A bright and airy restaurant located in Durham, Isla has a succinct menu with a great selection of brunch dishes, sharing style small plates to enjoy. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, where friendly staff will go the extra mile to make your visit special.
The Isla menus are subject to change and flow with what's best available each season, but they’re always packed with tasty treats and flavours to linger long in your memory. For breakfast and brunch, our savoury pick would be the giant crumpet topped with spicy sausage, nduja, cheese, crispy onions, garlic mayo and a fried egg. But, a sweet treat like the French toast would never be a bad choice, topped with poached pear, elderflower, hazelnut cream and hazelnuts. Looking to blend the two? Go sweet and salty with the peanut butter croissant, served with peanuts, strawberry jam, crispy pancetta and maple syrup.
For lunch and dinner, there's a selection of internationally inspired small plates. Think focaccia with leeks, hazelnut and smoked potato foam; burrata topped with roasted beetroot, candied walnuts and blackberries; and cauliflower fritters with puree and almond. Other inclusions on the small plate menu include a courgette bhaji with rose harissa hummus and pine nuts, ham fritters with pineapple ketchup, and cheese croquettes served with celery, grapes and mustard mayo.
If you're looking to share, dive straight into the bigger, sharing plates. Try the Korean pork belly with sesame and spring onion, the fishcakes with spinach, tartare cream and samphire, or the 12 hour slow cooked beef with black garlic mayo, gherkin ketchup and crispy onions. The sides are great too, with seasonal vegetables, rosti chips topped with truffle mayo and parmesan, and a house seasonal salad. To finish, expect classics like affogato with amaretto ice cream, pina colada meringue, and a chocolate and miso caramel tart.