The Place

Down on the beach the sun is out and we’re feeling a little giddy. Giddy enough to dig a little into our pockets to go somewhere nicer than our usual chip’n’donut fare, but not quite enough to live it up at Due South. Thanks then for Santiago, sat right next door, offering a view from our al fresco table of the sea lapping the pebbles as the sun turns orangy.

The Meal

Just incredible. Our eye is drawn to a starter of scallops with morcilla on a bed of pureed peas (£6), and despite not normally being overly keen on most the elements, the dish is the second best opening to a meal we’ve ever had. The spice of the Spanish black pudding and the minty edge to the mushy peas enhance, but don’t overpower, the delicate scallops. From there the chicken supreme (£13.50) is beautifully presented, balanced on crispy beans, potatoes and aioli, each element tasting of quality. The roasted stack of Mediterranean vegetables (£9.50) comes in a sauce like the best soup ever, and puts together vegetables that we often shun in a way we adore. Even the basket of bread (£2) comes with rich thick balsamic vinegar and olive oil to die for. Desert wise the chocolate mousse (£5.25) is only solid, while the Catalan crème (£5.25) drew up short against a crème brûlée. The South African house white was decent at the price of £12.95

The Verdict

We racked up a healthy bill but nothing felt overpriced. At this sort of cash things need to be better than you could make at home and Santiago achieved that by a long way. Great ingredients, mixed with skill and cooked to perfection. The food is so good that the view is a merely a bonus. We’ll be back whatever the season.

Were We Sussed

We blurted out about doing the view being the best of any food review we’d done and one of the waitresses looked up. Not very subtle then, but nothing was mentioned.

Santiago

143-144 Kings Road Arches

0872 148 6299

Open daily noon-9pm