Brasserie 10-16, Brookdale Place, Chester

Apr 25 2008 by Glyn Mon Hughes, Liverpool Daily Post

Glyn Mon Hughes is impressed by some inventive dishes at brasserie 10-16

"TABLE for two,” we ventured when we arrived at Brasserie 10-16. “What? Now?” asked a somewhat startled maitre d’, who seemed wholly surprised someone might want to eat out on a Monday night, despite the fact the place was comfortably full, even on a cold evening.

Maybe that’s something to do with the fact they offer some rather generous concessions. On a Monday and Wednesday, for instance, two courses and a bottle of wine are available for £14.95 per person while, every day except Sunday, other offers are available. Two courses cost, at lunchtimes, from £6.95 per person. Then, between 5.30 and 7pm, two courses cost from £7.95 while evening diners – except those venturing out on Friday and Saturday – can pay as little as £8.95.

Very good so far. But try ordering something from the specials menu to combine with the a la carte and the answer is a firm no.

The menu itself, though, is inventive with many of the offerings locally sourced and enough detail noted on the menu to make ordering exactly what you fancy that much easier.

The wine list, too, is adequate. Whites start at £14.95 and range to £21.95, while reds start at the same price but their Chateauneuf du Pape will set you back £34.95. They also claim that “arguably our two best wines” are a Paul Cluver sauvignon blanc at £24.95 a bottle, and an intriguing New Zealand offering from Esk Valley combining merlot, malbec and cabernet grapes, weighing in at the same price.

House wines, sourced from Argentina, California, Chile and France come in cheaper, ranging from £10.95 a bottle to £13.95.

We chose a white Rioja – a Banda Dorada, from the Paternina winery, in Spain, which arrived promptly, with ice bucket and was fruity, light and crispy and a suitable accompaniment to most meals on the menu.

While pondering the menu, we asked for some olives, which arrived quickly and were refreshing and plentiful. We were not offered any bread but, somewhat oddly, were asked if we’d like garlic bread after we’d placed the order. We did take a look at the daily changing two-course offer which was a little ordinary: starters included soup of the day, prawn cocktail, salmon paté, Oriental noodle salad or another salad concoction – this time of crispy bacon, Parmesan and croutons. The mains included Cumberland sausage and mash, grilled chicken breast, salmon and spaghetti. Adequate, but hardly setting the culinary world on fire.

The main menu is much more enticing and included several temptations, such as smoked salmon with crème fraiche and potato drop scones, local Kidderton Ash goats cheese with beetroot salad, apple puree and thyme oil. Anne chose Parma ham with roast tomatoes, rocket, Parmesan and extra virgin olive oil (£5.50). I was torn between steamed Anglesey mussels with saffron cream, fennel, tomato and parsley but eventually went – mistakenly, as it turned out – for a tian of crab, avocado and watercress with tomato coulis (£5.95). This was really rather bland, with the crab meat lacking that distinctive flavouring. The tomato coulis was pleasantly spicy but did, really, overpower the other ingredients.

“The ham’s nice quality,” said Anne, “and the roast tomatoes are OK and rocket is rocket, after all, so I can’t really say I’m over-excited.”

The main courses again were an appetising range. There are 10oz sirloin and 8oz locally-sourced fillet steaks available which come served with either sauce au poivre, sauce béarnaise or tiger prawns in garlic butter and they seem quite big on fish, offering salmon, halibut and sea bass.

For vegetarians, there’s gnocchi with chervil butter sauce, ouster mushrooms and garden peas or butternut squash ravioli with toasted hazelnuts, sage butter and Parmesan.

Anne went for a second starter – the Anglesey mussels (£5.95) – while I asked for poached halibut with soft herb crust, served with a cassoulet of white beans and tomato sauce (£16.95). I also ordered a side salad of mixed green leaves in an olive oil and lemon dressing (£3.50). However, just as the halibut was generous, meaty and flavoursome, the salad was minuscule and dull. The beans and tomatoes certainly complemented each other and the herb crust added considerably to the taste of the fish.

Anne described her mussels as “pleasant” but had to ask for some bread to soak up the subtle sauce. Sadly, when it came, it was dry and there was no finger bowl.

The desserts are certainly adventurous and I was pleased with my chocolate Sacher torte with confit chestnuts and vanilla syrup (£4.95), though I was sorely tempted by the passion fruit cheesecake. Anne went for the cheese of the week, supplied by Pendrill of Chester, and ended up with a highly-generous portion of a tangy Swaledale (£5.95).

Brasserie 10-16 offers some tempting, even exciting, dishes in a pleasant atmosphere. But it falls down on the detail. And beware the details on the menu itself. On our visit, diners were entertained by a couple who argued intensely over whether a glass of wine should be included in the all-inclusive price. It kept us amused but I’m not sure the maitre d’ was that pleased . . .

Brasserie 10-16, Brookdale Place, Chester, Ch1 3DY

The Bill: £67.20

Open: Mon-Sat noon-2.30pm, 5.30pm-10; Sun noon-10pm

Parking: Gorse Stacks car park nearby

Disabled access Mainly on the flat, but toilets up a steep flight of stairs

Value for money: Reasonable

Ambience: Quietly refined

Service: Falls down on detail