Our collaborative partners at Experience North-East England had kindly arranged for us to dine at one of Durham’s finest restaurants, The Cellar Door, and, believe me, we needed sustenance after climbing up the 325 steps of the Cathedral Tower and exploring the Cathedral itself!
As far as incredible locations go, The Cellar Door has to have one of the best we’ve encountered. On a bustling street that is the main thoroughfare up to the Cathedral, is a carved (but rather unassuming) door that it would be easy to pass by - even the A-board is discreet. Behind the door is a set of steps that I urge you to follow. Descending these steps will take you down inside the historic, 13th Century building that houses a superb restaurant where, in my own words, “the food is fine; your attire doesn’t have to be, as there’s no formal dress-code”.
Having confirmed our reservation, we were escorted over to our [inside] river-view table, and offered table water immediately. The Cellar Door has a total of three outdoor terraces with river views within its converted ancient cellars, and these remain open to offer charming al fresco dining options until the leaves fall from the trees in autumn. There is an excellent selection of Cocktails, Wines and softs on offer, and I spotted an Orange Wine that sounded lovely, whilst The Man opted for a classic Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.
One of the things I really liked was the fact that, as well as being able to order a platter of fresh Oysters (10 for £35), they were also available singly (£4), and came with a variety of partners other than the usual Citrus and Tabasco combination. Much to The Man Bird’s disgust, I ordered one with Campari and Grapefruit; the ozonic tang of the meaty Oyster was complemented brilliantly by the dry aperitif and the clean citrus: delightful, and a super start to my meal. Don’t feel too sad for His Nibs though; our lovely server had also brought out some warmed, herb-zhuzhed bread and butter for us to nibble at, so he began tucking into that whilst I savoured my Oyster. Fresh bread is one of those foodstuffs that are tasty and comforting at the same time, and this particular iteration was gorgeously springy and light.
To start, I ordered the Scallops with Glazed Fennel, Charred Sweetcorn, Bisque Cream, Dill Oil and Beef Chorizo Crumb (£18), and The Man chose Tandoori Chicken Wing Samosa with Chick Pea Masala, Butter Chicken Sauce, and Coriander (£16).
When our starters were placed before us, we were treated to a fun fact: from the bridge opposite the lowest riverside terrace, we had spied what looked to be a pair of hives…turns out that that is exactly what they were! The Cellar Door team keep a small colony of bees and use the honey they seasonally produce in some of their dishes – how cool is that?
Gently golden outers adorned the surface of my trio of soft, perfumed Scallops, whose delicate flavour was paired with a stronger one from the teeny-tiny, rich tasting crumbs of Chorizo. A glazed quarter of Fennel was flirtily shy, imparting the lightest Anise kiss on the dish, and nibs of smoky, intensely sweet Corn, and Dill oil both waltzed elegantly on the palate, adding tantalising layers of flavour. The last of the impossibly good Bisque Cream was soon getting mopped up with the remaining piece of bread that I’d saved for just this opportunity! This was a fantastically balanced dish, and one that respected its main character: the Scallops.
From the description of His Nibs’ starter, it wasn’t an unreasonable assumption to make that there would be a pair of Samosas but, no, it was just a singular, larger than expected Samosa sitting expectantly in the centre of its jewel-toned Butter Chicken bath. With its audibly crunchy outer (I think the next table could hear it, when His Nibs took his first chomp!), the next sensation was of softness. Under the light samosa pastry were thick pieces of dark chicken meat whose deeper flavour was skilfully pimped with a gentle breeze of mild spices. Creamy, comforting Chick Peas added a satiating fibre hit, ably assisted by the delicious butter sauce, whose silkiness glided over the tongue. A verdant swirl of Coriander Purée was the piece-de-resistance in this tremendous starter, lifting the dish and cutting through the sauce’s richness.
In the interim of our starters being cleared away and the mains being served, I had a good old gander around, soaking in the suitably dimmed lighting that really couldn’t be more fitting for a cellar environment! The recessed ceiling fittings and couple of lamps scattered around provided the bulk of the illumination, but a more intimate cast was given by the guttering flames drifting out from the oil-burners on each table. Feature paper on two of the walls was of birds and foliage in hues of Grey, Blue and Mustard, and the Mustard tone was picked up again by the curtains that dressed the large sash windows. The effect was one of refined elegance and calm, conducive to relaxed, fine dining.
