So, um, it's been a while.
Within the space of 18 months my job was gone, we moved out of Cambridge and I got a temporarily soul destroying job before setting up a business in Winchester. A lack of time and money doesn't really cover my apathy, more a lack of enthusiasm for the food. There are some wonderful restaurants in Winchester and they are reliably good but after some exciting cookery adventures of my own I was starting to get a little jaded.
This changed for me last week and I came to decision that I have to have another go at this.
The Italian has been recommending Union Jacks to me since he took his parents there (I know, an Italian recommending a British pizza place?...) so TH and I decided that we should give it a go. The decor is a nod to our not so glamorous kitchens and dining rooms of the past with formica tables in bold 70s prints and chunky glassware. It sounds hideous, but somehow Jamie Oliver's team have pulled it off and it looks really smart.
The menu is pleasingly simple, starters are modern British tapas style dishes with more than one nod to Oliver's cookbook Jamie's Great Britain. At 3 for £12 it was hard for us to resist giving them a go and armed with a Damson Gin Fizz we dug in. If we had to be picky we could pick a couple of holes in the starters - the smoked trout with baby yorkies needed a touch more pepper, the potted shrimp and crab needed more toast and the black pudding was a little too 'crispy' for our liking. That makes it sound like we didn't enjoy them - we really did.
The mains consist of a selection of 'pizzas' and a few more traditional options (again, a few recipes from Oliver's book can be found here). The pizzas are like nothing you've seen before, and trust me, you've never tasted anything like them. We had an old spot (slow roasted pork with bramley apple and quince sauce with crackling, watercress and Stilton) and a red ox (oxtail and brisket cooked in Worcestershire sauce with red Leicester, watercress and fresh horseradish). Now might be a good time to mention my dislike of both watercress and horseradish. Luckily for me these recipes have been finely crafted to ensure that both these flavours complement everything else and do not dominate. They were, quite frankly, two of the best pizzas I've had in a long time. The sour dough base was fantastic - light, firm and crisp, the perfect vehicle to get food into your mouth effectively.
The wine list needs a mention. It seems that Union Jack's has bowed to their customers and have sourced a range of wines from other countries (previously the wine list was entirely English wine producer Chapel Down). I was slightly disappointed by the other countries selection, the list is provided by Berry Bros. and Rudd who have a stonking wine list but as a diner I wouldn't want to pay £22 for a wine named 'Good Ordinary Claret'. We enjoyed a bottle of Chapel Down's Flint Dry with our food - the staff couldn't have been more helpful in trying to find out what exactly was in this wine (predominantly Chardonnay, Huxelrebe and Schonburger). Without food it was unremarkable - a little too flinty and dry for my taste, but pair it with the English cheese on those pizzas and suddenly the gorgeous peach and clementine fruit was allowed to shine.
All in all, a very good meal. The staff were fantastic - friendly, helpful and well informed as to what they were serving up. The only thing stopping me going back there tonight is the cost - £75 for two. It's worth it, just not every night of the week.
Friday, 1 February 2013
Saturday, 22 October 2011
River Plate, The Calls, Leeds
A business trip necessitated a long drive up to Leeds, a place close to my heart and a must for all foodies to visit - the quality and variety of restaurants is like no other place I have lived.
After a long day of wine tasting (life is hard) The Italian and I went for a birthday dinner with Montey's Comrade - so named for our mis-spent not-quite-youth in a cocktail bar in York. Many a cheap cocktail, much good music and far too much frivolity.
MC was keen to go back to La Grillade (excellent french steak restaurant, the cheese is amazing) but we couldn't help stumbling in to River Plate after discovering it won best steak in Leeds 2011. The decor is simple with plenty of exposed brickwork and a decent view over the river, though the artwork leaves something to be desired, unless of course you enjoy looking at expressionistic paintings of horses.
Despite the name, River Plate is actually an argentinian steak restaurant, so a bottle of malbec was our first order for the evening - a rather tasty, if not slightly OTT with the fruit (though it was perfect with the steak).
In a nod to our original intention MC and I shared a baked brie, a wedge wrapped in greaseproof paper served with malbec and onion chutney, delicious, though it was evident that the brie was the cheap stuff. The Italian opted for chorizo which was a tasty home made sausage though I felt it lacked real spice.
