What to expect from Isla as one of Durham's most-popular restaurants expands its offering

Named after the youngest daughter of restaurateurs Ruari MacKay and partner Gemma, Isla comes hot on the heels of the couple’s first joint venture, Coarse.

The latter is doing great things in Reform Place, a hidden gem of a courtyard festooned in fairy lights, off North Road.

It dishes up a quality tasting menu without the price tag: great ingredients, used to great effect, served in a welcoming space that strikes the right balance of feeling special without the stuffiness that can oft go hand in hand with fine dining.

Word of mouth, the best kind of advertising, means the restaurant is regularly booked up well in advance - heck, even the rumours of riots the other week didn’t put off its loyal customers with not one cancellation. The food is *that* good.

So it was only a matter of time before the couple, and business partner Craig Lappin-Smith, dished up a second ‘course’ to sate those appetites.

Isla opened earlier this summer in the former Bean Social unit putting its stamp on the site with a full renovation of herringbone flooring, wall panelling in a soothing sage, feature rope lighting, a cool blue exterior and making the most of the existing bare brick features and decking the outdoor courtyard so diners can take advantage of the sheltered spot.

Situated on North Road, it’s on one of Durham’s busiest roads, but it’s got one of those chilled atmospheres that makes you slough off the stresses of the day, sit back, enjoy good food and relax.

It was one of those glorious sunny summer Saturdays in Durham, so we sat in the courtyard at the back - there’s only three tables there, so worth booking ahead and requesting one if you want to dine al fresco.

Down to the menu, it’s not a set menu like its parent restaurant. Instead, Isla is for brunching and lunching and grazing over small plates. It’s worth noting there’s a particularly wide choice for gluten free, vegan and vegetarian diners.

We ordered six small plates for the table, which was plenty for the two of us.

The burrata with Isle of Wight tomatoes, peach and elderflower (£9) was a blissful summer dish, the rich and milky cheese paired perfectly with the slightly tart summer peaches and the tomatoes packed with flavour thanks to the southern sunshine.

The natural flavour of the oft-underrated asparagus also shone, its spears sharing the plate with a crispy egg and bacon butter in another moreish dish (£8).

We also enjoyed crunching into the cheese croquettes, a trio for £7 served with mustard mayo and a hint of umami with beer pickled onions.

The focaccia (£6) came with a dip of tomato, basil and parmesan that I could have eaten by the dessert spoonful like a creamy gazpacho, a proper punchy full flavour that really gets your taste buds going.

And over to India for inspiration for the courgette bhaji, perfect for mopping up the accompanying rose harissa houmous, punctuated with pine nuts. (£5).

Meanwhile, the rosti chips with truffle mayo and parmesan (£7) sounded humble on the menu but were served like four proud soldiers with great texture and satisfying crunch. Needless to say, we were impressed with it all!

Drinks are also an elevated choice from the norm, a really well-curated wine list of options you won’t find on your bog standard menus.

Make sure to try the strawberry and basil cooler from the cocktail list, a fragrant, fresh and flavourful glass that goes down a treat in the heat of the August sun.

There’s also a good range of non-alcoholic drinks, coffees, loose leaf teas and beers from the likes of Vaux, brewed down the Wear in Sunderland.

Much like Coarse, service is homely and engaging. It’s no wonder they have such a high return rate of custom.

Durham’s seen a wave of big chains setting up shop recently, but it’s independents like these that are dishing up the kind of food and service you just don’t get from the big names.

:: Isla by Coarse is open Wednesday to Sunday for brunch, last orders 11.30am. A small plates menu is served Wednesday to Saturday from 12pm to 5pm and Sunday lunch is served 12pm to 3pm.