GETAWAYS • Esher
They say you can tell within 30 seconds if you’re into someone. I can usually tell from the snacks if I’m going to love a restaurant. In Starling’s case, it was definitely love at first bite. I fell hard for the truffle cheese crumpets, two rectangles of perfectly chewy, not-too-truffly sponges topped with 36-month-aged Parmesan. The next two snacks sealed the deal: a crunchy hash brown under tuna tartare and avocado, and a wodge of French toast with duck liver parfait the consistency of soft serve ice cream. I would not be walking out on this date.
A quick hop from Southwest London, Starling sits at the end of the high street in affluent Esher, Surrey. It’s a neighbourhood bistro fit for all occasions: weekend lunch with the kids, a dressed-up date night or cosy autumn Sunday lunch. Huge glass windows let in plenty of light and look onto the street, and along one side there’s a counter and open kitchen commanded by Nick Beardshaw, a former Tom Kerridge chef who won the Great British Menu cooking show in 2023.
While you could commit fully to the snacks, there’s an excellent starter of chalk stream trout pâté, decorated with chunks of raw trout, Granny Smith apple, green chilli sauce, trout roe and dill. It comes with a mini-loaf of treacle bread on which to spread the delicate, creamy pâté. From the mains, wild Cornish John Dory has that perfect, juicy, flakes-apart-on-the-fork consistency and is served with saffron aioli, charred fennel and a salt cod fritter. Duck breast is blushing pink and comes with a black pudding croustillant. To drink, an excellent spiced reposado margarita with chilli salt.
Starling nods to the Great British Menu in dishes like Balloon Girl, a Banksy-inspired raspberry cheesecake and chocolate torte, presented as a piece of art in a golden frame. But for me, this isn’t its strong point – it’s too much of a gimmick with too underwhelming a flavour profile compared with the snacks and mains. Much more interesting (and inviting-sounding) are the golden syrup flapjack with cashel blue, and chocolate ice cream with early harvest olive oil and Piedmont hazelnuts. I’ve already booked to go back for these. And by that, I mean: there’ll definitely be a second date. –Laura Price
→ Starling (Esher) • 3 High St • Wed-Sat 12-2p & 530-930p, Sun 12-4p • Book.