The steak. Oh the steak. It was by far the best steak I have ever had. The biggest surprise was how well it had been seasoned, I could bore you for days about how good it was and until you experience it you will have no idea what you have been missing. My rare steak was perfectly cooked, the pepper sauce divine and the chips - hand cut fries served with a sprinkle of pepper. The only thing that let me down was my inability to finish the 400g steak I ordered (not recommended unless you're a hungry Italian with some impressive facial hair to feed).
MC's fillet steak looked like a charred rock but tasted delicious and was divine with her dolcelatte and blue cheese sauce (because one blue cheese is never enough), The Italian's traditional parsley, garlic, olive oil and vinegar sauce was tasty but be warned it is very strong.
This is a must try for all steak lovers, with a little more attention to the starters (and I suspect the non-steak mains) this place could really be outstanding.
After a long day of wine tasting (life is hard) The Italian and I went for a birthday dinner with Montey's Comrade - so named for our mis-spent not-quite-youth in a cocktail bar in York. Many a cheap cocktail, much good music and far too much frivolity.
MC was keen to go back to La Grillade (excellent french steak restaurant, the cheese is amazing) but we couldn't help stumbling in to River Plate after discovering it won best steak in Leeds 2011. The decor is simple with plenty of exposed brickwork and a decent view over the river, though the artwork leaves something to be desired, unless of course you enjoy looking at expressionistic paintings of horses.
Despite the name, River Plate is actually an argentinian steak restaurant, so a bottle of malbec was our first order for the evening - a rather tasty, if not slightly OTT with the fruit (though it was perfect with the steak).
In a nod to our original intention MC and I shared a baked brie, a wedge wrapped in greaseproof paper served with malbec and onion chutney, delicious, though it was evident that the brie was the cheap stuff. The Italian opted for chorizo which was a tasty home made sausage though I felt it lacked real spice.
The steak. Oh the steak. It was by far the best steak I have ever had. The biggest surprise was how well it had been seasoned, I could bore you for days about how good it was and until you experience it you will have no idea what you have been missing. My rare steak was perfectly cooked, the pepper sauce divine and the chips - hand cut fries served with a sprinkle of pepper. The only thing that let me down was my inability to finish the 400g steak I ordered (not recommended unless you're a hungry Italian with some impressive facial hair to feed).
MC's fillet steak looked like a charred rock but tasted delicious and was divine with her dolcelatte and blue cheese sauce (because one blue cheese is never enough), The Italian's traditional parsley, garlic, olive oil and vinegar sauce was tasty but be warned it is very strong.
This is a must try for all steak lovers, with a little more attention to the starters (and I suspect the non-steak mains) this place could really be outstanding.
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Mumbai Spice, Georges Street, Winchester
I've spent a considerable amount of time thinking up the excuses for my laziness. I tried blaming the gin, the change of job and the moving of house - that's right Cambridge Foodie is more of a Winchester Foodie these days, but in the end it turns out that yes, I am as lazy as I you all suspect.
The end of a long Saturday dealing with idiot customers (I could blog for days about working in customer service but I won't, just let me remind you all that if you sign a contract for a period of time, say two years, you are expected to uphold your part of the agreement i.e. paying your bills. You can't turn around and cancel just because you don't want to pay it any more).
Leaving the rage aside I shall discuss the brilliance of Mumbai Spice, a place we have been avoiding since falling in here rather drunk after a few too many martinis (I told you the gin was to blame), we decided it was time to swallow the shame and see if the food was as good as our gin-addled brains remembered. It was. Hiding rather inconspicuously in a rather 70s looking building it takes time to convince yourself that they did intend the carpet to look that bad (rather than a tragic accident with a lot of brown) but that aside the booths are rather comfortable.
Having got over the embarrassment of the owner recognising us we settled down to a perusal of the menu. Tip: Don't bother reading the menu, just have a wild stab in the dark at what kind of curry you might like and let the manager tear apart your menu choice and recommend something else. Despite trying to order a Pathia I got a curry called 'fish and aubergine', you'll be glad to know the curry was more imaginative that the name suggested - succulent white fish fillets with tasty pieces of aubergine in a fairly spicy sauce. TH attempted to order a vindaloo only to be thwarted at the last moment and instead offered a Lamb Korai - just as spicy, with a fantastic depth of flavour and a slow building heat guaranteed to surprise. I hasten to add that we were not bullied into taking these dishes, more that the manager is confident of the abilities of the kitchen staff to produce tasty food.
