"The chef at The Larder on Goosegate has a light hand converting rich, succulent dishes into delicate, but savory melt-in-your mouth delights. On a Tuesday night in early September, I wandered down Goosegate looking for the restaurant. Went up a couple of steps and saw a posted menu for August. Climbed the stairs. On the first landing there were two closed doors. I was beginning to think the restaurant had closed, but I opened one to find a pleasant, informal dining room with windows overlooking Goosegate. There was an a la carte menu and a set price menu with fewer choices. I opted for the latter: three courses for 19.95 UK. The first course was battered baby squid with a mayonnaise sauce. The squid were succulent, with a delightful spiced crisp light coating. No sauce was required. I told the waiter that the sauce was a detriment to the delicate dish; she agreed, but said customers had demanded a sauce. The main course was an exquisitely thoughtful combination of rich dishes contrasted with bitter roasted raddichio and a mild beetroot sauce that tasted good with everything. The Blythburgh pork belly was perfection: a crisp crust with unctuous meat and fat that melted in your mouth. The accompanying Dauphinoise potatoes were magically both luxuriously rich, yet light. The best plate I've eaten in years. For the dessert, the blackberry cheesecake was again surprisingly light, yet flavorful with its fresh blackberries on top. Heaven. Service was delightful. I got to chat with the waiter, as surprisingly there were few customers that night. The view out onto Goosegate was a diversion while savoring my meal. My only caveat about The Larder on Goosegate is its inaccessibility due to the required flight of stairs."
