UPDATE: 05/05/2017 – see bottom of post
Purchases Restaurant in North Street, Chichester opened less than a month ago, Geoff and I happened to spot it as we walked past a couple days before. It was formerly Amelie & Friends which we’d been to several times and always like it. After doing a little investigatory work (on a well known search engine) I see that the head chef, Craig Mustard comes from Crouchers (which is also in Chichester, on the Birdham Road). The name ‘Purchases’ comes from Arthur Purchase & Son, who were wine merchants there since 1780.
We visited on Monday of this week and received a warm and friendly welcome. We could sit either in the main dining area or the light conservatory which looks out onto the garden where the lovely large olive trees still are. In winter I avoid sitting near windows and doors so we stayed in the more cosier area.
Gone are the ‘toilet block’ lights and pipework, replaced with rather nice eggshell green painted walls and some arty farty pictures on the wall adding a splash of colour. The seating is brown leather banquettes and comfy chairs. Upon each table are softly glowing lamps giving it a cosy feel and as it was near Christmas several poinsettias were in the fire grate, some in a couple of wine buckets and a large sprig of mistletoe hung from the entrance into the conservatory. Slow relaxing plinky-plonky jazz music played softly in the background. The ambience was great.
The menu has some good choices. I can spot one I’d particularly love, “pork three ways”, yum!
There’s a set lunch and pre-theatre menu available – Chichester Festival Theatre is close by – which is what we went for. 2 courses for £21.95 and 3 for £24.95, about the average price for a set menu in the area I guess, whereas the main menu is a little more on the pricey side.
We were given one very thin sliver of walnut & raisin bread with no butter and weren’t offered any more, which was a shame and a bit stingy really.
Geoff chose the soup, butternut squash with Parmesan doughnuts which were little balls swimming in the soup but no bread was served with it.
My beetroot starter was simply divine and very nicely presented too. Small balls of goat’s cheese sandwiched between three different coloured circular pieces of beetroot and the most amazing basil sorbet ever with a sprinkle of something of which I know not what. Very tasty indeed.
Geoff chose fish & chips even though it wasn’t Friday. He said the fish was very good indeed but the chips weren’t very hot.
My dish of braised beef cheek was very tasty although it just wasn’t hot enough! What a shame. By the time anyone came along to ask how it was I’d eaten a good half of the dish so declined having it sent back and carried on eating.
The cheeks were so tender they just fell apart, the jus was rich and the right amount of it, small blobs of creamy stuff, with a sprinkle of amaranth micro cress to pretty the plate up even more. The parmentier potatoes and thin slices of carrots were lukewarm too. The side dish I asked for, broccoli & cauliflower with a coating of Gruyere cheese was hot but the pieces were far too hard whereas I had particularly asked for them not to be. It wasn’t terribly busy so no excuse really.
For dessert Geoff went for sticky toffee pudding which came with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. This again wasn’t very hot but he said it was fine for him and he enjoyed it.
My espresso panna cotta was lovely. Again very well presented, it came with a brandy snap basket which held the buttermilk sorbet, a couple of blobs of cream with a sprinkle of coffee flavoured chocolate on top, two long thin biscuits and the panna cotta itself was smooth and creamy with the right amount of coffee flavour to it.
They have a lovely bar just as you enter Purchases.
Two espresso’s each to end the meal, no petit fours unfortunately. We had a beer and a large glass of Malbec and tap water with our meal. The service was very good and friendly and the temperature of the dining room was very comfortable.
Although the main course wasn’t hot enough which was disappointing I must admit, the starters and desserts made up for it. Had we ordered from the main menu (with the pricier dishes) then perhaps we wouldn’t be so forgiving. The place has a good vibe and we wouldn’t hesitate on returning, we’ll definitely give them another chance.
Ambience 9
Value 7
Quality 8 – would have been 9 if hot!
Service 8
Return? Yes
Overall 8/10 – would have been 9!
Living life, loving cake – and more
A x
UPDATE: 05/05/2017
I returned to Purchases last week for a late lunch with my friend Linda. We both ordered from the set lunch/pre-theatre menu, pan-fried calves liver which was very nice (although personally I’m not so keen on mustard mash). For dessert Linda ordered the dark chocolate brownie, which would normally be my kind of dessert, but I decided upon the coconut panna cotta. It was very nice but comparing portions I definitely drew the short straw as Linda had a huge slice of brownie along with custard & ice-cream. The service was very good, we’ll be returning.
