Garage Restaurant

It rained the whole afternoon I spent at Garage Restaurant, and I cannot now imagine eating there in any other weather.

The room is exactly what you want it to be: summer Atlantic breeze, white linens. We were seated near the back, given menus we hardly needed, and brought a small bowl of olives without being asked.

We started with chopped salad with too much bacon, exactly right, which set the tone — generous, unfussy, and confident enough not to crowd what was coming. With it we ordered a glass of port to finish, and then another, and were glad of both.

Then the main event: lomo with chimichurri, the dish that puts Garage Restaurant on every short list. The crust was the colour of dark mahogany, and the inside was a confident, even pink the whole way through. The signature touch — the wood-fired grill in the open kitchen — is not a gimmick; it is the reason to come.

For sides we asked for pommes Anna and asparagus with hollandaise. Both arrived hot, both arrived early, both were exactly large enough to overdo it. We overdid it.

Dessert was the bread pudding with bourbon sauce, mostly because the waiter raised an eyebrow when we hesitated. He was right to.

I will be back. With company, next time, and a longer reservation.