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263 RESTAURANT by Carl Housbey
When choosing the venue for this month ’ s article I had several criteria in mind to narrow down the list . First it had to be relatively local so that it was still possible to get there despite the ever-changing rules on where we are allowed to go . Second it needed to be more wallet friendly than many of the places in my previous articles , as I appreciate that some of our readers have been furloughed and will not have as much money to splash around . Finally , and most importantly it needed to offer great food and great service as that after all is what the Gastro Grazer column is all about .
Step forward 263 Restaurant in Preston . It is located on Camden Place just off Winckley Square , a ten-minute walk from the train station for the handful of people that still use trains , or a five-minute walk from the nearest car park for the rest of you – tick . Menu choices range from a two course a la carte lunch for £ 20 , a three-course dinner for £ 35 , and on to a six-course dinner tasting menu with snacks and bread for £ 60 – tick . So , what about food and service , read on and you will find out .
I had high expectations before my visit as I know the calibre of the very small team and the extremely high standards of the restaurants that they have previously worked at , several of which have already featured in this column over the years such as Northcote , The Forest Side , and Moor Hall to name just a few . I am sure you will agree that isn ’ t a bad CV to present to local businessman Mark O ’ Rourke owner of 263 Restaurant .
I took Mrs GG out for dinner and we opted for the six-course tasting menu with matching wine flight so that we could try the maximum number of dishes possible and cover a broad range of the food on offer . We started with a few snacks , a beautifully light take on a Lancashire cheese and onion tart which was so delicate that it needed to be eaten in one go , as well as a croquette that I am sure Head Chef Tom Dicken and his Sous James will not mind me comparing to the delicious “ critter fritter ” at the aforementioned Forest Side .
First course was a flavoursome cured venison carpaccio with thyme yoghurt and “ funky celeriac ” accompanied by a glass of Bourgogne Chardonnay which was a great match and a prelude of more superb courses to come . Next came Kentucky Fried Monkfish cheeks with apple and tarragon , a great combination of flavours that suited the firm white flesh of the monkfish perfectly . I don ’ t know if this dish was a deliberate nod to the fact that the very first KFC outside of the USA opened in
Preston around 55 years ago , but as the chefs combined ages don ’ t add up to 55 then probably not . However , after reading this article they can always use this fact to add to the description of the dish should they want to .
At the time of my visit the pork faggot with roasted onion and sage was listed as a starter on the dinner menu but would also make a great main course for lunch as it was really rich , satisfying and a big enough portion in my opinion . My pescatarian readers would be very happy with the chalk stream trout with radish and nettle as it was a beautiful piece of fish that had simply been lightly scorched and served mi-cuit to allow the clean fresh flavours of the fish to shine through , whilst the crisp dehydrated nettle leaf dusted with onion ash provided a nice change of texture .
Our main course of the evening was ox cheek , with black garlic and miatake or hen of the woods mushroom , the ox cheek had been cooked low and slow leaving it fantastically unctuous and it just fell apart as soon as I stuck my fork into the tender flesh , a lip smackingly good dish . Dessert was an updated version of that Lancashire classic bread and butter pudding made famous by Paul Heathcote at his two Michelin star restaurant in Longridge , this time it was served with burnt orange and custard and was every bit as good as any I have ever had .
Service throughout the evening from the front of house team comprising of Eliott and Alex was superb and the whole atmosphere in the restaurant was friendly and relaxed . I am sure this was helped by the fact that the small four member team are all from Preston and have known each other since childhood which made it feel like you were visiting an old friends house for dinner .
After dinner I had a quick socially distanced chat with the other diners and the common consensus was that everyone had thoroughly enjoyed themselves and would be back again very soon , they mentioned that this standard of restaurant is something that has long been missing from the Preston area , and those fortunate enough to remember the early days of Heathcotes in Longridge compared 263 in very favourable terms , so don ’ t miss out get yourself booked in straight away by clicking on www . 263preston . co . uk or by calling 01772 252630 .
To see what else I get up to , why not follow me on Twitter @ carlhousbey
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