UPDATE: 05/05/2017 – see bottom of post
Purchases Restaurant in North Street, Chichester opened less than a month ago, Geoff and I happened to spot it as we walked past a couple days before. It was formerly Amelie & Friends which we’d been to several times and always like it. After doing a little investigatory work (on a well known search engine) I see that the head chef, Craig Mustard comes from Crouchers (which is also in Chichester, on the Birdham Road). The name ‘Purchases’ comes from Arthur Purchase & Son, who were wine merchants there since 1780.
We visited on Monday of this week and received a warm and friendly welcome. We could sit either in the main dining area or the light conservatory which looks out onto the garden where the lovely large olive trees still are. In winter I avoid sitting near windows and doors so we stayed in the more cosier area.
Gone are the ‘toilet block’ lights and pipework, replaced with rather nice eggshell green painted walls and some arty farty pictures on the wall adding a splash of colour. The seating is brown leather banquettes and comfy chairs. Upon each table are softly glowing lamps giving it a cosy feel and as it was near Christmas several poinsettias were in the fire grate, some in a couple of wine buckets and a large sprig of mistletoe hung from the entrance into the conservatory. Slow relaxing plinky-plonky jazz music played softly in the background. The ambience was great.
The menu has some good choices. I can spot one I’d particularly love, “pork three ways”, yum!
There’s a set lunch and pre-theatre menu available – Chichester Festival Theatre is close by – which is what we went for. 2 courses for £21.95 and 3 for £24.95, about the average price for a set menu in the area I guess, whereas the main menu is a little more on the pricey side.
We were given one very thin sliver of walnut & raisin bread with no butter and weren’t offered any more, which was a shame and a bit stingy really.
Geoff chose the soup, butternut squash with Parmesan doughnuts which were little balls swimming in the soup but no bread was served with it.
My beetroot starter was simply divine and very nicely presented too. Small balls of goat’s cheese sandwiched between three different coloured circular pieces of beetroot and the most amazing basil sorbet ever with a sprinkle of something of which I know not what. Very tasty indeed.
Geoff chose fish & chips even though it wasn’t Friday. He said the fish was very good indeed but the chips weren’t very hot.
My dish of braised beef cheek was very tasty although it just wasn’t hot enough! What a shame. By the time anyone came along to ask how it was I’d eaten a good half of the dish so declined having it sent back and carried on eating.
The cheeks were so tender they just fell apart, the jus was rich and the right amount of it, small blobs of creamy stuff, with a sprinkle of amaranth micro cress to pretty the plate up even more. The parmentier potatoes and thin slices of carrots were lukewarm too. The side dish I asked for, broccoli & cauliflower with a coating of Gruyere cheese was hot but the pieces were far too hard whereas I had particularly asked for them not to be. It wasn’t terribly busy so no excuse really.
For dessert Geoff went for sticky toffee pudding which came with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. This again wasn’t very hot but he said it was fine for him and he enjoyed it.
My espresso panna cotta was lovely. Again very well presented, it came with a brandy snap basket which held the buttermilk sorbet, a couple of blobs of cream with a sprinkle of coffee flavoured chocolate on top, two long thin biscuits and the panna cotta itself was smooth and creamy with the right amount of coffee flavour to it.
They have a lovely bar just as you enter Purchases.
Two espresso’s each to end the meal, no petit fours unfortunately. We had a beer and a large glass of Malbec and tap water with our meal. The service was very good and friendly and the temperature of the dining room was very comfortable.
Although the main course wasn’t hot enough which was disappointing I must admit, the starters and desserts made up for it. Had we ordered from the main menu (with the pricier dishes) then perhaps we wouldn’t be so forgiving. The place has a good vibe and we wouldn’t hesitate on returning, we’ll definitely give them another chance.
Ambience 9
Value 7
Quality 8 – would have been 9 if hot!
Service 8
Return? Yes
Overall 8/10 – would have been 9!
Living life, loving cake – and more
A x
UPDATE: 05/05/2017
I returned to Purchases last week for a late lunch with my friend Linda. We both ordered from the set lunch/pre-theatre menu, pan-fried calves liver which was very nice (although personally I’m not so keen on mustard mash). For dessert Linda ordered the dark chocolate brownie, which would normally be my kind of dessert, but I decided upon the coconut panna cotta. It was very nice but comparing portions I definitely drew the short straw as Linda had a huge slice of brownie along with custard & ice-cream. The service was very good, we’ll be returning.