Review: Figurati's tasting menu - 'a true fine-dining experience'

The atmosphere was buzzing and songs from Amy Winehouse to Billie Eillish were covered throughout the night. It was a real treat to listen to. 

The restaurant, at Southampton's Ocean Village, has an intimate but well-laid-out dining space, decorated with gold and green balloons, which made it feel like a particularly special occasion. 

The menu was set, we were here for the exclusive five course taster menu - five courses of varied dishes accompanied by a “wine flight” of wines that have been perfectly matched to each dish. I opted for the wine flight, and my friend tried a singular glass of Domaine Les Ors Limoux, which she described as very pleasant.

Our first course was a seared scallop with cauliflower puree, black pudding and apple. It was a taster-sized portion that was perfect to start and compromised sweet and savoury. It was paired with a glass of Pinero, Albarino, Galicia. Having never previously tried scallops before, I enjoyed this course a great deal.

After each course, a speaker came to tell us about the wine, and the chef spoke about each dish. It gave a real personal touch to the menu, and it was interesting to hear about his considerations behind each one and what ingredients had been used.

Soon after, the second course was brought out. Sea bass fillet, with pork cheek ragu, gnocchi and sage. A seemingly strange combination - gnocchi, with fish and pork, but the chef certainly knew what he was doing. The meat was incredibly tender, and the gnocchi was crisp on the outside, both complimenting the sea bass beautifully. Paired with a refreshing, zesty glass of Penny Lane Sauvignon Blanc, I could have happily eaten a full dish of this course, and the chef said himself that it was one he was particularly proud of.

The service throughout was attentive and efficient, and we weren’t rushed to finish any of the courses or drinks.

The third course was a slow-cooked breast of lamb with anchovy, braised peas and nduja. Paired with a glass of Argentinian Blue Horn Malbec, it was bursting with different colours and flavours, from the spice of the nduja to the freshness of the peas, and we were told by the chef that the lamb had been marinated for 12 hours with garlic and rosemary - which explained its tenderness and subtle flavour.

The last two dishes were desserts, the first being a passion fruit delice with mango and coconut. 

I’m not a fan of fruit desserts, so while I would not personally order this for myself again, I could appreciate that this dish acted as a palate cleanser between the lamb and the dish to follow, as it was incredibly light and fresh.

With this course, we were spared a glass of wine, which gave me time to catch up from the previous glasses. 

The final dish - and arguably my favourite - was the dark chocolate pave with salted caramel gelato and a macaron, served with a glass of Canadian Pelle Island Ice Wine. I am a huge fan of anything chocolate, and this dish and its paired wine certainly didn’t disappoint. 

The pave was mouth-wateringly mousse-like in texture, and on the side, the macaron and the salted caramel ice cream complimented the richness of the chocolate.

The wine was unlike anything I’d ever tried, it was sweet with a honey aftertaste, and we were told it was a very exclusive wine made from frozen grapes.

Should Figurati hold another tasting event - I would urge you to go. At £45 per person (or £75 to include the wine flight) you will receive a delectable treat of five unique dishes, expertly created by chef Nick O’Halloran. Combined with a buzzing atmosphere and live music, it was a true fine-dining experience.