Burns nights
Matt Burns, head chef of new London restaurant The Don, is still smarting from the bashing London's Evening Standard critic Fay Maschler gave his cooking shortly after the eaterie's launch in November. "She said my chicken was stringy and that my venison portion was too small - it's all rubbish," he splutters.
He'll get over it, though. Ludlow chef-restaurateur Shaun Hill taught him how when Burns did a stage with him after the latter had been given "a slating" in The Times while he was head chef at the Arisaig House hotel in the Scottish Highlands. It was Burns's first head chef tenure after the review and, at the age of 24, he contemplated packing it in. Hill said to him: "You enjoy it, don't you? Your restaurant is full, isn't it? So just relax."
Burns's menu at The Don Restaurant and Bistro is firmly based in France. Starters in the 44-seat main restaurant, owned by Robert and Robyn Wilson - proprietors of the popular City eaterie, the Bleeding Heart Bistro, Restaurant and Tavern - include salade paysanne of boudin noir, pancetta bacon and quail's eggs (£6.25), and ballotine of foie gras, chicken and sweetbreads with a truffled potato salad. Currently, the best-selling mains are roasted cod Lyonnaise on a potato galette with a rosemary jus (£14.25) and noisettes of Welsh lamb on dauphinoise potatoes with ratatouille (£15.95). A popular dessert is tarte fine of Cox's apples with cräme Anglaise (£4.75).
"I respect rustic cooking," says Burns. "I'm loyal to French food and have a lot of admiration for it."
Oysters, on the menu with a red onion and cucumber relish (£8.50), are bought from the east coast of Ireland, while best-selling scallops, baked en croñte with lime and vanilla (£7.95), are sourced from the west coast of Scotland through Celtic Seafare. Meat, however, dominates the main course orders - this is the City, after all. "It's a sea of suits at lunchtime," Burns confirms. Consistently popular are grilled calf's liver with bacon lardons and roasted baby onions with a port jus (£16.80), and loin of venison with garlic pommes purée, honey-roasted parsnips and a shallot sauce (£6.95).
Women prefer the cosier, candle-lit, 50-seat bistro downstairs. The cellar used to be the bottling centre of sherry producer Sandeman, hence the name The Don (see page 65). It has been brought sharply into the 21st century with abstract art by John Hoyland, and its menu is more informal. The best sellers here are the Mediterranean fish soup with croutons, rouille and Gruyäre cheese (£4.50) and the confit leg of duck on rîsti potato with braised red cabbage (£10.50). The dessert menu is shared with the restaurant. Average spend, without drinks, is currently £15 in the bistro and £25 in the restaurant. n
The Don Restaurant and Bistro, The Courtyard, 20 St Swithin's Lane, London EC4N 8AD. Tel: 020 7626 2606
