Food review: Tierra & Mar in Cirencester

You might say that’s because we're all too polite - we'd just rather not have to deal with all the fuss.

One diner, one plate - surely that’s the proper thing to do?

Tierra & Mar, nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds, is smashing this prim prejudice, proving that sharing is in fact caring with style, class and - most importantly - flavour.

The restaurant is bringing the spirit of tapas to Cirencester courtesy of husband and wife Brett and Silvia, the head chef and front of house manager respectively.

But that is exactly the first thing about Tierra & Mar to underline - it is not a tapas bar.

While there is a distinctively Spanish character to the food, it is modern Mediterranean, not traditional, with dishes embodying an attitude that is experimental and playful, not cautious and safe.

And, though core to Tierra & Mar’s dining experience is that food will be arriving on the table to - gasp - be shared, diners are presented with a gourmet experience, each a work of culinary art in its own right.

This is not just bowls of olives and cured meats to crudely finger at as a glorified snack.

Instead, Brett draws on strong and varied culinary background to bring out the essence of tapas and its heritage while resisting its trappings.

The design of his dishes - in the literal sense of just how they pop out on the plate - make it obvious he’s had stints in Michelin starred restaurants, and he deploys the lessons he's learned from establishments not just in England but Australia and, of course, Spain.

The Michelin-making is not just limited to Brett.

Silvia, who, as restaurant manager, is tasked with translating Brett’s cooking in to a cohesive dining experience, has trodden equally hallowed ground.

She provides the 'Mar' (Spanish for sea) to Brett’s 'Tierra' (land), having grown up in the Spanish town of Benidorm surrounded by Mediterranean waters while he the countryside and farms of Wiltshire.

And now here they are, back from their travels and the world’s best kitchens, to set up shop in the Cotswolds’ capital.

As you walk up to the restaurant, buried away in a limestone exterior, you are hit by an earthy, warm impression.

You feel welcome, invited - it is somehow cosy but not quaint.

Through the front door, the interior is sharper, more crisp, and you soon find the ocean blue walls washing over you.

The room gives an almost transportive feeling - exposed stone leaves you anchored in the Cotswolds, yet you feel like you are about to get a glimpse of somewhere much further afar.

I have two dining companions with me - we are, frankly, nervous.

The joy of tapas is the sheer choice - to mull over all the combinations and permutations of the menu and to eventually settle on a single spread.

But this is also what can make the cuisine intimidating.

There is plenty of opportunity for flavour, but, by the same token, the sense there is plenty of room for error.

We sit, and - relief. The menus clear and concise, yet lyrical and enticing. Our hosts informative and guiding, but neutral. The message is: 'Here is what we have to offer. Try it and, yes, share it.'

I select a margarita on the, in hindsight, rash assumption it is Spanish (it is, in fact, a Mexican cocktail).

Nonetheless, the classic cocktail arrives perfectly executed, the salt on the glass’s rim awakening my tastebuds for what is to come.

One of my companion picks a Spanish red on a recommendation from our waiter. The other, who is driving, eyes the two non alcoholic cocktails inspired by the restaurant’s namesake.

She selects Tierra, a blend of orange, grapefruit, rosemary syrup, and salt.

We eventually decide on nine dishes from the tapas menu, fighting the temptation of a tantalising seven course tasting menu - a beginning of canapes, on to lamb and red mullet, and finished by torrihas (Spanish style French toast) - that would have removed the need for us to choose what to share.

Trios of plates soon emerge from the kitchen door.

For each three, Silvia gives a concise but rich explanation, a cacophony of ingredients that, while easy to get lost in, reveal the craft and complexity of the food.

Indeed, the fresh, local produce used by Brett is very much a point of pride at Tierra & Marr. It does not feel forced either; he is clearly accustomed to cooking with ingredients on his doorstep, with his parent’s smallholding just a ten minute drive from Cirencester.

His approach is also seasonal, adding to the creative flair of Tierra & Mar. Again, rather playing into your's or my preconceived notion of what tapas is and running with it unchangingly, Brett first looks at what’s available at the time of year, and then the designs his menu.

We are disappointed to hear we just missed mussel season.

A particular highlight is the tuna tartare.

The tender raw fish has been marinated, a flavour that reveals itself in each bite against the backdrop of smooth avocado and hot horseradish colliding and counteracting.

Another is the octopus. It is, simply, a spectacle to behold. It is a la plancha, which means grilled, with black garlic, and interspersed on the plate with tarragon-infused gnocchi, spiced cauliflower, and lemon purée.

But it is the delicious lamb loin which perfectly encapsulates the ambition of Brett and Silvia - though it is reared locally, a paprika crust along with curried aubergine takes the animal far from the Cotswolds.

With our three courses of three over - a varied demonstration of Brett’s talent - dessert is a given.

And it is at this moment that we know we have been won over by not just the food, service, and aesthetics of Tierra & Marr, but its philosophy.

Without hesitation, my companions and I decide to share - a selection of scrumptious Spanish cheese, balanced with homemade chutney, dried fruit bread and crackers.

Whereas before we might have safely, so to speak, gone our own ways, each of us separated from the other by our own dishes, we’re now eager to eat from the same plate, compare tastes together, and talk it out.

Apart from gorgeous food, this is exactly what Tierra & Mar is about.

Tierra & Mar, 29 Sheep Street, Cirencester

T: 01285 642777

E: info@tierraandmar.co.uk

W: tierraandmar.co.uk