Roots

High quality cooking

Beside York’s city walls, this former Victorian inn is home to Roots, the urban outpost of Tommy Banks’ mini-empire. The rather sombre frontage contrasts with the warm and relaxed interior, which is furnished with kilims, Scandi-style chairs and oak tables – their legs a tangle of metal ‘roots’. Tasting menus swing along in a fashion of small courses that reflect whatever is being harvested at the farm in Oldstead, along with a productive line in preserves and ferments. Similarly, cocktails make use of a range of herbs and foraged pickings such as lemon verbena and woodruff. Wines are selected from an expansive list, along with food-matching packages, by-the-glass selections and Banks Brothers wines-in-a-can. This kind of high-spend, special-occasion, multi-course dining will not be to everyone’s taste or pocket, but you can eat here generously for a fraction of the price by opting for their ‘Sunday feast’ (two sittings at 12 noon and 4pm). Proceedings begin with a series of seasonally updated small dishes: a mini taste of Oldstead charcuterie and pickles; a slice of cured salmon served with a creamy pot of whipped buttermilk; a pot of rich duck liver parfait sealed with a layer of rhubarb jelly to slather on slices of crusty sourdough, and finally a warm croquette of Old Winchester cheese and coppa. The monthly changing roast might be chicken, pork or, for a supplement, rib of beef. ‘Trimmings’ are generous: duck-fat roast potatoes; a rich cauliflower cheese perked up with Tunworth cheese and mustard; carrots glazed in spruce and tarragon; charred hispi cabbage given a wild garlic and parsley crumb, and finally, a puffy Yorkshire pudding which, for a £7 supplement, can be filled with braised ox cheek and caramelised onion. The lavish feast ends with a mini dessert of Yorkshire rhubarb and toasted oats.

The "Roots" has relocated and is now situated in a quiet neighborhood, feeling above all much more atmospheric. Executive chef Pascal Steffen is delighted with his new location. Thanks to the smaller space and the reduction to just nine tables, everything is more dynamic and the overview is better, he says. Part of the concept is that the chefs serve and explain the dishes themselves. Moreover, Steffen has quietly but notably established himself as the third player in Basel's culinary scene, operating in the shadow of the "Big Two," Tanja Grandits and Peter Knogl, with a meticulously crafted kitchen concept. Pascal Steffen was named "Green Chef of the Year," honored by Gault Millau and "Bio Cuisine." "Vegetables plus side dish" is the "Roots" formula: Fine snacks accompany the warm soup: For instance, the first green asparagus from the Valais is paired with a hint of the last preserved truffle – here spring and winter meet with skill. Marinated raw Gotthard pikeperch is served with a vegetable emulsion, ceviche broth, fresh kohlrabi, and an excellent consommé made from smoked fish heads. The "Signature" vegetable plate is something of a vegetarian guessing game – this time featuring 37 different preparation methods, all tied together by a nut salad dressing. This dish has been on the menu for eight years; Pascal Steffen originally developed it at the "Focus" in Vitznau, and it remains an outstanding concept. Crisp green mustard kale – a cousin of pak choi – is paired with melt-in-your-mouth confit trout; a lightly smoky trout sauce, along with pickled and charred radish, elegantly finishes this light intermezzo. Thanks to a sure hand with flavors and technical precision in preparation, Steffen's culinary style is remarkably diverse. Consequently, the emphasis on vegetables (mostly regional) alongside Swiss fish and meat never carries an aura of deprivation. A stuffing of catfish and Schlössli shrimps fills a savoy cabbage roll, while the crustacean heads yield a bouillabaisse-like sauce: a dish that delights the palate and boasts admirable clarity. Buttery-creamy potatoes from the Albula Valley follow, served with a touch of wild garlic, early morels, and homemade crème fraîche – this simple course testifies to an exceptional command of ingredients and seasonality. That glazed sweetbreads are served alongside Jerusalem artichokes from Steffen's parents' garden is almost incidental: The spotlight remains on the vegetable presented in various states of matter, along with a powerful yet light miso hollandaise. The main course further demonstrates his confident handling of animal products too: a quickly seared loin of lamb from the Bernese Oberland with a subtle bitter note thanks to chicory, accompanied by a small tart made with lamb offal. The brilliant desserts also integrate seamlessly into the concept: fermented fennel with jasmine rice glaze and fennel tarte tatin, as well as cheesecake with pear jelly and sorbet, plus rooibos sauce. Conclusion: A strong start for Pascal Steffen at his new location – and proof that the chef belongs among Basel's "Big Three.