» Food & Drink: Comme Ca
Andrew Kay discovers a taste of France at Comme Ca in leafy Chichester
After an afternoon of fine theatrics at Chichester Festival Theatre, and with the promise of more to come in the evening, Mrs E and I were in need of sustenance and comfort. We had previously dined well in the theatre’s own restaurants but rather fancied a change. With this in mind I contacted my old friend Mr P. Mr P is a theatre legend having been involved on both sides of the curtain for more years than I care to mention. With no hesitation he made his recommendation: Comme Ca. “When in Chichester that is where I always dine between shows and they have never let me down,” he said. Well, trusting Mr P as I do, I went online and made a booking.
On the day I drove past the restaurant to get my bearings for later and in the break between shows we walked across the park to have our supper. Mr P assured me that this would be, how you say, yer actual French. He was certainly not wrong.
The building is a solid Victorian affair but the addition to the front of shutters gives it a certain Gallic je ne sais quoi. Inside has all of the style and comfort of a lovely French rural restaurant; there is no pandering to modern fads and fashions here.
The waiter asked if we would like to have a drink on the terrace before dinner and Mrs E and I agreed this was an excellent idea. It was a bright, sunny day, so taking advantage of an al fresco moment seemed highly appropriate. How right we were to do so. Outside the garden is divided into pretty terraces that are lush with greenery and bathed in the gentle sounds of water playing on stone. The sunlight filtered down through vibrant vines and dappled the light across us in a very pleasing manner, sunny but also cool and refreshing. Our G&Ts slipped down well as we read the menu and chose our dinner. When it was ready we opted to return to the dining room, not because we were unhappy outside but because I wanted to sample the complete experience.
“My envy soon subsided when I saw the splendour of my cabillaud. That’s cod, here served with a shrimp crust that set my palate to dancing”
First came the bread, piping hot and delicious, and served with good butter too. Mrs E started with local crab served in a scallop shell. It was simple but all the better for that and a generous portion too of both white and dark meat. I chose a hot fish and seafood salad, served on a bed of mache. It was simply delicious, a good mix of ingredients, all in prime condition and cooked to perfection.
Mrs E moved on to a wing of skate cooked in the classic way with a beurre noisette and capers. When it arrived I confess to looking on with envy. It sat there, on the plate, bathed in nut brown speckled butter and dotted with tiny capers. My envy soon subsided when I saw the splendour of my cabillaud. That’s cod, here served with a shrimp crust and a pea veloute that set my palate to dancing. This was fish cooking at the very highest level, fine ingredients treated with due respect and not messed with. The cod was pearly white and just cooked so that the meat was moist but flaked under the gentle pressure of the fork. I also loved the fact that our settings were laid with proper fish cutlery, an old school touch that we see too infrequently.
On the side came vegetables, purple and plain potatoes, crisp mange tout and a tempura courgette that had us both oohing and ahhing.
Mrs E declined dessert but I needed fuel for the drama ahead. Around me people were tucking into some fine looking desserts but I had a mind for cheese. I was not disappointed: a selection of six French cheeses in great condition was prettily presented and generous too. I know how much we love the idea of local cheeses, and yes, they are great, but what a treat to have some from over the water. If I had any complaint, and this really is nit-picking, they were a little too cold.
To drink we both had a glass of good rosé, which was plenty with more theatre ahead.
The menu we chose was priced at £21.95 for two courses and £24.95 for three and was called menu Monet. There is a menu called Versaille for a little more which I plan to indulge in on my next visit and yes, there certainly will be a next visit. Comme Ca is pretty and pretty perfect, great food in great surrounds with impeccable service; really top notch.
Comme Ca, 67 Broyle Road, Chichester, PO19 6BD, 01243 788724, www.commeca.co.uk
