The daffodils are blooming in Brighton, and Spring is officially here! So when I was invited to try a limited edition menu at Victoria’s hidden gem, Wild at Tart, I jumped at the chance.
Famed for its Mediterranean, British and Middle Eastern cuisine, served from an open kitchen, wood burning oven and charcoal grills, this is a restaurant with big aspirations, but the sharing platters, locally sourced produce and cool background music ensure it retains an unpretentious community vibe.
My visit took place in the cosy Mezzanine – a private dining area that seats 12 and overlooks the main action. Consisting of a specially designed three course, Californian inspired menu, focussing on the Sunshine State’s fruit of the season, the humble grapefruit! Arriving in Florida in the 1820s, grapefruits were actually discovered in Barbados, but named by Jamaicans who noted how the bright fruits multiplied in a vine-like manner, like grapes!
We may be used to the bitter yellow bundles of joy in the UK, which have always been a go-to when we need a burst of vitamin C; but our American cousins have plenty of ways of using citrus paradisi in the kitchen, with the top grapefruit-producing states alternating between Florida, California and Texas and seemingly all believe they have the tastiest!
These tangy, softball-sized citrus fruits are a hybrid of the orange and pomelo and are a great source of fibre, vitamin A for healthy skin and hair, and not forgetting more than half the day’s recommended intake of vitamin C! Coming in at only 80 calories, it was also a popular diet fad dating back to the 1930s, but recent studies and experts say that it doesn’t have any special weight loss benefits.
Along with grapefruit infused cocktails: the Greyhound and The Salty Dog (a Greyhound with a salted rim), I enjoyed a tangy flourish with every course. Not only did the colour pop on my plate, it proved that the humble fruit can be partnered with anything, and the zesty flavour enhanced savoury dishes, culminating in a mouthwatering dessert. The Florida Grapefruit Posset with Florida Grapefruit Jelly and Fennel Milk Meringue will be available as a special until 12th March, so grab it while you can. Offering a variety of flavours which fuse fresh and milky, the melty texture has got everything you need to make you go mmmm.
If you’re passing through Victoria, I highly recommend popping along to Wild at Tart, which is hidden away on a sidestreet in Eccleston Yards; housed in a former power station and coal store, the concept is the brainchild of Lucy Carr-Ellison and Jemima Jones of Tart London and is their first permanent space in London.
Wild by Tart, 3-4 Eccleston Yard, London, SW1W 9AZ