Six by Nico first opened 18 months ago and is located within a Grade II listed building, at 9 East Parade, seating up to 72 guests. Founded by chef Nico Simeone, Six by Nico offers diners a delicious and affordable six-course tasting menu, with the added bonus of delicious wine pairings to match.
Upon entering the restaurant diners are met by a small cocktail bar where a pre-dinner drink can be enjoyed. A few short steps lead up to the main restaurant containing the open kitchen and seating area. Due to the small area, tables are pushed quite close together, but at no point did it feel obstructive.
The tasting menu rotates every six weeks, each time inspired by a different theme, destination or concept. This keeps customers on their toes and keeps the offering fresh and exciting all year round.
Rolling out the red carpet
The new six course tasting experience is titled Hollywood, inspired by the legendary films that defined the eighties and nineties. Before the main action starts there is a choice of aperitifs and snacks, including an El Jefe’s Cuban pork croquette and my choice of warm sourdough bread served with carbonara butter, which comes with a cheesy twist. I was curious to discover where the soft and tangy slices of bread in front of me came from. Our server, Liv, gladly informed us that the bread is made in house
Part of the dining adventure at Six by Nico is having your server not only explain where each wine comes from, should you decide to choose the matching wines add-on to your menu, but also describing what each of the six courses consists of as it is served. There’s a lot to learn and a lot to take in, though the impression we received was that we were in very capable hands. There is a discretionary 12.5% service charge automatically added to final bill, which is fine if you are happy with the service, though my partner thought it would have been polite to ask rather than spontaneously adding the charge.
Lights, camera, action!
The first course, titled The Curse of the Black Pearl, consisted of squid and ‘Nduja arancini with fennel, sea herbs and lemon gel. Hard on the outside, soft on the inside, the arancini reminded me of a good haggis! This was a good way to get the camera rolling, so to speak.
Course number two, Good Morning Vietnam came with a prawn and pork banh bao, sweet and sour Pumpkin and nước chấm. With the pork having the texture of a good sausage roll, the Feteasca Regala white wine from Romania had an acidic bite to cut through the slightly fatty taste. Better than anything you will get from Greggs!
The third instalment of the evening, Royale with Cheese, was a big surprise as I’d never tasted ox cheek previously. Adoring the sticky and moreish taste complemented by comté polenta, turnip choucroute and lovage, I began to wonder why I’d waited so long to try this unusual dish. A deep red Perdu Beaugarand was the perfect match for the course.
Photos courtesy of Six by Nico
May the fourth be with you
Bubba Gump Shrimp might sound a bit of a mouthful and is one that mixes curry and fish. I am still not convinced that curry goes with fish. The grilled coalfish served with coriander emulsion and coconut chutney was accompanied by a sharp Macabeo Verdejo organic Spanish wine.
What’s Your Favourite Scary Movie?, course five, consisted of Chinese red pork, red pepper, cauliflower, beignet and crackling, making for a rich and varied dish. It was served with a fruity Austrian Neusiedlersee DAC Zweigelt, which apparently is fermented in a steel drum, letting the notes of raspberry and blackcurrant rise up.
After all this indulgence course six, Take the Gun, Leave the Cannoli, came with a chocolate delice, hazelnut praline cannoli and a buttermilk sorbet and Pedro Ximénex, served with a very sweet Italian Il Furetto, Brachetto d’Acqui. The robust chocolate delice was silky in texture and very sharp.
The end credits
Although each course has a name, your server will ask you if you want to try and guess the film that inspired it. We only got a few right, but you might have more luck than we did.
A memorable dining experience was made all the more inclusive by our knowledgeable and friendly server.
Available to Sunday 3 November, the current tasting menu is £42.00 with matching wines at a further £33.00.
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