Weather
Bath's French fancy
From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Tuesday 29th Oct 2002.
IF YOU sit in the airy comfort of Raphael on a sultry summer night, sipping a glass of chilled chardonnay, you can easily imagine yourself in any one of Europe's most glorious capital cities.
Rome, Paris, Vienna, Madrid there is a touch of every continental culture in Raphael, from the subtle background salsa music to the exciting, vibrant Latin-style décor.
In operation for little more than a year, Raphael is situated close to the remains of a medieval wall which once encircled Bath.
Taking my mother and uncle for a well deserved spring treat, we noticed a buzzing atmosphere as soon as we walked in.
Scanning the sizeable menu at length, it's very easy to become lost in the restaurant's lazy, relaxing atmosphere.
Being a huge fan of all things posh I chose the Saumon roti roasted salmon in a caper and tarragon sauce, which was served with warm, crushed new potatoes.
Immaculately served on very large plates, the fillet of fish was sublime. A soft, melt-in-the-mouth, texture was heightened by a tarragon sauce rich and buttery in flavour, while the potatoes were sweet and perfectly sized, mixing temptingly with the sauce.
My mum went for the Cajun chicken and pepper brochette (posh word for kebab) after quizzing everyone at length on the assets and benefits of the Mexican spices.
Arriving with a serving of basmati and wild rice the only disappointment in her eyes was the accompanying cucumber raiti, which had a strong, rather specialised flavour. You need to like cucumber a lot to enjoy this part of the meal.
My uncle, famed for his cultured choice, went for the sweet potato, cherry tomato and spinach wrap.
Light and tangy, the potato and tomatoes merged deliciously with the rich pesto sauce to produce a taste explosion.
The dessert menu was altogether too tempting to avoid.
When in France, do as the French do and when in a French restaurant it would frankly be rude not to eat the crème brûlée.
And what a choice it was. The little pot of custard-tasting heaven was bursting with fresh raspberries. The sprinkled chocolate and tangerine sauce on the plate was an added luxury.
My mum went for the lemon and lime cheesecake with caramelised quamquats. The bitter fruits were an unusual but interesting accompaniment to the cheesecake which had a thick topping, lashings of fruit zest and a light, crunchy biscuit base.
My uncle, after much pondering, chose the crepes suzette, served with a tangy orange and brandy sauce and a portion of vanilla ice cream.
Throw in a couple of glasses of wine, some beer and a cup of coffee or two and the whole experience was one I want to repeat very soon.
Raphael,
Gascoyne House,
Upper Borough Walls.
Tel: (01225) 480042
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