We were trying to fault the food but it was tricky. The prawn puri was delicious and light, the garlic rice is an excellent idea if you're not a vampire (the chunks of garlic were epic).
In short, for a non-pretentious curry at a reasonable price this is the place to go in Winchester.
The end of a long Saturday dealing with idiot customers (I could blog for days about working in customer service but I won't, just let me remind you all that if you sign a contract for a period of time, say two years, you are expected to uphold your part of the agreement i.e. paying your bills. You can't turn around and cancel just because you don't want to pay it any more).
Leaving the rage aside I shall discuss the brilliance of Mumbai Spice, a place we have been avoiding since falling in here rather drunk after a few too many martinis (I told you the gin was to blame), we decided it was time to swallow the shame and see if the food was as good as our gin-addled brains remembered. It was. Hiding rather inconspicuously in a rather 70s looking building it takes time to convince yourself that they did intend the carpet to look that bad (rather than a tragic accident with a lot of brown) but that aside the booths are rather comfortable.
Having got over the embarrassment of the owner recognising us we settled down to a perusal of the menu. Tip: Don't bother reading the menu, just have a wild stab in the dark at what kind of curry you might like and let the manager tear apart your menu choice and recommend something else. Despite trying to order a Pathia I got a curry called 'fish and aubergine', you'll be glad to know the curry was more imaginative that the name suggested - succulent white fish fillets with tasty pieces of aubergine in a fairly spicy sauce. TH attempted to order a vindaloo only to be thwarted at the last moment and instead offered a Lamb Korai - just as spicy, with a fantastic depth of flavour and a slow building heat guaranteed to surprise. I hasten to add that we were not bullied into taking these dishes, more that the manager is confident of the abilities of the kitchen staff to produce tasty food.
We were trying to fault the food but it was tricky. The prawn puri was delicious and light, the garlic rice is an excellent idea if you're not a vampire (the chunks of garlic were epic).
In short, for a non-pretentious curry at a reasonable price this is the place to go in Winchester.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Emilias, Enniskerry, Ireland
Cambridge foodie has been slack once again, this time blaming it on many weekends spent in a gin haze at parties/ hen nights/ weddings. Disturbingly the gin head count in the house currently stands at 15 and I think I may have some kind of hoarding problem. Somewhere in the back of my mind I can recall a crystal clear weekend in February spent sans gin with my teetotal sister (TS).
Those with keen eyes may have spotted this was a weekend in Ireland. We were shopping for a dress with my mother (MW) for TS' upcoming nuptials (we're telling her future husband (POG) she's going to look like a frilly toilet roll holder). After a long day of shopping in Dublin we headed out to the mountains to grab a bite to eat at Emilias.
Enniskerry appears to be a quiet, sleepy sort of town so I was surprised to find this little gem. With some debate the three members of staff finally decided that four of us could have a table in the almost empty restaurant (it was only 6pm).
We skipped starters as our driver was feeling a little peaky and headed straight for the mains. I opted for pizza, a massive dominos-shaming (in both size and cheese content) plate turned up. Very tasty it was too though I was glad it was topped with rocket which hid the cheese from view and 'balanced' my meal. POG also had a pizza and despite his best efforts only managed half (the balancing effect of the rocket meant I hit two thirds before wimping out).
MW opted for pasta in a creamy, spicy sauce with chicken which was fabulous. The sauce had just enough spice to be a seasoning, the chicken was tender and moist and there was a generous dose of garlic. The garlic was nothing, however, when compared to the garlic contained within TS' garlic potatoes. They were, to be frank, a work of genius (or should that be tasty nom-iness?). I still can't work out how *that* much garlic got into potatoes. Beautifully cooked roasted new potatoes, but mostly garlic.
All this was topped off with a rather good bottle of Primitivo that I suspect the Italian owner may be importing himself as it was cheap as chips and very, very tasty. Rich and velvety smooth with very ripe blackberry and raspberry fruit and a touch of clove spice to the vanilla finish.
A restaurant well worth visiting if you happen to be in the area but it is a bit of a trek from Dublin.
Those with keen eyes may have spotted this was a weekend in Ireland. We were shopping for a dress with my mother (MW) for TS' upcoming nuptials (we're telling her future husband (POG) she's going to look like a frilly toilet roll holder). After a long day of shopping in Dublin we headed out to the mountains to grab a bite to eat at Emilias.
Enniskerry appears to be a quiet, sleepy sort of town so I was surprised to find this little gem. With some debate the three members of staff finally decided that four of us could have a table in the almost empty restaurant (it was only 6pm).
