New opening Faru is one of the most sophiscated restaurants in Durham
We popped into the freshest of Durham restaurants for a visit – here’s what we thought.
THE VIBE
Fine dining often makes you think of ultra fancy attire, but the first thing to mention about Faru is that although the newest of Durham restaurants is certainly chic and high-end, the atmosphere is super friendly and the team were approachable from the get-go.
The modern interiors softened with warm undertones instantly made us feel comfortable, and the customer service we received prompted us to assume that diners are actively encouraged to relax as they enjoy the flavour-led tasting menu on offer here.
THE MENU
For us, the best thing about a set menu is this eliminates the struggle of choosing just one meal from a lengthy menu!
Co-owners Jake and Laura have a lengthy background in the food industry, including 10 years at Newcastle’s Michelin-starred House of Tides, where Jake was Head Chef.
Combining all this experience with a commitment to using only the freshest, most seasonal produce around in their new restaurant in Durham, Faru’s menu is flavour-led. The team here believe that the flavour of the dish is the ultimate priority and aims to ensure they get a great balance of tasting experiences wherever possible.
Better still, unlike other restaurants in Durham, you could come back in a month and find a totally different set menu before you – as the dishes are changed every couple of weeks to keep incorporating only the season’s freshest ingredients.
Molly’s favourite dishes:
Hen of the Woods
This was actually the one I was most nervous about trying, as mushrooms aren’t really my thing. But this was honestly the tastiest dish I’ve ever tried! The texture was on point (not at all gooey like I expected), and the sauce was to die for. I’ll be thinking about this flavour combo for a very long time…
Chocolate, Caramel, Buckwheat
I’m usually a starters-over-dessert person, but this sweet treat was everything you’d ever want to end 10 courses. The gooey middle was melt-in-your-mouth divine and the flavours complimented each other so neatly, without being too heavy.
THE INSPIRATION
The restaurant’s name is Old English for Journey, which we think is very fitting for as historical city as Durham.
Chosen to represent many different things for Jake and Laura, ‘Faru’ represents their personal journey, their guests’ journey through their individual dining experiences, and the shared journey of opening one of the most sophisticated restaurants in Durham and seeing it thrive.
THE TAKEAWAY
Faru is a very welcome addition to the restaurants in Durham and is already back on our ‘must-visit-again’ list.
Settled in the heart of this beautiful, historic city, Faru fits in with its environment perfectly: with a beautiful stained glass window acting as a backdrop to the open-view kitchen.
If you’re looking for an extra-special date night destination or somewhere to celebrate, Faru is most definitely it.
But that’s not to say you couldn’t just pop in, either. The Faru team have just launched a compressed tasting menu for lunch, which is priced at £60pp.
Personally, next time we visit we’d like to add on the wine pairing option, as there was a pretty extensive wine list that didn’t make the most of at all!
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