The Yard a Refreshing New Take on Italian #Review

Briony Wilson
4th May 2021

The past year has been phenomenally tough for so many businesses, however, it is truly great to see companies taking this time to innovate and diversify to not just survive, but to strive.

Kingdom, Carl, Lenny, and the Team at The Yard, Chester are a real representation of a phoenix rising from the ashes. Not only have they managed to open 2 new restaurants during lockdown and create a gin brand from scratch they are now refreshing the menu at both The Yard and The Suburbs. We were kindly invited along to try the new menu; but before you panic the usual favourites are sticking around, however you will see a lot of fabulous new starters, mains, and desserts on both menus.

We kicked it off with Antipasti per due, as selection of Italian cured meats, olives, tomatoes, cheese and bread. This is one of my favourite starters ideal to share and so simple, but the quality of ingredients speaks for itself – especially the fresh bread handmade in house.

Before we finished the platter, the Insalata di cariofi marinati (ve) arrived; this is a marinated artichoke, orange and fennel salad and orange dressing. This dish is quite simply stunning and so refreshing the ideal light start to a big meal. It was lovely to see a Vegan dish on the menu, and one so full of sparkling flavour, It is sure to be a hit.

Closely followed by a showstopper of a dish; Pate di fegatio di pollo. I must admit in the past I have not been a pate fan, but this has changed my opinion. The chicken liver parfait was so smooth and rich with a soft meaty flavour rolled in cherry sauce and toasted brioche. The bursts of cherry were a revelation, and this dish is one to try on your next visit.

Zappa di crescione was our next course and wow – the phenomenal green colour of this watercress soup was incredible, yet another example of Carl’s commitment to the best ingredients. Now soup for me is one of the last thigs I would pick on the menu but having seen and tried this, I’m a convert. The real highlight of this dish is the blue cheese bon bons and let’s not forget the crushed walnuts- this is no ordinary soup, it’s such a fabulous selection of flavours and textures.

Next, it was time to try the Salmo stagionato, which we were advised by nearly all the team was their favourite starter. The salmon is cured in homemade limoncello, with finely sliced pickled cucumber and chicory and radish salad. The perfect summer dish, its stunning, light and ohh so fresh.

Capesante pori tartufo, is the collection of all my favourite things Seared scallops, leek risotto and summer truffle. This is so indulgent and creamy. I think this is officially my dream starter. Having tried so many wonderful dishes I would certainly come to The Yard with friends for a few glasses of wine and a selection of starters, as so many of them were really complement each other.

Our next dish Pomodoro ripieno di fromaggio, is so impressive. One of my favourite things about eating out is enjoying dishes I could not make at home and this dish falls into that category. A large tomato is peeled and cored and filled with a tian of goat’s cheese and Mediterranean vegetables – this is so fresh and so instagrammable, yet another beautiful vegetarian addition to the menu.

Branzino arrosto e panzella, another highlight dish – I do love sea bass and this fish was so fresh and beautifully accompanied by heritage tomato and panzella salad. This crispy skin on this fish with such bold flavours in the sides made for a wonderfully balanced dish.

You cannot visit an Italian without seeing mussels on the menu the Cozze piccant, can be enjoyed as either a starter or a main. The mussels are gently cooked in a spicy tomato sauce with fresh herb, these are some of the best mussels I have tasted as the sauce really penetrated the fish and the shells on the mussels were delightful – what a brilliantly bright dish.

On to a returning favourite at The Yard the Sanguinacciois a black pudding wrapped scotch egg served over an apple and celeriac remoulade. Both elements truly complimented each other. The buttery rich meat, the stunning yolk, and the sharp creamy remoulade. This would be the ideal dish for a light lunch but is also a great sized portion for those with a large appetite.

On to our last starter and when I look back at my notes, I have simply written stunning. The Burrata e arancia rossa is creamy Italian burrata cheese with blood orange, and local honey with a coriander dressing. This is so well balanced as a dish and really, does it get more Italian than this?

You will be happy to know the Yard have chosen to keep on staple dishes including the beef cheek Bolognese the lobster ravioli and the steak, however having been to The Yard many times we only tried the new dishes this time around – I think otherwise we may have burst.