We skipped starters as our driver was feeling a little peaky and headed straight for the mains. I opted for pizza, a massive dominos-shaming (in both size and cheese content) plate turned up. Very tasty it was too though I was glad it was topped with rocket which hid the cheese from view and 'balanced' my meal. POG also had a pizza and despite his best efforts only managed half (the balancing effect of the rocket meant I hit two thirds before wimping out).
MW opted for pasta in a creamy, spicy sauce with chicken which was fabulous. The sauce had just enough spice to be a seasoning, the chicken was tender and moist and there was a generous dose of garlic. The garlic was nothing, however, when compared to the garlic contained within TS' garlic potatoes. They were, to be frank, a work of genius (or should that be tasty nom-iness?). I still can't work out how *that* much garlic got into potatoes. Beautifully cooked roasted new potatoes, but mostly garlic.
All this was topped off with a rather good bottle of Primitivo that I suspect the Italian owner may be importing himself as it was cheap as chips and very, very tasty. Rich and velvety smooth with very ripe blackberry and raspberry fruit and a touch of clove spice to the vanilla finish.
A restaurant well worth visiting if you happen to be in the area but it is a bit of a trek from Dublin.
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Bar Pepito, near Kings Cross station, London
A busy few weeks it has been and Cambridge Foodie has been discovering the 'joy' of the rush hour train into London. Luckily The Italian has come up trumps again and found, of all things, a sherry bar within handy stumbling distance of the train home. It was here that CF met up with Friend From The Toon (that's Newcastle to all you southerners).
For those of you not armed with smart phones you need to come out of the platform 0 exit and pass Mcdonalds on your left, duck into the first ginnel (southerners, this means alleyway) and opposite Camino you will see Pepito http://www.camino.uk.com/pepito, a bar approximately the size of my living room - we reckoned at it's busiest there were 24 people in there including 3 staff. Warning - Pepito doesn't open until 6pm so we were forced back over to Camino (same owner) for a cheeky glass of white.
Camino has a great selection on wine and appears to do food - and as soon as the novelty of Pepito has worn off we'll give it a go.
Back across the courtyard and the place had livened up, it has quite an authentic Spanish tapas feel to it - maybe it's the fact that everyone is crammed in, every drink comes with a different 'tapita' and it also has the unfussy worn in look of a winery tasting room. The table tops are made from barrel lids which does make you feel a bit like a small child permitted to sit at the table with the adults and the sherry menu had equally youth-giving properties to the seekers of fine quality drinks that we are.
The sherry is divine - something for every taste here and if you don't like sherry there are plenty of other beers and wines on the list. For those interested in learning about sherry I'd recommend the flights, we didn't try these as FFTT was only staying for a quick one before the train home. Prices are reasonable but be prepared to empty your wallet once you start on the food - they have managed to create some genuinely interesting cold tapas.
The food
We started with some olives, believing in our good intentions to have a 'proper dinner'. However, the lure of the tapas was too good and we had to try 'Falso Cojonudo' - translated as egg and chips. Having seen the kitchen (a work top and a fridge) we weren't sure this was possible. What arrived was, quite frankly, a work of art and was delicious too. This dish wouldn't have been out of place in a decent restaurant. The 'yolk' of the 'egg' was a piquillo pepper sauce and the 'white' was truffle foam, the chips were matchstick sized and on the side was some delicious chorizo.
At this point TH arrived so we ordered a few more dishes for him. Pork scratchings - perfectly crispy but needed more seasoning, Anchovy skewers - fantastic, and Oysters with lemon air (a suitably pretentious name for the equally pretentious lemon foam). Pretentious the name may have been but this was the first time I had eaten an Oyster and was willing to try a second - perfect acidic balance which took the edge off the salty fishiness and was fantastic with the manzanilla we were sipping.
All in all it was a rather merry evening - I imagine that those, like myself, who are not accustomed to drinking sherry would leave a lot lighter of wallet but in equally good spirits!
For those of you not armed with smart phones you need to come out of the platform 0 exit and pass Mcdonalds on your left, duck into the first ginnel (southerners, this means alleyway) and opposite Camino you will see Pepito http://www.camino.uk.com/pepito, a bar approximately the size of my living room - we reckoned at it's busiest there were 24 people in there including 3 staff. Warning - Pepito doesn't open until 6pm so we were forced back over to Camino (same owner) for a cheeky glass of white.
