SUPER TUBER

A dizzying array of truffles and a doting Italian chef makes for a luxurious evening at Brussels’ La Truffe Noir.

BRUSSELS

LA TRUFFE NOIRE
12 BLVD DE LA CAMBRE
TEL. +32 (0)2 640 44 22

THE PRESIDING INFLUENCE BEHIND LA TRUFFE NOIRE IS MONSIEUR Luigi Ciciriello, a charming Italian of a certain age who hails originally from Apulia – the heel of the boot. But it’s the diametrically opposed region of Piedmont, and more specifically, around the town of Alba, that he has to thank for providing him with probably the most crucial item to be found within the four walls of his establishment: the white truffle of Alba. It’s ironic that it should be so revered in a restaurant called The Black Truffle, but that seems inconsequential, because Luigi has plenty of the black ones too. Some from the Périgord, some from Carpentras (in France), some from Le Marche (in Italy) and he’s not the slightest bit sniffy about using Croatian ones either.

But he doesn’t just make his, presumably, decent living from the little beauties. It’s clear from the first moment you walk into his elegantly comfortable establishment that he also adores them. Each napkin is embroidered with a black truffle; mandolin graters and other fine-shaving devices are marshalled on guéridon trolleys; and glass storage jars – some with eggs in the bottom and whole truffles on top – dot the room, giving out their pheromonal smell (which I assume scents the eggs apart from anything else). Oh, and let’s not forget the little bottles of truffle oil ready to be dribbled into dressings and sauces.

Located in a smart Brussels suburb, the restaurant is no doubt a neighbour to more than a few senior Eurocrats with shaved truffle tendencies. On the evening I visited there were some messy road works causing minor havoc just outside the entrance, but within all was calm. Pairs of black pillars run down the room, punctuating walls the colour of pale mushroom and hung with artwork by a Japanese abstract painter, but Monsieur Ciciriello likes to shake things up occasionally, so the artists on display often change. At the back there’s a small courtyard garden bathed in different coloured lights as well as seating for warmer weather.

I kicked off with a couple of tasting items: a soothing celery soup threaded with strips of black truffle and a savoury crème brûlée perfumed with fennel. Both were delicate and delicious. Then came an immeasurably fine beef carpaccio which Luigi dressed at the table with a simple dressing and wafer-thin shavings of white truffle that just wafted a fine perfume over the equally thinly-sliced raw beef. If you’re rapidly coming to the conclusion that this meal was somehow turning into a sybarite’s dream, well… you’d be right. And things were pretty much on track for more luxuriant indulgence with the next course of light tagliatelle threaded with giant chunks of moist lobster, wild mushrooms – and, this time, scented truffle oil.

You won’t be surprised to learn that you can keep steering down the rich truffle path for dessert (“chocolate truffle in a spun sugar nest with raspberry sauce”) but frankly, there are limits to my tuber melanosporum capacity. And I’d reached it, thank you very much, so a crème brûlée with oranges seemed a far more sensible option.

These days it’s rare to find restaurants staking their reputations more or less on a single ingredient, especially one so prized and so determined by the fickle forces of weather, soil type and bacterial activity. But such wayward elements haven’t deterred Monsieur Ciciriello and his excellent cooking. Quite the reverse.

MANCHESTER

THE MODERN
URBIS, CATHEDRAL GARDENS
TEL. +44 (0)161 605 8282

This two-tiered restaurant hovers above the city at the summit of Urbis, Manchester’s museum of urban life. Serving up mostly local fare cooked with panache by Paul Faulkner (formerly of London’s OXO Tower), the combination of craft and crane-height views have made this restaurant a destination since it opened late last year. Signature dishes include the simple but accomplished Goosnargh chicken with Cheshire smoked bacon, and High Peak lamb and local rib-eye steak in wine and marrow jus. Delicately fragranced artichoke and rosemary soup makes a subtle prelude to the main event, while sturdy quince tart with homemade vanilla ice cream rounds the meal off in style. Wines tend towards global favourites, supplied by less typical producers. Service is on the friendly side of attentive and tables to the bow of this ship-like building are preferable, thanks to their views of the city’s skyscrapers and beyond. RA

ISLE OF MAN

CIAPPELLI’S
12 LOCH PROMENADE, DOUGLAS
TEL. +44 (0)1624 677442

When Islanders want to pull out all the stops they head for Ciappelli’s. Overseen by owner and veteran restaurateur Enzo Ciappelli, the restaurant has reigned supreme as the Isle of Man’s number one venue for 19 years. The sleek lounge bar overlooking Douglas Bay sets the understated tone for the restaurant, all creams and whites with immaculate linen and glassware. Service is attentive but unfussy and always professional, while chef Stephen Dedman produces stellar dishes, such as his exquisite lobster cocktail or glazed breast of duck served with pear and parsnip tart and sultana and tea sauce. Leave room for one of his irresistible desserts – every one a work of art on a plate. And if you’re feeling extravagant try a bottle from the ‘director’s cellar’, which holds many rare treats. SR

AMSTERDAM

INCANTO
AMSTEL 2,
TEL. +31 (0)20 423 3681

A hidden treat in the middle of the city, Incanto has been a delight since it opened in 2005. Venetian chef and co-owner Simone Ambrosin runs a classic Italian kitchen, creating a traditional, four-course, seasonal menu with fresh ingredients. His partner, and Incanto’s host and sommelier, is JP van Schip, who presides over a list of more than 150 Italian wines, and is happy to suggest the ideal partner to every dish. Incanto, Italian for enchantment, is on two floors overlooking the historic Muntplein, and lives up to its magical name, as each table offers lovely views of the flower market and canals. Head upstairs to the top floor after your marvellous meal where you can enjoy the club room. There, smokers can relax in leather chairs and savour one of the restaurant’s great variety of traditionally distilled grappas. KC

LONDON

WATERLOO BRASSERIE
119 WATERLOO ROAD, SE1
TEL. +44 (0)20 7960 0202

This brasserie brings good French fare to a prime location opposite Waterloo station. Its opening is part of a renaissance in the area, with new high-end office space creeping back from the Thames and bars and restaurants popping up to cater for local workers and others venturing south. Inside, the French staff serve a solid brasserie menu, including such simple genius as a whole roasted camembert, while main courses are dominated by steak served with frites and dauphinois potatoes. Prices range from the middling to the expensive, but lapses in attention to detail let things down. The dried out rosemary pots look far from decorative and our waiter was shaky on the menu’s basic details, but with a bit of tightening up, this place should become a firm favourite. SW

WORDS BY SIMON PARKES