TUCKED away among high-rise office blocks in Borehamwood is a restaurant that provides a splash of colour in a grey world. If you have ever dreamed of a welcoming, friendly spot, a stone's throw from your computer terminal, with a glorious menu to suit all tastes, you might well be jealous of the workers in those offices.

Rushes, which opened in October 1999, is owned by Pinnacle Insurance which, having moved onto the industrial park in Studio Way, found itself the owner of a one-storey building it didn't need. A suggestion for a staff canteen led to the development of a far superior dining place.

Managers Emma Clegg and David Coutts, the restaurant's head chef, have created a venue with a clean, crisp, but welcoming ambience, which is non-smoking throughout. White walls are given a splash of colour with modern prints; light, wooden furniture offers a plain, but fresh and comfortable environment, which is complemented by warm and helpful staff.

Open from 8am until 11.30pm, Monday to Friday, the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and recently began opening on Saturdays, from 6pm to 11.30pm. Between 8am and 10am, the menu offers a selection of fruit, pastries and full cooked breakfasts. Lunch is served between noon and 3pm, offering a light bite with a range of sandwiches and snacks to eat in or take away, as well as a three course menu.

Emma said: "Our customers are very mixed. There isn't anything else like this in the area. We don't have any competition."

While very busy during the day, the restaurant is unusually quiet in the evening because no one would think to look for such a high-class establishment in the heart of a business park. But the modern European cuisine served from 6pm onwards is a very good reason for people to track this restaurant down.

The menu changes daily, so the choices remain new, bold and exciting. I was impressed by the originality and thought that had gone into it. Every option enticed my tastebuds, but I eventually chose serrano ham with pear, almond and watercress salad to start, followed by seabass with a courgette and basil risotto.

The dishes were beautifully presented, colour and textures complementing each other superbly, creating a delightful medley of tastes. The serrano ham had been thinly sliced and draped over a ripe pear fanned out beneath it. Layers of ham were alternately combined with layers of watercress and sprinkled with almonds. The seabass was expertly cooked, moist, with a crisp, salty skin, and provided a contrast with the smooth bed of rice, which had been mixed with diced courgette and fresh basil leaves.

My dining partner chose soy-glazed mackerel with a peanut, sesame and cucumber salad as a starter. It, too, was beautifully presented, the mackerel warm and succulent, and subtly complemented by the salad on which it sat. He followed this with braised rabbit with sweet potato rosti, sauteed baby carrots and savoy cabbage, another successful choice.

Finally, chocolate mousse, delicately presented with a black cherry sauce, and Greek yoghurt with honey and pistachio nuts, brought to an end a delightful meal. - WF

Rushes, Studio Way, Borehamwood

Telephone: 020 8731 3608.

Reproduced from Limited Edition magazine, exclusive guides to living in Hertfordshire, Middlesex and the London Borough of Barnet (01923 216295)

December 19, 2001 15:00