The Dysart Arms (Richmond Upon Thames)

• A tasting menu today was priced at £
• 60 and began with two nibbles
• Was a touch dry (14/20) and a piece of hand dived scallop with tomato jam presented on squid ink bread
• The scallop sweet and the jam working well with it (16.20)
• A further nibble was a pair of Indian twelve spiced mussels
• Charred mackerel with kombu braised daikon
• Ginger and champagne was as enjoyable as ever
• A star dish was foie gras terrine with eel
• The foie gras was silky smooth and had deep flavour
• Wild turbot with a Viennese crust and vin jaune sauce had excellent fish that was precisely cooked
• Between three of us we were able to try a trio of different main courses
• Longhorn beef aged for 60 days came with miso mustard sauce and confit of heritage carrots
• A pre dessert of verjus granite with rosehip from the garden was light and refreshing
• I preferred this to the Valrhona Jivara chocolate and praline bar with miso salted caramel ice cream and cocoa nibs
• The ice cream was excellent but the texture of the bar seemed a little softer than I recall it at a previous visit (14/20)
• The best dishes are very impressive indeed
• The Dysart (formerly The Dysart Arms) is a pub in the smart Petersham area of Richmond
• Restaurant with a bar&rdquo
• This has much to do with the current head chef
• The dining room is fairly rustic
• An August 2013 meal began with a few nibbles served on a board
• Scottish salmon sashimi topped a little ball of crisp sushi rice with smoked lime and vanilla and Vietnamese coriander
• Cumin polenta came with fresh herbs and confit lemon
• A delicate Parmesan shortbread was topped with Bloody Mary jelly and Pork head Kromesky came with a Mejdool date
• The Parmesan biscuit was excellent (15/20)
• The pain de mie was rich and enjoyable
• The soda bread was particularly impressive
• Apparently this is due to a two stage baking process
• The effect is a world away from the dense soda breads that I have often eaten (16/20 bread)
• The soda bread was as good as before and there was an unusual Hungarian kalacs bread with pear and paprika
• Foraged chicken of the woods mushroom was an amuse bouche
• Wild stone bass was another star dish
• Having enough strength of flavour to cope with the lively spicy sauce (16/20)
• The fillet was fine but the feather blade was impressive
• The hint of mustard going nicely with the meat (15/20)
• Tender and paired with girolles and little spheres of apple to provide acidity (15/20)
• Jasmine and Alphonso mango was a refreshing pre dessert (14/20)
• The Valrhona Jivara chocolate and praline bar with miso salted caramel ice cream with grue de caco was excellent
• Burnt honey custard with Chablis apple had good texture (15/20)
• Whilst greengage and figs with nastrurtium flower sorbet came with a superb sesame tuile (15/20)
• The petit fours were also of a high standard
• Cornish sea salt caramel and passion fruit and roasted coffee pate de fruits were very good (15/20)
• The greengage and brown butter financier was remarkable
• Delicate and with just enough sharpness from the fruit (17/20)
• Indeed at this point there is very little in the way of reviews to be found for it
• The standard of the cooking is extremely high
• There are certainly worse restaurants than this with Michelin stars
• It is for this reason I was worried about accepting an invitation to eat there
• The Dysart though is a different prospect entirely
• A surprising mint/lemon/polenta cube (refreshing and smooth) and (celestial fanfare) scallop nigiri topped with freshly shaved summer truffle
• We did our best to leave some to accompany the next couple of courses but after barely a few seconds our resolve crumbled and we polished it off
• Charred mackerel with braised daikon
• Crispy skin) with some clever Asian flavours
• Local cep mushrooms were the main ingredient in this risotto of sorts
• Foresty flavours and bound with a silky sauce that I think might have involved chicken
• You can see where they were going with it
• The rich flavours were enough to make up for the technical error
• All the elements were very impressive
• Completely smothered the delicate meat with a blanket of vinegar and umami
• Perhaps it would have worked better with a stronger
• Local damsons with peaches were full of colour and the joys of summer
• Valrhona chocolate and praline bar with miso salted caramel ice cream
• Pineapple and brown butter financier was hot straight out of the oven
• As the miso did with the chocolate dessert
• The Dysart is a very good restaurant indeed
• The Asian seasoning was slightly heavy handed
• While it's easy to pick fault with things like undercooked rice
• That in the end it was impossible not to be utterly charmed with the place
• 22.50 for a set menu is a hugely reasonable sum for cooking at this level
• The Dysart was formerly known as the Dysart Arms pub
• Opposite the restaurant is the scenic Richmond park

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