Camino has a great selection on wine and appears to do food - and as soon as the novelty of Pepito has worn off we'll give it a go.
Back across the courtyard and the place had livened up, it has quite an authentic Spanish tapas feel to it - maybe it's the fact that everyone is crammed in, every drink comes with a different 'tapita' and it also has the unfussy worn in look of a winery tasting room. The table tops are made from barrel lids which does make you feel a bit like a small child permitted to sit at the table with the adults and the sherry menu had equally youth-giving properties to the seekers of fine quality drinks that we are.
The sherry is divine - something for every taste here and if you don't like sherry there are plenty of other beers and wines on the list. For those interested in learning about sherry I'd recommend the flights, we didn't try these as FFTT was only staying for a quick one before the train home. Prices are reasonable but be prepared to empty your wallet once you start on the food - they have managed to create some genuinely interesting cold tapas.
The food
We started with some olives, believing in our good intentions to have a 'proper dinner'. However, the lure of the tapas was too good and we had to try 'Falso Cojonudo' - translated as egg and chips. Having seen the kitchen (a work top and a fridge) we weren't sure this was possible. What arrived was, quite frankly, a work of art and was delicious too. This dish wouldn't have been out of place in a decent restaurant. The 'yolk' of the 'egg' was a piquillo pepper sauce and the 'white' was truffle foam, the chips were matchstick sized and on the side was some delicious chorizo.
At this point TH arrived so we ordered a few more dishes for him. Pork scratchings - perfectly crispy but needed more seasoning, Anchovy skewers - fantastic, and Oysters with lemon air (a suitably pretentious name for the equally pretentious lemon foam). Pretentious the name may have been but this was the first time I had eaten an Oyster and was willing to try a second - perfect acidic balance which took the edge off the salty fishiness and was fantastic with the manzanilla we were sipping.
All in all it was a rather merry evening - I imagine that those, like myself, who are not accustomed to drinking sherry would leave a lot lighter of wallet but in equally good spirits!
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Orford Saloon tapas bar, Orford Road, Walthamstow Village
Cambridge Foodie has been busy eating out (celebrating a recent promotion at work) and Sunday took us down to London to visit The Italian. We had the grand tour of Walthamstow high street and got to see the Sunday farmers market (well worth a visit for some local cheese) and had some heartstopping baklava from the Turkish supermarket.
Up in Walthamstow Village we stumbled upon Orford Saloon, a small tapas bar with a rather lovely (and wonderfully warm even in winter) conservatory out back with pretty mosaic tables but slightly annoying pop music playing. A reassuringly Spanish waiter greeted us and recommended the Alhambra beer - fresh and fruity with a sweet maltiness.
We started by digging in to a dish of olives, rather disappointing as they had been stored in brine. However, the rest of the dishes were fantastic. The Patatas bravas had a sauce that was pleasantly spicy (unlike the gloopy La Tasca rubbish), the Fritura de pescado (deep fried prawns, calamari and white fish) was perfectly cooked with the white fish being divine - moist and just cooked in the middle and coated in a properly seasoned and non-greasy batter. I gave the anchovies a miss but TH and The Italian polished them off pretty quickly.
Our favourite dishes were Pulpo a la gallega (octopus cooked with paprika and potatoes and onion) thanks to The Italian for introducing me to this dish - soft, succulent and moreish with semi-roasted potatoes and onion. We also enjoyed Pinchitos morunos (lamb marinated with cumin and chilli) and Lentejas con chorizo - chorizo and lentils in a tomato sauce, a winter warming thick stew-like dish.
At £20 a head this is not a cheap lunch but it is properly cooked Spanish food and I imagine the place has quite a lively vibe in the evenings. If nothing else you should visit just to try the octopus.
Up in Walthamstow Village we stumbled upon Orford Saloon, a small tapas bar with a rather lovely (and wonderfully warm even in winter) conservatory out back with pretty mosaic tables but slightly annoying pop music playing. A reassuringly Spanish waiter greeted us and recommended the Alhambra beer - fresh and fruity with a sweet maltiness.
We started by digging in to a dish of olives, rather disappointing as they had been stored in brine. However, the rest of the dishes were fantastic. The Patatas bravas had a sauce that was pleasantly spicy (unlike the gloopy La Tasca rubbish), the Fritura de pescado (deep fried prawns, calamari and white fish) was perfectly cooked with the white fish being divine - moist and just cooked in the middle and coated in a properly seasoned and non-greasy batter. I gave the anchovies a miss but TH and The Italian polished them off pretty quickly.
