Smiths has a great ambiance, breaks down barriers and offers an excellent evening out

 

I’m not one for writing restaurant reviews but I had a great night out at Smiths, in Exeter last night. Set in Magdalen road, St Leonards – which sits just outside the city centre, the area has a lovely breeze and a village feel to it. Many independent shops populate the area and it was even voted in the top 10 coolest shopping areas in the entire world. Set half-way down the strip is Smiths with its bright red frontage, run by an old buddy of mine Iain. I hadn’t seen him for 25 years, but upon moving back to the area and finding out about his venture I was excited about us getting reacquainted.
Iain told me he’d been running Smiths for 7 years, after being a successful DJ for many years, before he took a job with Majestic wines – it changed his life. Within a few years he’d travelled too much of the wine growing world and garnered knowledge which has put him on a par with most sommeliers. When the opportunity arose on Magdalen road, it allowed him the opportunity to create something unique and more than just a wine shop.
By day the shop does brisk business selling fine wines for any occasion from the new and old world. Iain’s knowledge of wine is impeccable and he is the perfect host. I was transfixed by his flowery descriptions of various bottles, having hints of gooseberry and peach and how my pallet would be massaged by their bouquet. He explained about grape varieties and wine regions and why food and wine were a match made in heaven. This seismic connection, led Iain to his eureka moment and turning the shop into a supper stop in the week and making use of the dining table that fills the centre of the room. It’s a great idea. I didn’t know who’d be joining me for supper, so it has a touch of ‘Come dine with me’ about it, which makes the evening even more entertaining, especially as I wasn’t doing the cooking. There is no quarter for vegetarians or people with dietary requirements as you get what you are served, which for us was Boozy baked chicken, cooked by Iain. It was perfect and served with lemon rice. For pudding, we had a delightful Eaton Mess – Iain’s meringues were pretty good too. What’s nice is all the ingredients are purchased locally, which gives everything a homely touch and a story, which surely is what home cooking is all about. The meal was accompanied by a choice of 3 wines to compliment the food which Iain had selected – all of them worked well particularly the La Crema chardonnay – which was a delight. We met some really interesting people and the conversation was sweet, as the wine helped loosen any inhibitions and everyone seemed to get on like a house on fire. The prices were reasonable too – the main course and pudding served between Tues-Thurs were £17.00. All the food is served down the middle of the table, leaving everybody to muck in, whilst the wine is from £2.50 – £7.50 a glass. Smiths, has a great ambiance which is carried by the owner and worth visiting if you are looking for something different in your dining experience. It offers great value, takes you back to basics and breaks down barriers – it was an excellent evening.