Our first main of the day was Petta di Pollo arrosto a roasted chicken breast, with confit potato pecorino and sweetcorn souffle and wild mushroom sauce. I must explain every element of this plate because I couldn’t believe how tasty this was. The chicken was so moist and really flavourful. The souffle was light and fluffy and who knew you could make that from sweetcorn, it was stunning in the sauce which was packed full of flavour and the potato was so soft and beautifully presented. But my favourite element of the dish was so simple but a piece of chargrilled sweetcorn, such a great texture and so different on this dish.

This dish was followed by the Zampetto di suini brasati, which is a Braised pig trotter stuffed with chicken and ham mousse, creamed potatoes, and crispy onions. This a meat lover’s dream and so very rich, I have not heard of many restaurants that serve trotters, so if this is to your liking, I can recommend The Yard. The mash was so creamy – I could eat it by the bucket, and the crispy onions were an incredible texture. Certainly, add this to your list if you would like to try something new.

Anatra arrosto was possibly my favourite main, the roasted Duck was served pink with slow roasted peaches and fennel puree. This was such balanced flavour with such a nice sweetness and fabulous crispy skin.

Scamone diagnello arrosta was another highlight and favourite of my fellow diners. Lamb can be such a tricky meat to cook, and this rosemary salt crushed lamb rump was cooked to perfection. Everything on this plate tasted incredible together or alone and the potato gnocchi and broad beans with peas were so fresh. This was an all-round 10/10 dish.

We were much relieved to enjoy a lighter course next of Sogliola al lemone a whole Torbay sole, with herb butter. The fish was wonderfully flaky, and the herb butter really added some flavour, I think this would be great shared with some minted new potatoes or a mixed salad.

One for the veggies next the Cavolflore speziato, was incredible the spiced and braised cauliflower steak with wilted spinach, golden raisin puree and caper vinaigrette, this was packed full of bold flavours that went together so well. Not forgetting the incredible textures on the plate.

Our final main of the day was Brodetto Sicilian fish stew so hearty and flavourful and came with a delicious saffron roulle side, this would be perfect on a cold evening. Yet another beautifully presented dish with the whole prawns and amazing colours to match those big flavours.

By this stage we were very full but that didn’t stop us, it was time for dessert and the Galleggiante Prosecco is the perfect combination of zesty lemon sorbet and a fizzy prosecco float. I loved a coke float as a kid and I never expected it could be a dessert returning to my adult life in such a classy way. This was so light and a brilliant pallet cleanser.

We ended our meal with Carl’s famous Chocolate pot with vanilla ice cream a homemade honeycomb – so indulgent and just the ideal finish to the meal -this is any chocolate lover’s dream.

Now if this incredible day of food tasting wasn’t enough the team also invited us to try the entire new Wine list. Now as stunning as they all were and some real surprising finds, I am not going to go through every wine, but here are a few highlights.

I am a great believer in Italian Food, Italian Wine, and there are some Great Italian choices on this list, the Rambler Barbera from North west Italy and the Il Badalisc Pinot Grigio are great italian standards and will pair with most things on the menu, and at the upper end the Tenuta Santa Seraffa Gavi, the Uggiano Chianti Reserva or the Amarone Casa Giona will give you chills they are so good.

But don’t be afraid to challenge this rule and try something a little further afield, the Waterkloof Circle of Life Chenin Blanc, has a little more guts to it and would stand nicely with the stronger flavoured starters. The Te Papa Sauvignon Blanc is stunning with a great nose. Red wise, Equino Malbec or Illusion Pinotage are both top notch.

If you really want to try something surprising, forgo the usual prosecco in favour of the Sparkling Red Cantina di Soliera Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC, perfect with everything from Anti pasti to Chocolate pot.  You won’t believe it, until you try it.

The of the best things about Kingdom and the team’s restaurants is the training they give the staff, and they are so invested in what they do, they area so attentive even after 20 courses and have an incredible knowledge of all the dishes and the wines available. If you are ever stuck with what to try with each course, they are happy and well equipped to assist.