Delicious slice of chic

10:27am Monday 9th June 2008

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YOU can never judge a book by its cover, but you can, on the other hand, judge a restaurant by its loos. At No6 North Square in Dorchester you know you are in good hands when you visit the eatery's stylish facilities.

Truth be told, you know you are in good hands before you check out the plumbing; both its littlest room and the larger ones are the epitome of taste, with a monochrome theme complemented by deep browns and golds.

With the light and airy bar at the front of the restaurant and the intimately-lit dining room at the back, the place is a delicious slice of urban chic in the heart of Dorchester. The wine bar and brasserie, which opened six weeks ago, was a change in direction for Sarah and Andrew Fox who previously owned Bojangles in Dorchester.

Sarah explained: "This is the type of place we like to go to. Bojangles turned into lots of late nights, which do not exactly go with having a four-year-old and a 10-month old."

The couple, both originally from the area, returned to Dorchester from London in 2003 when they had their first child Lily. They had cut their teeth in catering on a management programme in the capital and went on to run pubs in the Regent Inns chain.

Sarah said of their training: "We were worked to the bone for three months. We learned everything and did everything. We've always carried that through; we would not ask our staff to do anything we would not do ourselves."

Sarah and Andrew, who between them balance childcare and running the restaurant, are helped by a small, but crucial, team including manager Nick Hill, who they brought with them from Bojangles, and chefs Adam Raveney and Charlie Spinney.

Their ethos is that the food should be fresh, in season and, as far as possible, locally sourced. "Initially we wanted to change the menu weekly," said Sarah, "but that seemed too often, so it's monthly now."

The regular menu changes reflect the restaurant's drive for seasonality and freshness, and, indecisive customers will be glad to hear that, for the same reason, the menu is relatively simple.

For lunch, Sarah and I both choose the fresh crab and chive fritters served with mixed leaves and dressed with a creamy crab sauce. They are delicious.

Head chef Adam, who is 27, trained at Bournemouth's Lansdowne College and specialises in fish and seafood and has trained as a pâtissier as well. A favourite on the menu at the moment is his pan-fried wild sea bass fillet on a bed of samphire and turned potatoes.

Adam explained: "Samphire just came into season and sea bass is in. Mackerel is in now and getting caught locally so I can go to Weymouth and Abbotsbury and see it being brought in. The first British strawberries of the season are arriving too."

As for Charlie, he confesses to being quite handy with his soups, which also come highly recommended from Sarah. The puddings, meanwhile, look delectable and are influenced by various world cuisines.

"There's French," said Adam, "for instance, when we first opened we did crème brulee and now we do an American-style cheesecake."

The latest addition to the menu - very appropriate at the height of Sex And The City fever - is Saturday brunch (No 6 is closed on Sundays). "That's proved really successful and really popular," Sarah enthuses.

The wine list is put together by Sarah and Andrew with the help of Reg, their supplier at St Austell.

"We're more used to serving the wet than the dry," smiled Sarah. "Although it's a wine bar, we didn't want people to feel intimidated. Our house wine is £11 a bottle. We have seven house wines: three reds, four whites and a rosé. They are all brilliant quality. Then we've got some around the £14 and £15 mark and we have some more expensive ones as well.

"All our staff have had training so they can recommend wines. We do Champagnes by the glass and we have also got a sharing bottle of cider - we got the idea from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - we serve it in Champagne flutes. If you're having a Christmas party, we have bottles of port."

She continues: "But we want people to feel that they can come in and just have a glass of wine. They don't have to eat."

No 6, Sarah tells me, has always had a special place in the heart of Dorchester.

"It's been established here for years and people are very fond of it," she tells me.

With its new look, great food and the warm welcome you get as you walk through the door, I am sure that will continue to be the case.

No6 North Square is open Monday to Saturday from 10am.

To book call 01305 267679. For more information visit www.no6northsquare.co.uk