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serving a guest,” he says. “When a guest orders a drink, it’s already late, no matter how quick you can get it to them: from a guest’s point of view, they’ve ordered a drink and they want it now. It’s like – spinning ten thousand plates at once.” Despite Tristan’s responsibilities to his team, and the level of organisation required to keep an operation of this size running smoothly, there’s still a playfulness to Parker’s Tavern that keeps the mood light – which is reflected in the dishes they serve. “You still have to be nimble and agile and reactive, because, ultimately, you’re dealing with Mother Nature: one of the most beautiful, temperamental beasts you’ll ever come across,” Tristan explains. “Sometimes, the asparagus will come in and look a little different – so suddenly you have to make a decision: ‘OK – I’ll prep it this way today’. There are a million different things to get right.” Easter 2019 saw Parker’s Tavern hiding handmade eggs in other establishments around the city and revealing clues via Instagram, while Tristan himself regularly
Tristan says. “After all, this is the reincarnation of the University Arms, which had so many wonderful traditions and so many wonderful people working here – we’re very mindful of that. In the kitchen we’ve got a framed menu from the 1970s so everyone can remember what our restaurant was, and where we came from – maybe one day we’ll even…” he grins, leaving the promise of a seventies-inspired feast at Parker’s Tavern hanging unspoken in the air between us. With the one year anniversary in August fast approaching, the whole team at Parker’s Tavern have their sights firmly set on the future. “First of all, we’ll try and get through the weekend,” Tristan jokes, “but we’ve actually got some very exciting things coming up: a new bar menu, plus some amazing new cocktails taken to a higher level – and our afternoon tea is starting to take off, which is rather exciting… The rest are just pipe dreams right now. The menu will keep changing seasonally, as it always does – and we’ll just have to see what Mother Nature throws at us.” l
pops up across social media with episodes of Tristan’s Tricycle, where he cycles the city on a customised three- wheeler, cooking up dishes as he goes. It’s this carefully-encouraged sense of whimsy and magic that’s crucial to the restaurant’s identity: in a building and city that’s simply steeped in history, it skilfully navigates a path between old and new, simultaneously making new traditions while also honouring those of times gone by. “To move forward, you’ve got to understand where you came from,”
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