|
As a business model, it makes a lot of sense: in a world of shifting fashions and fickle customers, to build a loyal following based on a sense of belonging. Place constraints in the way of people's free entry so that the sense of arrival once they are in is sufficient to capture their hearts and minds. Here in Chester we see it in action at Club Globe, Upstairs at the Grill and Politic.
If there is one thing that unites these establishments, it must be their individuality, their difference - in different ways - from the norm. And Politic, it has to be said, is very different. For a start, it's a club. You need to be a member to use the bar, though anyone with enough nous to want to eat in the restaurant, can do so.
For another, it's not the kind of place you just stumble across and 'pop in on spec'. Although geographically central, its self-effacing frontage is up on one of the quieter rows, marked only by an illuminated menu. On one's first visit, the door seemed designed to keep people out rather than to let them in. We were greeted though, and led in. It was a warm greeting - our host was a master of social lubrication. There were weird chairs to sit on, and a superbly well stocked bar. We ordered a dry martini and a champagne cocktail - they were as good as could be.
Even though it was saturday night and we hadn't booked, we were taken upstairs to the restaurant as soon as we'd knocked back the aperitifs. There were maybe ten tables - we were allotted one that came with particularly challenging moulded plastic chairs, specially reserved perhaps for walk-in customers. We ordered from the 'Tapas and Mezze' list. There was also a Pizza list, a Salad list and various extras.
Bread and dips arrived first: a tapenade, a mussel sauce and something else. Tracey raved about the bread. The wine list was a sensible length and had a very sensible entry point. We were in the mood for something special though, and were recommended the big red Valmoro from Spain, which proved to be well up to the job.
The five tapas arrived together, along with the salad. A mushroom risotto, two skewers of souvlaki, rabbit stuffed with minced boar and whole pistachios that was rich and meaty yet not overwhelming, tiger prawns, scallops.
Without exception, these were superb. There were surprises - the crunchy risotto, the pancetta-like pork crackling in the salad, the astonishingly good salsa served with the souvlaki - but only in a good way. The size of the portions was also a surprise. To call them tapas or mezze is misleading. These were not far short of main course helpings, certainly in the case of the rabbit/boar thing.
Service throughout was faultless. True, our requirements were simple enough, but we have become so accustomed to haphazard or hopeless service lately that it comes as a massive relief when everything goes to plan.
Boasting one of the latest licences in town, the bar downstairs was filling up with an interesting collection of types. We rounded the evening off there, still grappling with the burly spaniard. Our bill came to £80, boosted by the cocktails and the de luxe wine.
This is a place bereft of pretension. Things are done well, without fuss. Personally, I would arrange for a chair transplant, but this isn't really a dealbreaker. The menu is probably the most fetching in Chester and you can choose anything from a pizza up. The drinks are first class and the atmosphere is appealing.
|
