Review of Faru as it takes diners' taste buds on a journey for Durham Restaurant Week

It's fitting that a restaurant named after the Old English for journey should take diners' taste buds on a fine dining voyage of discovery.

Opening the restaurant in Silver Street earlier this year in the heart of Durham City has also been a journey for owners and couple Jake and Laura Siddle who come from great culinary stock.

The pair honed their skills at Newcastle's Michelin-starred House of Tides, with Jake donning the head chef whites in the kitchen and Laura running the floor as front of house manager.

After nine years spent at one of the North East's best restaurants, they decided to bring the tasting menu concept to Durham which, despite welcoming a wave of new restaurants of late, has less choice in the fine dining market.

They scaled the former Mountain Warehouse unit from scratch to create an intimate, unfussy restaurant of 10 tables which all look onto the open kitchen where you can see the magic happen.

The discovery of a striking old stained glass window behind a brick wall, which now frames the kitchen, adds to the theatre of the evening.

There's a calming, elegant flow to the restaurant with its soft muted tones, laidback playlist and feature wall which looks like richly-textured exposed plaster but is actually wallpaper imported from Spain.

A lovely ebb and flow to the kitchen too - one of the calmest I've seen in fact - as the chefs meticulously prepare the tasting menu dishes.

On the menu

The menu changes seasonally and utilises the best of produce available on their doorstep.

The current 10-course tasting menu is £98 with an optional wine flight of £65. A vegetarian menu is also available.

We had the Restaurant Week menu of five courses, which gives you the chance to try a tasting menu for £60, a competitive price for a menu of this ilk.

To start, parmesan sablés topped with black onion seed and black pepper, bitesize savouries that really packed a punch that crumbled perfectly into submission.

Next up, a Hen of the Woods dish that's taken flight to become one of the most-popular dishes on their menu. It's a beautifully-presented mushroom delight, with a real earthy depth of flavour complemented with a chicken fat and yeast crumb top, mushroom ketchup, hint of garlic in the chive and a moreish dashi broth that I could have downed by the ladle full.

It was served with a tightly-wound milk bread with a wild garlic, foraged from the banks of the Wear, and sunflower seed pesto and a butter that was so good it served as a dip in its right.

It was paired with a really noble red, A Portela from Valdeorras, with hints of rich autumnal fruits that really worked with the strong savour of the hen of the woods.

From autumnal hints to the lightness of spring for the next dish, a kaleidoscope of flavour with a delicate Halibut, Courgette, Champagne which was executed with care and precision at the open pass - and it tasted as good as its rich fragrance.

It was paired with a Chardonnay from Stellenbosch in South Africa. Not a white I usually go far, but this Chardonnay converted me with its floral tones, hint of elderflower and a richness that cut through the Champagne sauce of the dish.

Back to meat for dish four: Lamb, Tomato, Gem Lettuce. Again, lamb isn't usually one of my favourites, but a tasting menu is a great way to sample ingredients in a new way. Beautifully pink and tender, and served with a side of rich sweetbreads, it was a triumph - and a full-bodied Spanish red really held its own against the lamb.

The fifth dish finale arrived in the form of a pretty-as-a-picture Cherry, Pistachio, Sencha, a pastel perfection of pistachio ice cream with cherry jam, its sweetness tempered by the Sencha green tea.

The wine pairing was again a revelation: a late harvest Viognier Northern Rhône, with a honeyness that made it perfect as a dessert wine. A sweet ending to a perfect evening of indulgence.

Service was just the right balance of being attentive without being in your face and was super informative - their passion and care for the produce is infectious.

We spent three hours over our meal, chatting over each dish in-between mouthfuls. Much like at Jake and Laura's last workplace, I wouldn't be surprised if the Michelin inspectors come knocking here soon

How to book

Faru is open from Wednesday to Saturday and guests can book a 6.30pm, 7.00pm, 7.30pm, 8.00pm or 8.30pm sitting. On Fridays and Saturdays, lunch is served from 12pm to 1.30pm. Tables are for one to six guests.

It's almost fully booked for restaurant week, so get in quick if you're planning a visit - Faru.co.uk

Durham Restaurant Week 2023

The event, organised by Durham BID, will take place from September 30 to October 6, and diners will be able to tuck into set-price £5, £10, £15, £20 and £25 offers.

Restaurants taking part include Course, Fat Hippo; Pizza Punks; Cosy Club; Turkish Kitchen; Rio Brazilian Steakhouse; The Boat Club and Tomahawk Steakhouse; Turtle Bay; Marco Pierre White’s Steakhouse Bar & Grill and Collage Restaurant inside Durham’s Radisson Blu.

Plus, newcomers Kitt’s Pool Room & Bar and Irish Bar Katie O’Brien’s.

To see a full list of all participating businesses and offers, visit www.lifeindurham.co.uk/restaurant- week/