Starling Bistro, Esher
We have lunch at former Tom Kerridge head chef and BBC Great British Menu star Nick Beardshaw’s debut restaurant, Starling, in Esher...
First impressions
It makes sense that Nick Beardshaw has chosen Esher High Street as the location for his hotly anticipated debut restaurant—it’s his hometown. His handsome midnight blue 40-seater bistro—which sits opposite Sandown Park Racecourse—has been beautifully designed, and its large, wine-bottle-lined windows etched with the restaurant’s sophisticated branding feel immediately enticing.
We visited on a Friday lunchtime and there wasn’t an empty table. The immediate buzz and thrum of happy chatter and clinking glasses almost made up for the oddly brusque welcome. We were shown to a table at a long blue banquette that runs along the middle of the restaurant and offers views of the busy open kitchen behind the bar.
The impressive exterior design continues inside—beautiful copper starlings swoop overhead, while a putty-pink and deep blue palette is pleasingly combined with natural wood and a long marble-topped bar. The smells coming from the small open kitchen made my mouth water immediately.
The menu
Having worked alongside Tom Kerridge for 14 years, Beardshaw’s menu is as you’d expect: creative, refined, and filled with skill and technique. Dishes are a sophisticated ode to seasonal ingredients, with no more than five options for each course. Modern cooking methods and exciting ingenuity cleverly elevate classic flavour combinations.
The snack section alone contains steak tartare hash brown with black garlic, hog roast fritters with apple ketchup, and truffle cheese crumpets.
Already, I envied the people of Esher.
The current big draw is that Starling’s opening menu celebrates Beardshaw’s recent BBC Great British Menu success; it includes his winning fish starter and Banksy-inspired dessert (more on those later). These sit alongside Creedy Carver duck, Cornish plaice, and a vast selection of HUGE Himalayan salt-aged steaks.
Drinks-wise, there is a small but excellent wine list with plenty available by the glass, while fizz includes Bollinger, Charles Heidsieck, and Rathfinny’s delicious Sussex sparkling. There’s also a handful of tempting seasonal cocktails and some great no-and-low options.
The experience
I started with a small yet powerful ‘freezer martini’ – served ice cold in a lovely coupe and made with one of Hampton Court Spirits’ excellent gins. It was perfect. My lunch date was driving so ordered a glass of the organic apple cider vinegar-based Juke’s rosé, which was surprisingly good.
We started with a ‘snack’ - the truffle cheese crumpets, which were as utterly delicious as they sound. Perfect solider-sized slices of sponge-like, saturated crumpet topped with a thin layer of truffle-heavy crème fraiche and a thick layer of soft, salty Parmesan shavings. I could have eaten ten.
I couldn’t resist ‘A Moon Shaped Pool’ - Beardshaw’s theatrically presented BBC Great British Menu-winning fish starter, and it did not disappoint. Once the moon had ‘dissolved’, thick slithers of hand-dived Orkney scallop appeared, floating in a salty, silky sauce with a whisper of green Thai curry flavour, dotted with salty fingers and marinated cucumber. The optional but unmissable addition of Exmoor caviar added an extra layer of decadent creamy saltiness.
Having not seen the show myself, I would have loved more of an intro to the dish, but the staff seemingly didn't have the time to hang around.
Just as delicious was the herb-crumbed cod cheek, crisp and cooked to perfection, with a perfect, flavour-filled tartare sauce. A simple dish exquisitely executed.
The mains
My intriguing main was also excellent – a mushroom “risotto”. “Risotto” because there is no rice in this cunning dish, instead the base is made entirely from a soft, almost succulent bed of finely chopped oyster mushrooms. It still contained all the satisfying depth of flavour you’d expect but was delightfully light. Slithers of pickled Roscoff onions added a vinegary zing, whilst the crumb and runny orange yolk of the deep fried hen’s egg provided silky richness and pleasing crunch.
The prawn-stuffed Cornish plaice was another well-presented plate of well-balanced flavour and texture, but the generous pot of langoustine-rich bisque that accompanied it was the highlight. A delicious glass of fresh and zippy Italian sauvignon blanc made the perfect pairing, but I wasn't offered more than that.
Dessert time
When it came to dessert, I worried that “Balloon Girl” – another of Beardshaw’s GBM dishes – might be a case of style over substance, but I was wrong. The presentation is irresistibly fun – an edible Banksy-inspired picture presented in a wooden frame, complete with (tasty) edible paper. The ‘girl’ herself a rich chocolate torte, and the heart ‘balloon’ a raspberry cheesecake – a perfect balance of creaminess, fruit and crumb.
The choux bun was another master stroke—crisp and buttery and generously filled with sweet, herb-laden fresh strawberries and plenty of clotted cream; it sat triumphantly on a plate of delicious and nostalgia-inducing strawberry jelly laced with Champagne.
There was no offer of tea, coffee, or a digestif (despite the tempting 4.5-litre bottle of port on the bar…), so off we hopped.
What we liked...
The top-notch food, inventive menu and highly accomplished cooking. We also enjoyed the attention to detail in terms of design – the interiors and menus both felt slick and sophisticated, and the open kitchen adds a touch of theatre.
What we didn't...
The level of service didn’t quite match the quality of the food. It lacked the warmth of a neighbourhood restaurant, but Starling had only been open for six (no doubt busy) weeks when we visited, so perhaps this will come in time.
Final thoughts
An exciting and truly delicious addition to the local area, offering creative food (and drinks) of excellent quality. It’s kind of place we wouldn’t hesitate venturing into central London for.
The bill, please
Drinks - martini £16, glass of white wine £14, Juke’s non-alcoholic ‘wine’ £8
Food - truffle cheese crumpets £7, ‘A Moon Shaped Pool’ £22 (£20 caviar supp), herb crumbed cod cheek £14, mushroom ‘risotto’ £24, Cornish plaice £32, hispi cabbage £5, ‘Balloon Girl’ £16, choux bun £12, plus service.
A lunchtime set menu offers three courses for just £25.
