 While Simpsons restaurant in Birmingham flies the flag for fine dining in the Midlands, garnering a Michelin star in the process, its sibling in Kenilworth is following a less high-profile path. The recent addition of 'Simply' to the restaurant's title indicates a subtle change in tone. The building itself was refurbished and redecorated last year to create a more casual feel, while the menu has been updated and the dishes on offer have become more, well, simple. It's an interesting decision because Kenilworth and its surrounding area isn't short of brasseries and gastro-pubs attempting to do exactly the same thing. While Simply Simpsons has the advantage of a well-regarded brand name to trade on, it's pitched into a highly competitive marketplace. Unfortunately for diners who drive, it seems that a prolonged and strenuous search for a parking spot within walking distance is an unavoidable entree to eating out on Kenilworth High Street. Thankfully the restaurant itself has a relaxed ambience. Soft-lighting, stylish decor and a friendly welcome go a long way to ironing out any frustration. Our party was shown to a sitting area to the rear of the restaurant (furnished by what looked and felt like some leftover garden chairs) to browse the menu over aperitifs. While the food itself may be uncomplicated, choosing a meal from the extensive menu certainly wasn't. The number of dishes on offer is impressive but a little bewildering. Unlike a traditional bistro where the options for each course can often be counted on one hand, it takes several minutes just to scan the menu at Simply Simpsons. There's nothing simple about having to choose between ten starters and more than a dozen main courses. After some careful consideration I opted for smoked haddock and spinach risotto with curry oil (£5.75) followed by grilled calves liver and sage mash with bacon and onion gravy (£14.50). Mrs Greenwood, Angela to her friends, selected the crab, linguini and sweet pepper salad with avocado (£6.50) and slow-roasted pork belly with rosti potato in a glazed apple and Calvados sauce (£13.95). From the extensive wine list, we selected a bottle of very drinkable Cloof Pinotage to accompany our meal. Risotto can be a risky option as a starter. If it's prepared with a heavy hand it can be more filling than an opening course should. This, however, was terrific; nice consistency, lovely chunks of fresh haddock and just a pinch of curry oil to enhance the flavour. Angela's salad, flakes of crabmeat on freshly-prepared pasta, also succeeded in being light without being insubstantial. I ordered the calves liver medium rare and very tasty it was, too. It suffered, however, from a problem which is common in this dish and one which someone, somewhere is going to have to address one day. Serving a sizeable slab of liver, topped with a rasher of bacon, on a bed of mashed potato and smothered in gravy is a cast-iron guarantee that at least some of your dinner will end up on the tablecloth. It's impossible to cut a slice of liver or a strip of bacon without forcing mash and gravy to squirt toward the edge of your plate. Why perch the liver on top at all? Some original thinking is required. The liver was excellent but Angela's dish, the slow-roasted belly of pork, was better still. Cooked to perfection and nicely presented, it rocketed to the top of my 'must try' list when we make a return visit. At nearly £90 for two, Simply Simpsons is not particularly cheap but given the quality of the food it certainly offers value for money. There really is a lot be said for keeping things simple. Simply Simpsons 101-103 Warwick Road, Kenilworth. 01926 064 567 www.simplysimpsons.com
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