Buyers Club

Squished on the cusp of the Knowledge Quarter and the Georgian Quarter and resident in the old Flying Picket since 2015, Buyers Club is a neighbourhood bar and kitchen-restaurant, complete with gallery, garden with coffee and spritz kiosk, and even an intimate music venue.

Undergoing a Lockdown reinvention, the Buyers Club Pasta Kitchen is now go, serving handmade, fresh pasta from an oft-changing menu devised by head chef Michael Harrison, along with thin crust pizza specials on hand-stretched dough. Pasta first, and there are two types to choose from: pappardelle and tagliolini. In the pappardelle corner, sauces to go with the thick ribbons in round one span pork and fennel with n’duja sausage and mascarpone cheese, a rich red ox cheek ragu, and the vegetarian tomato, olives, capers and rocket pesto. Representing fat spaghetti-style tagliolini, there’s king prawns with chilli, garlic and lots of fresh parsley plus two veggie offers: porcini mushrooms with walnut and truffle, and rocket pesto topped with a confit egg yolk, which gurgles out when plunged with a knife and brings the whole dish together in one satisfying plate of comfort. Pizzas are available from the kiosk serving hatch and run from a basic, but solid, vegan margherita to the special of pepperoni, pickled jalapeño, chilli honey and mozzarella. Fired up in the same oven, freshly baked focaccia comes with balsamic and olive oil or whipped ricotta for a starter or snack; there are also salads, cured trout and croquettes to take the edge off.

Desserts come and go with the seasons, but summer’s opening gambit has served up the likes of pistachio cake teamed with vanilla panna cotta, macerated strawberries and basil granita and the totally decadent Black Forest chocolate mousse. There’s plenty to accompany your food, including cocktails, local brews, Belgian lambic, and orange wines from Spain and Italy.

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