Petty Fours

Pint-size Petty Fours, with its 20 covers and out-of-the-way location, is somewhat hidden in Cornwall’s capital of Truro. Take this as your heads-up that seeking it out is absolutely worth the effort.

Chef-patron Alfred Petty (hence the restaurant’s name) crafts refined dishes in two- or three-course set menus and an eight-course tasting menu.

As one might expect at such a bijou restaurant, the menu is limited – a good thing as it reveals everything to be crafted from scratch. Naturally, each menu includes petits fours, as well as amuse bouche like crisp cornets of chicken liver parfait with chilli jam sweetness.

Careful attention to detail is seen in starters such as an elegant curation of pink, yellow and purple beetroots, which are roasted, pared and pickled before being artfully arranged with pear, fig, walnuts and fresh leaves, then drizzled with peppery green olive oil.

Mains include the likes of short-rib tortellini, where the umami richness of a beef broth is punctuated by the addition of pickled mushrooms. Confections such as elegant lemon meringue pie with impeccable honeycomb decoration end a meal in style.

Trencherman’s tip

Once the last chocolate truffle has been devoured, guests can stretch the evening’s pleasures into the next morning thanks to a parting gift of homemade granola.