Our favourite dishes were Pulpo a la gallega (octopus cooked with paprika and potatoes and onion) thanks to The Italian for introducing me to this dish - soft, succulent and moreish with semi-roasted potatoes and onion. We also enjoyed Pinchitos morunos (lamb marinated with cumin and chilli) and Lentejas con chorizo - chorizo and lentils in a tomato sauce, a winter warming thick stew-like dish.
At £20 a head this is not a cheap lunch but it is properly cooked Spanish food and I imagine the place has quite a lively vibe in the evenings. If nothing else you should visit just to try the octopus.
Monday, 13 December 2010
The Green Man Pub, Grantchester
A gorgeous (and warm) Saturday morning necessitated a trip to Grantchester. We didn't do the riverside walk this time but if you haven't, you should. The two miles from central Cambridge along the meandering river are perfect for working up an appetite for lunch.
The Green Man http://www.thegreenmangrantchester.co.uk/ is one of three pubs in Grantchester and by far the best. The setting is a beautiful 16th century building with many different seating areas which gives the place an intimate feel. In winter the two log fires are kept lit and it was close to one of these that we set ourselves down for a spot of lunch.
TH and I decided, rather foolishly, to start by sharing a hummus and olive deli platter before moving on to our mains. This is not to say the food was bad - far from it, but be warned, the servings are generous. I was impressed to find the hummus was home-made - though given the amount of garlic marinating with the olives I would have put a clove or two more in the hummus. The quality of the food on the platter put many a deli to shame. To wash it all down we supped a pint of Cumberland ale (Jennings Brewery) - a malty, hoppy ale and a pint of Old Cannon best bitter - rich with a roasted flavour.
TH opted for rare breed sausages with mash for his main (daily special). He couldn't fault it - perfectly seasoned proper sausages and fluffy, creamy mash. It also came with a side of perfectly al dente veg seasoned with black pepper.
I chose the pork belly with sweet potato mash and green beans. If I had one complaint it would be that the sweet potato mash was too creamy and heavy for the dish but that shouldn't detract from what was an excellent meal. The pork belly was slow cooked to perfection with perfectly crispy fat on the top. In fact, it didn't need the sweet potato mash, just a bread roll and it would be hog-roast-a-licious!
At £33 for the lot I find it hard to fault this place - the setting is wonderful, the staff are friendly and will happily let you start a bar tab (The Red Lion next door doesn't) and the food is of restaurant standard. All this and a cracking range of malt whisky and real fire to watch whilst nursing that dram. It's no wonder the place is always full.
The Green Man http://www.thegreenmangrantchester.co.uk/ is one of three pubs in Grantchester and by far the best. The setting is a beautiful 16th century building with many different seating areas which gives the place an intimate feel. In winter the two log fires are kept lit and it was close to one of these that we set ourselves down for a spot of lunch.
TH and I decided, rather foolishly, to start by sharing a hummus and olive deli platter before moving on to our mains. This is not to say the food was bad - far from it, but be warned, the servings are generous. I was impressed to find the hummus was home-made - though given the amount of garlic marinating with the olives I would have put a clove or two more in the hummus. The quality of the food on the platter put many a deli to shame. To wash it all down we supped a pint of Cumberland ale (Jennings Brewery) - a malty, hoppy ale and a pint of Old Cannon best bitter - rich with a roasted flavour.
TH opted for rare breed sausages with mash for his main (daily special). He couldn't fault it - perfectly seasoned proper sausages and fluffy, creamy mash. It also came with a side of perfectly al dente veg seasoned with black pepper.
I chose the pork belly with sweet potato mash and green beans. If I had one complaint it would be that the sweet potato mash was too creamy and heavy for the dish but that shouldn't detract from what was an excellent meal. The pork belly was slow cooked to perfection with perfectly crispy fat on the top. In fact, it didn't need the sweet potato mash, just a bread roll and it would be hog-roast-a-licious!
At £33 for the lot I find it hard to fault this place - the setting is wonderful, the staff are friendly and will happily let you start a bar tab (The Red Lion next door doesn't) and the food is of restaurant standard. All this and a cracking range of malt whisky and real fire to watch whilst nursing that dram. It's no wonder the place is always full.
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