European$$
Following months of anticipation from Middle Park locals, restaurateur MatteoBruno (Tartine, Ned’s Bake) has opened Middle Park European, an elevated diner and bar offering an Italian-leaning menu with French flourishes. Leading the (open) kitchen is British-born head chef Aaron Wrafter, who cut his teeth at the Michelin-starred, now-closed Turners, and Harborne Kitchen in Birmingham.
To start, caviar “dip” saves you having to splash out on a tin. A bed of creme fraiche is topped with Black River caviar, chives (and chive oil), and pickled shallot.
There will always be two kinds of house-made pasta – perhaps a fresh tagliatelle with Shark Bay crab and bisque, and ridged shell-like cavatelli with pork-and-fennel sausage. Mainstays include fish’n’chips and steak frites (porterhouse, say, with tarragon butter), while a specials board will introduce new dishes every couple of weeks.
As with the food, the wine list favours Italy and France, with a few big-ticket bottles from Barolo and Burgundy. Cocktails are largely driven by citrus and amari, including an Aperol-tinged spicy marg and salted-caramel espresso martini with Averna.
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