His Nibs had plumped for the Lamb Rump with Garden Peas, Cavolo Nero, Bone Marrow Mash, Salsa Verde, and Lamb Belly (£32). How to describe the tender rump that had been cut into a trio of [still] sizeable pieces? Beyond marvellous probably sums it up succinctly but, for those who like more detail, I shall expand; tantalisingly enthusiastic in the mouth, this Lamb was soft and velvety with a superb flavour. The Lamb Belly meat was silky and glistening, thanks to its fattier nature, and had a bolder profile on the palate. Both cuts were excellent, accompanied by a thoughtful selection of Vegetables. Sweet Garden Peas were balanced by microscopically finely chopped Shallot and the nutty earthiness of still-crunchy Cavolo Nero. The naturally clear, herby notes of Salsa Verde and its tangy edge cut through the belly meat’s richness with ruthless precision. Harmonising the whole dish was the sublime Bone Marrow-enhanced Mash with its stunning taste. Every piece of the meal had been tremendous and had [literally] brought something to the table; proof that a quartet of accompaniments to meat can be more than enough to twirl the taste buds. One thing, though: my main course won our in-house ‘mine’s the prettiest dish’ award…just FYI.
Speaking of my dish, I had ordered Duck Breast with Fondant Potato, Tarragon Carrots, Charred Apricot and Kale (£32). Chef at The Cellar Door in Durham is clearly a feeder; dinky this crisped-skin Duck Breast wasn’t! Sliced into a quartet of pink-centred treats, the meat was mesmerising in its softness and moistness. Cherry is an obvious partner to Duck, but the pairing of Charred Apricot here was a genius move. The Char lends smoky caramel tones, and the fruit’s acids counter the game meat’s depth, ensuring its fats don’t feel overwhelming. Three perfectly spherical towers of Fondant Potato were magnificent in the mouth, and the Tarragon Carrots were exactly that: a balanced fusion of thin, trimmed Baby Carrots and the chic sophistication of Anise/Liquorice. With no word of a lie, this was one of the best meals I think I’ve ever had; bravo, Chef.
Amalfi Lemons are prized for their low acidity; in fact, this low acidity (i.e. sweeter nature) matched by a non-bitter pith, is why locals often slice them like an Apple and eat them with maybe a little sugar or even salt! At The Cellar Door, they make a curd from the Amalfi Lemons, and pair it with Roasted White Chocolate (brilliantly nutty), pieces of Candied Peel, Meringue swirls and Poppy Seeds (£15). A soft base was filled with the flecked Chocolate that surrounded a core of Lemon Curd, with artfully arranged swirls of piped Meringue topping it all. Sticky, wondrously intense-tasting peel pinged in the mouth, tempering the sweetness of the Meringue. Right at the periphery were the unmistakable, richly nutty Poppy Seeds that had been used here to add density to the dessert base. Blooming fantastic, that’s what this minx was!
The Man had gone for his fail-safe: Chocolate! Caraibe is a jolly clever morsel in the chocolate world in that its 66% Cocoa content places it smack-dab in the sweet-spot (no pun intended) of not being overly sweet or bitter. This makes it an extremely versatile sort, put to marvellous use here in an amazingly decadent Cremeux that was made even more remarkable by their accomplice: aromatic, kitten-soft, roasted Figs. A crunchy Buckwheat crisp was sweet, nutty and savoury all at once – just to boggle His Nibs’ poor little mind. Thankfully, the Coconut Sorbet was more straight-forward; pleasingly subtle and silkier than other sorbets, due to its fat content. Another fantastic dessert and, indeed, the end of a rather splendid meal.
Our server was, I swear, a combination of Ninja and Magician; appearing just when you needed her, without being summonsed, and providing refreshment top-ups and food as if instantly conjuring them. Hot Wings very happily awarded to this Durham restaurant – if you are ever in the city, you know where to go to dine, whether it be for lunch (they do a 3-course special for £32 exc. steaks, Mon-Sat), dinner or the iconic Sunday Roast.
The Cellar Door is open Mon-Sat Noon-9.15pm, and Sun Noon-4.45pm. To book a table call 0191 383 1856 or visit www.thecellardoordurham.co.uk and follow the online booking links.
We were invited to dine here as part of our press trip organised by Experience North East England, supported by NewcastleGateshead, Visit Northumberland and Visit County Durham.
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