Sumas

Sheltering under the promontory of Mont Orgueil Castle, which makes a splendidly Wagnerian floodlit backdrop after dark, Sumas is very much a one-off. Its entrance is on a rising road, but the restaurant faces the marine view (best caught when there is at least a little water bobbing about the boats), with a few tables on a little balcony for the luckiest. The kitchen continues to maintain the house style of straightforward modern bistro food, attractively delivered with positive flavours. Breast of pheasant with Parma ham, celeriac and pickled winer berries makes a fully loaded starter, finished off with some game chips. Cured salmon tartare is adorned with avocado, cucumber, pink grapefruit, nasturtium and tapioca crisps. Treacle-glazed beef fillet and braised short rib (in full bourguignon array) benefit from creamy dauphinoise, savoy cabbage, cauliflower purée and a rosemary-redolent jus, while fillet of wild brill comes with braised leeks, caramelised onion purée, fennel carpaccio and artichoke velouté. Finish in classic style with tarte tatin or choux craquelin with vanilla rice pudding, Chantilly and winter berry compôte. The wines are a reasonably enterprising bunch, the star of the whites being the dazzling Mâcon-Azé of Domaine des Terres Gentilles, which almost tastes as though made, like so much else, with Jersey butter.

2 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence