This was a restaurant where the vegetables unexpectedly stole the show. At Davia, one plate looked like a work of art while another delivered pure comfort. It turned into an evening of comparing opposites with some dishes arty and intricate and others traditional and rustic.
K started with tiny anchovies that packed an enormous punch and D had a deconstructed ratatouille that reminded us how extraordinary simple vegetables can be. Then the mains arrived and couldn’t have been more different. K chose a rustic beef stew with mushrooms. Rich, wholesome and deeply comforting, it was the sort of dish that felt as though it had been cooked the same way for generations. D’s dish was extraordinary. Individual vegetables (an onion, tomato, baby eggplant and a zucchini) were each stuffed with different fillings, including lamb and beef tongue. Every bite was distinct from the last, with each ingredient given its own moment to shine. It was thoughtful, intricate and almost too beautiful to eat. Definitely the dish of the night.
For dessert, K had a clafoutis which was light and sweet and D had perfectly poached baby pears in red wine. The service was also a contrast. The first waiter was fabulous but the rest of the team appeared to be be on a training program or auditioning for fawlty tours but that just added to the charm.
The meal was paired with a lovely bottle of light red wine and we finished the evening with limoncello and a pear liqueur. And of course the evening would not be complete without some fun snapchat photos.
