embarrassed about and flies the flag for a country that has not only welcomed diverse flavours and techniques but pioneered them. International visitors dining at Emberwood, who have some idea that we only consume roast beef and fish and chips, are in for an extremely pleasant surprise.
Emberwood, 5 Queen Square, Bath BA1 2HH. For more information and reservations please visit the website.
