Every issue Gilly Smith makes the ultimate sacrifice and goes to eat and drink in the best places in town as recommended in our Feedback column.

Today: Burnt Orange

BURNT ORANGE has taken over the site of The Coach House in Middle Street, and may well be among the Whistler’s favourites. From the people behind The Salt Room and Coal Shed, Burnt Orange is a mid-market (read: around £30 a head) treat for food fans, a glorious mix of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours with properly trained service, great wines and a Fatboy Slim curated soundtrack aimed at a more mature diner who doesn’t like to eat to a thud. It’s designed to fill the gap between restaurant and bar with an all-day lounge feel, and afternoon slipping into evening if you’re not careful, thanks to some killer cocktails (see Feedback, below). 

But it’s the food that’s the star, with Peter Dantanus, previously head chef from The Salt Room, in charge of the small plates.  The Galician octopus with harissa truffle butter is exceptional, a creamy, melt in your mouth feast of flavours. The sea bream with mango dressing and basil yoghurt was too good not to order more sesame flat bread to mop up the leftover sauce. Smoked miso aubergines or Mangalitza pork belly shawarma? Oh, go on then; we’ll have both.  The spinach, chard & feta pastilla cumin honey felt a small plate too far, but we’ll be back again and again to work through this gorgeous menu.