WITH the arrival of autumn, a Mediterranean style bottomless brunch at Ardor restaurant in St Ives is the perfect way to welcome in the weekend in style, or to fuel up before enjoying a glorious coastal walk or visit to the beach.
The recently opened restaurant in Fore Street led by chef Dorian Janmaat offers a diverse menu of delicious tapas paired with endless pours of your favourite beverages. In keeping with Ardor’s Mediterranean style of cooking diners can enjoy three tapas per person.
Menu highlights include fried aubergine, honey and olive, spicy chorizo in cider, gigantes butter beans with feta, ‘pollo al ajillo’ chicken in garlic, jamón croquetas and calamari fritti.
I opted for the mini chorizo sausages cooked in cider, which were spectacular. The combination of the smoky, savoury chorizo with the sweet, tart cider is a delicious and aromatic dish.
I also went for ‘pollo al ajillo’ chicken in garlic, which was bursting with rich flavour.
My final choice was the calamari fritti, which were soft and flavourful.
To complement the small plates there are a selection of thirst-quenching refreshments to choose from including sangria, cava, Aperol spritz, Spanish lager or Ardor’s mocktail del día.
I opted for Ardor’s mocktails, which can be selected using fruits of your choice. I can honestly say they were the most delicious drinks I’ve ever tasted.
The brunch ended on a sweet spot with churros with chocolate sauce to share.
The brunch offering is available between noon and 2.30pm each Saturday until December 28 and runs alongside the existing menu and daily specials.
It is perfect for groups, couples, and families alike to experience a taste of the med, warm service, and the finest local produce, washed down with delectable pours.
It's brilliant to see a restaurant like Ardor leading the way and elevating the culinary offering in St Ives, offering something different.
As the winter approaches I can see this being a great way to cosy up indoors, post-beach walk or potter around the town, for those keen on a healthy dose of Mediterranean warmth, not just in terms of food, but in ambiance, too.
I visited with my wife this time but she's already keen to go back with a group of girlfriends.
Along with other new eateries in the area, it's great to see a more diverse culinary offering in Cornwall.
I've no doubt the brunch will be enjoyed by not just tourists but locals too, as Dorian and his team really do bring something different, not to mention mouth-watering plates, packed with flavour. The perfect antidote to any Cornish mizzle!
At £40 per person, which includes three tapas per person and bottomless drinks for 90 minutes, it really is value for money.