Extending the Blunos franchise
In lending his name to the 27-seat restaurant within Duke's hotel on Great Pulteney Street, Bath, Martin Blunos has helped to attract clientele right from the outset, according to Duke's general manager, Niall Edmondson. "It can be hard to get a hotel and restaurant up and running. But the name Martin Blunos at Fitzroy's (which opened in mid-April) gave us an instant tool to market it."
The food, as one might expect, has echoes of Blunos' own at Lettonie, but some of his dishes are too complex to be simplified in its sister restaurant. "This is not another Lettonie, so it's not appropriate to have all the garnishes and extras that I would add," says Blunos.
Blunos remains behind the stove at Lettonie, while head chef Matthew Beardshall runs the kitchen at Duke's. But he does have plans for gourmet evenings on Sundays at Fitzroy's, when Lettonie is closed.
The restaurant is located in the basement of the 18-bedroom hotel, which is the fourth hotel owned by Philippa and Sebastian Hughes - Holne Chase on Dartmoor was their original property.
Philippa was responsible for designing the hotel and the restaurant, which has a colonial feel. Fronting the operation is Christophe Bonneau, bar and restaurant manager, who is also responsible for the wine list selection of mostly New World wines.
Beardshall, 24, heads a team of five and is happy to return to his roots after four years in London working with the team that opened Teatro, Gordon Ramsay and finally as senior chef de partie at P‚trus.
The menu may be simplified but it does boast dishes that Blunos uses at Lettonie. Braised shoulder of lamb with haricot beans, tomato, thyme and onion compote (£14.50), for example, leaves off the "fiddly bits", as Blunos calls them.
The dinner menu features eight starters, including best seller scallops baked in their shells with fennel in a light butter sauce (£5.95) and arancini - deep-fried balls of risotto and mozzarella with olives and a mixed leaf salad (£4.50). "This is about well-cooked food, very simply done. There's a fillet of beef and that's exactly what it is - nothing fussy," says Beardshall.
The half-dozen main courses include fillet of beef with horseradish-mashed potatoes and a shallot sauce (£16.50), lamb shoulder and, another best seller, pan-fried fillet of gilthead bream with a cider sabayon and new potatoes with wilted rocket (£13.50). Vegetable side dishes such as green beans (£2) or tomato, shallot and basil salad (£2) are served as extras.
Six choices of pudding include another Blunos trademark, crisp deep-fried rice pudding with fresh raspberries (£4.50). The most popular has been hot chocolate fondant with rosemary-infused ice-cream (£4.50).
Now the team has got to grips with the running of the operation, Beardshall and Blunos will change the evening menu weekly, and the number of starters and main courses may fluctuate. The lunch menu will offer four choices per course, changing daily, and will serve as the testing ground for the dinner menu. Two courses at lunch sell for £12.50 and three for £15.95.
The restaurant has its own entrance and an outdoor garden, which seats 30.
Martin Blunos at Fitzroy's restaurant, Duke's hotel, Great Pulteney Street, Bath, Somerset BA2 4DN. Tel: 01225 463512.
A selection from the menu at Martin Blunos at Fitzroy's Crispy duck and roasted red pepper salad with a sesame and soy dressing, £4.75
Borsch with soured cream and toasted caraway rye bread, £3.95
Chargrilled asparagus with soft poached egg topped with hollandaise sauce, £4
Ravioli of trout with toasted almonds and a caper cappuccino sauce, £13
Chargrilled baby poussin with sweetcorn fritters, smoked bacon, watercress and a lemon cream sauce, £13.95
Seared tuna loin with cucumber spaghetti and a light butter sauce, £14.95
£4.50
Chilled melon soup with apricot sorbet, poached apricot and mint purée, £4.50
Warm fruit kebab in a poppy seed and lime syrup with coconut sorbet, £4.50
