Fraiche is very understated from the outside but the minute you spot the quirky door handle you just know this is going to be an interesting place. Inside is an intimate and very comfortable dining room with interesting pieces of art adorning the walls.
This is the first restaurant I had visited in over three months as I had put myself on a healthy eating plan after the Christmas gluttony and pre holiday diet . During this time I had read many debates around using cameras in restaurants and was a little worried about this, as Fraiche has a very intimate dining room I thought it best to check with the restaurant.
Front of house and restaurant manager James Campbell was only too pleased for me to take photographs, he took a real interest in the fact that I blog and asked what other restaurants I had visited. This was very refreshing it shows how confident Marc is about his restaurant, this immediately put me at ease and made for a very comfortable dining experience.
Before being seated we were given a bowl of spiced pecan nuts to nibble whilst perusing the wine list , James offered some help and asked us what we like and chose a lovely red for us this was fantastic full bodied and mellow just what we like.
I love eating taster menu's they nearly always contain something you've never tried or would not normally order and there's always a few other courses not mentioned on the menu. I love the surprise element of creative quirky and unexpected combinations it just makes the whole dining experience memorable.
Once seated we kicked of with a couple of Amuse Bouches, the first of which was made at the table using liquid nitrogen, cucumber and lime granita, apple and mint which added a nice touch of theatre and the smell of cucumber that came wafting over in a nitrogen cloud was beautiful.
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James making the first of the Amuse Bouches 
The second of the amuse bouches was Quails egg, celeriac, chive and smoked butter served on a bed of smouldering hay ash.
Pink fir apple, coffee, montgomery
The bread
selection was fantastic and probably the best I've had in any restaurant and
what more it arrived in two separate servings ! first up cheese, five nut,
mixed seed, granary & treacle.
 
Seared Scallop, Apple, Kohlrabi
Second serving Organic Oat, Tomato, Mushroom and Black Olive. with a choice of two butters unsalted Goats butter, and a Cows butter with Hawaiian pink sea salt.
The main courses are without doubt some of the best eaten, each mouthful was divine. When asked by James what our particular favourite was me and my partner both chose the fish dish ( wild Cornish brill ) now neither of us order fish often we prefer meat dishes but god this dish was truly great, I never knew you could get such a deep savoury flavour from white fish.
 Dexter rib eye of beef, shallot and artichoke 
Pre desert - Lemongrass panna cotta, sour cherry foam, dehydrated grapes
Pear textures, ginger and caramelised milk, popping candy.
Fizzy grapes - the grapes go in an air compression unit and then when
they're exposed to air they burst and the fizz is created.
Roast white chocolate mousse, coffee meringue, and passion fruit textures.
Before seated we were given the choice to end the meal with salt or sugar, essentially desert or cheese board , we both chose desert and we loved it but next time we visit we will definitely try the cheese board , James wheeled a most impressive cheese trolley to other diners which must have had around 30 cheeses to choose from.
James described each one with such knowledge we could have listened to him all night, very impressive !
Our dining experience at Fraiche was fantastic, everything from the food to the service was top notch. The crockery and glassware stylish, the music and ambiance just right. will we return? will we recommend ? you bet we will.
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