From the mountainous region of Northern Italy to the rolling hills of Somerset, Artfarms most recent venture Da Costa is exploring the culinary crossover of the quintessentially English and the flavours of Veneto. Setting up shop in world renowned art gallery, Hauser and Wirth, in the town of Bruton, the restaurant continues the galleries celebration of combining art with nature, with a beautiful courtyard in which you can enjoy your meal while bathing in the sunlight and enjoying the views of the various sculptures that decorate the grounds at Hauser and Wirth.
Iwan and Manuela Wirth developed Artfarm as an extension of the values they formed while founding and running Hauser and Wirth. The Artfarm developments celebrate intersections between art, community, people and place, and Da Costa is no different. Inspired by Iwans grandfather who had moved from a small village in Northern Italy, to Switzerland where he went on to open his own restaurant, Da Costa is an ode to Iwans familys cultural, and culinary history.
The menu explores the similarities and overlaps between the food native to his grandfather's homeland and the produce most readily available to them in Somerset. Much of the fresh produce featured in the dishes will have been grown and harvested from their own garden onsite, allowing them to ensure that they are serving the highest quality fruit and vegetables. The menu will contain a selection of antipasti to begin, before moving on to their homemade pasta dishes, like the risotto with toasted walnuts or buckwheat pasta with Fonduta. The menu will contain nods to traditional, regional Italian dishes such as the zuppa d’orzi, a comforting barley soup that’s perfect for a cold winter's day. Other menu highlights include the beef carpaccio with Cornish Yarg and the grilled red mullet served with a fennel and caper salad. Mains are prepared over the wood fired grill, bringing a rich smokiness to the dishes.