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This restaurant-in-a-deli at the farthest end of Northgate Street might be tiny, but that hasn't held it back. Winner of the Best Newcomer and Small Restaurant awards at the Chester Food and Drink Festival in its first two years, it quickly established a reputation for quality that PR cannot buy.
Chester is not well blessed with delicatessens - there was a long spell in the early 2000's when we had precisely none - and of those that we do now have, most sell only packaged goods. Joseph Benjamin (named after the two brothers whose brainchild this is) stands apart. There are oils and vinegars, wines and beers. There is Italian ham and Greek olives, bread from the Wirral and many of the chutneys, pickles, pates and tarts are actually made on the premises. These guys are so keen on local sourcing that if there was such a thing as salami from Cumbria, you can bet they'd have it... Oh, there is... Oh, they have.
The restaurant consists of half a dozen tables, placed carefully in a well or semi-basement, a few steps below the level of the shop. I say carefully because, in spite of the small space involved, each table seems to have plenty of privacy. Nevertheless an evening here can be an intimate experience - not so much between the diners themselves as between the diners and the staff. There is no problem here trying to catch the eye of a waiter. It is a rustic kind of place - not one for linen enthusiasts - but one picks up an expectation that fine things will emerge from the kitchen.
The menu is short and changes often to reflect nature's bounty. Tasting plates showcase the deli's local specialities, cheeses, charcuterie and vegetarian antipasti and come in starter and main course size. Of the regular dishes, there are just four starters and four mains. The emphasis is on seeking out the interesting, remembering the forgotten or enjoying the obvious. There is unlikely to be any finesse about your faggotts - the aforementioned rustic approach doesn't lend itself to artful plating any more than it does to napery. Puddings follow the theme: expect berries and home-made ice creams. One imagines that this is what a comfortably off Cheshire gentleman might have had served on his table eighty years ago. It is wonderful stuff.
Good as the food is, some of it is quite expensive. £6.20 for a tuna carpaccio starter and £13.20 for Irish stew seemed a little steep. But these are their top prices and the wine is fairly priced: on both my visits so far I have struck gold with lesser known dry whites from France. Expect to pay £60 for two, with three courses and a bottle.
This endearing enterprise clearly shows the enthusiasm of its founders. They can (and will) tell you anything you want to know about the provenance of their goods. Little touches - like the beautifully hand-written itemised bill - show their chops. It is a cramped stage on which to perform though and it would be nice to think that one day they will be able to move to more generous premises.
(Dinner served Thursday, Friday and Saturday only)
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