After a record ten requests on 'Suggest a venue' Matt and Cat have at last visited Burrs in Newport. Huzzah!

Burrs is a small, traditional-looking restaurant positioned away from the tourist-traps of the Island in one of Newport's back-streets. No sea view or historic ambience supplements the experience. Matt and Cat wandered in one evening after a late night at the salt mine, fearful that they might need a reservation. Luckily they didn't, and indeed at first they were the only customers.

The attentive waiter welcomed them and showed his guests to a cosy table at the back of the small dining room. As drinks, menus and the usual initial transactions were undertaken, Matt and Cat began to understand the important differences that set Burrs apart from other establishments. Burrs has rejected the doctrine of 'no-nonsense food' and offers a classy service in the traditional style that borders on the theatrical. Cat was invariably referred to as 'madame' (although she archly said she might have preferred 'mademoiselle'), and she always got the first service. The diners had the offer of having their coats taken - a rare experience these days, although once an invariable part of dining out. The whole performance was most enjoyable. If this is nonsense - bring it on.

Review continues:

A small but tempting specials board complemented both an a la carte menu and a set menu. A three-course supper for £17.95 looked particularly good value, but both Matt and Cat were tempted by the enticements of the a la carte. The tempting starters included a warm salad of black pudding with bacon lardons and balsamic vinegar, also pan-fried goats cheese in filo pastry with homemade spiced apple chutney; Matt was irresistibly drawn to the grilled lambs kidneys on a crust of French bread. Cat, skipping a starter, considered the pan-fried steak au poivre and also the pepper, spinach and ricotta cheese puff pastry bake with tomato and basil sauce, eventually choosing Emmental and mushroom ravioli with pesto and feta cheese. She opted for a side salad, not expecting the five a day to be included but the waiter pointed out that the main courses came with potatoes and vegetables as standard - quite unusual for a restaurant of this calibre (but very welcome).

As Matt was deliberating over the menu for his main course, the waiter suavely interjected, "Chef recommends the pan-fried breast of Shorwell pheasant filled with herb pheasant mousse, wrapped in Black Forest ham on a red wine and mushroom sauce." It would be a brave man who rejected such a recommendation - and Matt was not that man.

Before long, and as the little restaurant was beginning to fill with diners. Complimentary olives and bread were consumed; Cat was particularly pleased with her warmed honey and pumpkin seed roll. Matt's starter arrived and he was delighted by the smell of the piping-hot kidneys nestling in a slice of bread. Even Cat, who normally would not dream of eating such things, was tempted enough to try a nibble of the delicious morsels.

Whilst Matt tucked in with enthusiasm Cat overheard her fellow diners discussing restaurants and the internet - she strained her ears for mention of this website. Alas, no mention was made but there was some interesting gossip about many of the places reviewed by Matt and Cat...

Having deliberated for so long over a drink, that she had eventually plumped for tapwater, Cat predictably changed her mind following a sip of Matthew's red wine. A glass of the same was soon delivered along with the main courses.

Cat's pasta dish was beautifully presented. Pale pasta pillows stuffed with earthy-tasting mushrooms were topped with spinach and a delicate pesto sauce with whole pinenuts, grated Emmental and chunks of feta cheese. It smelt superb and was very tasty, if slightly greasy - but that's the nature of both heated cheese and pesto.

The stuffed Shorwell pheasant breasts were excellent with their rich gamey taste, sat in a puddle of strong dark red wine and mushroom sauce. The accompanying vegetable dish contained tasty sweet red cabbage, celeriac, rough-cut carrots and broccoli, plus a separate dish of sautéed potatoes.

Eating in the light of a flickering candle, sipping on their red wine accompanied by the gentle murmuring of the other diners and some mellow sounds (the song Misty came round more than once) made dining at Burr's an almost romantic experience. Quite an achievement for a windy Thursday night in November!

More was yet to come. Gentle persuasion by the waiter encouraged Matt and Cat to order a pudding. There was a great selection including apple strudel, crème caramel with raspberry coulis, marmalade bread and butter pudding and chocolate torte with white chocolate chips served with vanilla ice cream. Cat declared herself full and left the choice to Matt, who can never resist white chocolate and opted for the torte. The waiter was unconvinced by Cat's protestations and brought two sets of cutlery along with an unexpectedly generous portion of torte.

It didn't take long for Cat to try a nibble and she discovered that the pudding was sublime, thick smooth chocolate tempered with ice cream and decorated with a plain chocolate stick filled with mint fondant, all on a bed of drizzled chocolate sauce. M and C chowed down greedily on this food of the gods (yours for £4.50).

Eventually, Matt and Cat decided that they really should go home. They paid up and left, saying goodbye to the friendly and helpful waiter, the authentic quarry tiled floor, the art prints, ambient lighting and the jazz music. Burrs is an intimate restaurant; the perfect place for a romantic meal. The food is excellent and the prices are comparable to, even cheaper than, other top-quality restaurants reviewed by Matt and Cat. Go there.

Note: Apart from the picture of grilled lambs kidneys on a crust of French bread, the rest of the photos on this review were taken at Burrs in December 2009. Matt and Cat thought it would be nice to show some additional examples of the great food at Burrs.

Review originally published 2007. Reissued with minor text changes 2010.

Visit the website: http://www.eatatburrs.com/