Da Terra

We’ve been coming to Da Terra since they opened and have seen them grow in to a fantastic two michelin star restaurant. The food , wine and service has always been exceptional. This continued today with yet another amazing visit as once again the creativity from the kitchen of developing new dishes and the constant willingness to improve the quality of those that have been on the menu from the beginning.

Our visit started with the usual warm welcome on arrival before we entered the restaurant. Here we were to be greeted by manager Charlie , sommelier Maria , head chef Mark where after a brief chat we then headed to our customary table 10. Once settled it was then nice of chef / owner Rafael to come over and say hello. This was followed by a nice surprise as we were treated to a complimentary glass of bubbles of our choice from Maria’s new champagne trolley.

Next was to decide on our menu choice. We opted for the full tasting menu and for the first time I chose to have the wine pairings whereas my wife only wanted to go for wines by the glass. We started preceding’s with the Caipirinha a take on a Brazilian cocktail. This was followed with a fabulous selection of snacks including a Duck Caesar , Stout Cup and Scallop along with the Mushroom and Taleggio Doughnut.

Now it was time for the first course and what an incredible way to begin. The new Carabineros with datterini , palm heart and tomato vodka was absolutely mind blowing. This was paired beautifully by a Symington Family Estate Quinta de Fonte Souto 2020 from Portugal. Next to arrive was The Humble Chicken where the style of the dish had changed once more only to produce another stunning result. The wings , foot , yolk , white beetroot , tucupi and white truffle was a sensational burst of flavour on the palate. This version we both thought was the best to date. The dish was complimented superbly with a fantastic Negotians Vinarius Posip Tardiff 2020 orange wine from Croatia.

Next to arrive was the Sourdough with bone marrow , cultured butter , gonneli 1585 olive oil. This dish has also been redeveloped to include a bone marrow spread and two slices of charcuterie. The pairing for the bread was a local dark mild from the local Boxcar brewery. This led us to the classic Moqueca a brazilian fish stew of aged turbot , manteiguinha beans and farofa. The few little tweaks made in the kitchen elevated this classic dish to an even higher level. The wine selection came from Maria’s home country of Greece. A fabulous Estate Argyros Cuvee Monsignori 2019 was an absolute treat.

Our next course was the Cannelloni of courgette , houghton springs farm trout and chervil along with trout charcuterie. The wine pairing for this course was a Chateau Montus Blanc 2014. Now it was time for the main course and what a lovely surprise we were about to receive. We were honoured to be given the opportunity to try the new Pork Loin dish with cassava , sausage , morel and chimichurri. Well be could both honestly say it was amazing and I hope everyone gets to enjoy it soon. This was matched by an incredible Shafer 2018 red wine from the Napa Valley in California. Full of red and black berry flavours but not high in tannins made it an absolute dream.

Next to come was the Romeo and Juliette a delightful cheese course featuring a goat’ cheese and a guava gel. This was nicely paired with a 30 year old Apostles sherry from Gonzales Byass. This brought us to the Baba with cachaca , pistachio and N25 reserve caviar.

Now it was time to finish this fabulous menu with dessert. The Pineapple with coconut , fermented pineapple juice and verbena was a perfect way to end. The pairing was a sweet wine sent from the gods. The Umathum Beerenslause 2019 from Austria with citrus and honey flavours was just the perfect match.

We finished with tea and coffee accompanied by a selection of Petit Fours including Cupuaca Cake , balsamic ice cream , macae chocolate and passion fruit and liqueur candy. This brought to end an outstanding dining experience that will be very hard to beat this year. The food was exquisite , the wine pairings were amazing and the service was impeccable. I really would highly recommend a visit here as you will enjoy food that you simply can’t get anywhere else.

Thank You Rafael , Charlie , Maria , Mark and all the team for an amazing lunch and look forward to seeing you all again soon.