EDP 9th February 2008
Yes
divine’s the word
Hark
back a few years, not too many in fact, and North Walsham
was
something of a culinary desert. We had the wonderful Beechwood
of course, a decent curry house in the Prince of Bengal
and well, um, with respect, that was about it - save for
provision of Chinese food and assorted takeaways. It was,
frankly, a bit thin.
Trips
out to Cromer, Wroxham, Norwich, Aylsham and the villages
were often the order of the day in the pursuit of a decent
meal, an adequate ambience and a quality of service to accompany
the affair. The situation is very different today.
The
Beechwood continues to thrive and remain the class act,
Chubby Panda had been an eye-opener to many and is on the
verge of completing its expansion (although I wish someone
would get on top of the resultant evening parking carnage),
Ramblers Restaurant up at the garden centre may not be on
personal radar but has become a favourite for a fair few
people and even the curry house has got its act together
by adding a contemporary, stylish décor to the ample
menu. And now comes Divine.
What
to expect? I was nervous frankly, a relatively unfamiliar
emotion these days, mainly due to time constraints.
I
wanted to like it, to be impressed, to want to come back
- but an elegant bar and restaurant in North Walsham’s
precinct, officially known as St Nicholas Court? Surelynot
possible? After all, I can easily point you in the direction
of official council documents which describe the precinct
as “visually unappealing”. To say the least.
But
once inside, the exterior (which in all honesty is not too
bad) fades away. Cleverly designed in many ways, frosted
glass prevents a full view of the outside world. Inside,
the way the tables are set out had been intelligently thought
through to create distinct section in what otherwise could
have been an overly open plan space.
Such
design leads one to assume quite quickly that there are
marketing brains behind this venture. Need for decent eatery
identified, style carefully assessed and the whole lot addressed
rather neatly.
The
danger of course is that such marketing can sometimes get
in the way of the finished product. Happily this is not
the case at Divine.
I’m
sure this will sound silly, but the element I enjoyed the
most - beyond the excitement of being so badly wrong about
the location - was the staff. Formal in the way a modern
restaurant demands, but delightfully friendly and happy
to gas away at the appropriate moment. And keen, oh so keen.
Style,
presentation and service clearly matter here and are taken
seriously in a slightly laid back way. So let’s just
hope the food backs up the other efforts.
Of
course it does. Did we really expect anything else?
Having
had first-hand (or extremely reliable second-hand) experience
of most of the starters, several of the mains and an embarrassing
number of desserts, I can certainly pick some recommendations.
Serving
pheasant on any menu these days may be a rarity, for some
bizarre reason (it’s cheap, delicious and plentiful,
what’s the problem?), so the start of homemade pheasant
and cranberry terrine with spiced pear chutney is a top
choice for those, like me, who enjoy a bit of thought behind
the presentation of their game.
The
tian of crayfish, Cromer crab and haddock with a lemon and
ginger vinaigrette is both a successful medley and an early
nod to one of the key ethics practised at Divine - an obsession
with all things local.
In
fact, general manager Matt Galasky was so engaging as he
talked about his passion for all things local that when
he turned to the subject of venison from ’just up
the road’, the main course gauntlet was well and truly
thrown down.
Anyone
who can present a decent, originally created venison dish
gets my vote - it isn’t an easy meat. t
The dish in question was described as Norfolk county park
venison casserole with winter root vegetables, juniper berries,
port and horseradish mashed potato
Dished
up separately, the mash and casserole duly impressed, the
experience made all the better for Matt’s clear delight
at the result on the venison pessimist. I hope the grin
was passed back to the kitchen.
Lowestoft
plaice, lamb shank braised in dark Norfolk ale and Gressingham
duck doesn’t complete the picture, but goes some way
to explaining the local theme.
Dessert?
Two pointers - firstly the sticky fudge brownie does the
business and secondly if you ask nicely, like I did, the
excellent Norfolk cheese platter comes in two sizes - standard
and small for people like me who are stuffed full but can’t
resist.
Howard
Bowen, the man in the kitchen, and the aforementioned Matt
Galasky, the man at the front of house, say in the literature
that they are “proud” to present Divine. And
so they should be.
Need
to know
Where is it?
Divine Bar and Restaurant is at 4, Nicholas Court, North
Walsham, 016920405590. It’s in the precinct. You can’t
miss the swirling lights.
Should
I book?
Oh yes, especially at the weekends.
Are
vegetarians catered for?
Yes, and I gather they may cook to order (try asking nicely
again!), but it’s really a carnivore’s paradise.
Where
can I park?
Mundesley Road car park, town centre and Vicarage Street
car park.
How
about corporate stuff?
Yes, private functions and meeting facilities.
