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IBERICO, Nottingham
Ibérico is located under the Galleries of Justice in the Lace Market; its discreet entrance just to the right of the museum. I had heard good things about this tapas restaurant, and it has been on my ‘must try’ list for quite a while, so I was glad to meet a friend for an early dinner there one evening in August. It had to be an early dinner because the restaurant was fully-booked later; a healthy sign in these difficult times, and at this quiet time of the year.
A word of explanation for the uninitiated; ‘tapas’ is a form of snacking from Spain. Nibbles of meat, fish or vegetables are ordered to go with a drink in a bar, and they used to be served in a tiny dish which fitted over the top of your glass. ‘Tapa’ is the Spanish word for a lid, and nowadays, ordering a whole series of tapas for a leisurely light meal is an acceptable form of dining out, and the fashion has spread to other countries. Our waitress explained the concept, and suggested that we select five or six different dishes from the menu, which is divided into meat, fish and vegetables, and between traditional Spanish snacks and those from other parts of the world; Ibérico specialises in ‘world tapas’. Each item is served communally; one plate arrives with several tiny portions on it, and each dish arrives from the kitchen when it is ready, so service is an ongoing process. Once you have eaten your five or six dishes, you can decide whether you want more.
We began with a portion of clams in a garlicky butter. These were delicious, and so was the bread on which they were served; the garlic butter had soaked through the bread and made it very moreish. Next came a sort of mini-paella, a savoury rice with seafood, some black cod, and an exquisitely light but rich chicken liver terrine served in a tiny pot with triangles of toast and a dish of chutney. This had been recommended by a friend, and it did not disappoint. Courgette flowers stuffed with a rich and pungent cheese then arrived, along with some meltingly tender belly pork, which disappeared very quickly. It doesn’t sound like much as I write it now, but the tasty, perfectly seasoned mouthfuls were satisfyingly filling; we did order a second portion of the clams, but otherwise felt that we had eaten enough. My companion ordered dessert; a lemon sorbet, which served to satisfy his sweet tooth, but was light enough to follow the rich and tasty tapas.
The bill for two came to just under £60 including two beers and a bottle of water. Not cheap, but for this quality of food, it was an acceptable price, and we look forward to returning.
Ibérico, The Shire Hall, High Pavement, Nottingham NG1 1HN Tel; 0115 941 0410 www.ibericotapas.com
Reviewed in August 2009
THE MAID MARIAN / LAUNAY'S, Edwinstowe
Friends had recommend thie restaurant on various occasions, so I decided to give it a try for myself.The restaurant has two halves; the old pub, and a recently-built extension; we were seated in the latter for an early dinner on a week-night. After a short delay, we were presented with the menu, which offered a choice of six or eight dishes at each course. Drinks were brought and our order taken; we asked for a wine list, but it took another twenty minutes for it to arrive. The food too was rather slow; close to 45 minutes from placing our order to receiving our main courses. There is a note on the menu that all of the food is freshly cooked, but we felt that this was stretching the point rather, on a quiet week-night with only two other tables occupied. I had chosen a pork plate; a fillet wrapped around a piece of black pudding and encased in bacon; a piece of gammon, and a slice of belly pork, served on a bed of mashed potato and creamed cabbage. The presentation was excellent, the meat tasty, though the belly pork was slightly overcooked; the potato was well-made, but the cabbage a little disappointing; it looked like coleslaw, but the taste was rather bland. My companion chose the Oriental duck breast, served with stir-fried cabbage and jasmine rice. The duck breast was superb; perfectly cooked, very tender (and that’s not easy to do with duck), but the vegetables tasted overwhelmingly of sesame oil.
Puddings were excellent; I had the Assiette du Chocolat, a sampler plate of three chocolate desserts; a mint-chocolate ice cream, a brownie, and an orange-chocolate mousse. The presentation was superb; fresh berries, caramel and chocolate swirls, and a dollop of fresh cream; and each of the chocolate items was delicious. My companion thoroughly enjoyed the homemade Bakewell Tart with ice cream, so the meal ended on a high note. We paid just under £45 for two courses each, a bottle of water, a cocktail and a glass of wine.
This was actually our second visit to the Maid Marian in the last two months. The first time, we came for Sunday lunch; thoroughly enjoyed our starters and puddings, but were utterly disappointed with our mains; we had both chosen a traditional dish; roast beef and roast pork, and although again the presentation was good, the meat was tasteless and the potatoes and Yorkshire puddings had clearly been reheated. I would normally have given up on a restaurant at that point, but was swayed by those friends who are great fans of the place. So mostly, a good experience here, but a problem I think with consistency. But when it is good, it is very, very good.
Reviewed August/September 2009
The Maid Marian has since changed its name to Launay's
Church Street, Edwinstowe, Notts. NG21 9QA Tel; 01623 822266
CREME, Stapleford
This restaurant was first recommended to me by a friend who lives in Beeston. I had lunch there last year, and was glad to return for dinner.
The décor is cool and contemporary, and the welcome friendly. We were seated and menus brought over promptly; we were glad to order quickly as they were clearly expecting a large party in for dinner.
My companion started with a generous portion of Prawn Cocktail, and I had the Deep-Fried Brie, which was very tasty and obviously homemade. Two large triangles of cheese were covered in a crispy beer batter and served with an onion chutney.
For our main courses; I saw Belly Pork on the menu, which I always like to order, as it’s not difficult to get right, but many places still manage to get it wrong. Not Crème, who served a tender, perfectly-cooked piece of pork, well-seasoned and served with an apple compote. My companion enjoyed his Braised Blade of Beef, slow-cooked and beautifully tender, in a rich gravy. The vegetables were served separately; today it was mangetout and red cabbage, which went perfectly with both dishes.
After my rich main, I wanted something light, and the Passion-fruit jelly was the perfect finale; slightly sour, deeply flavoured, very refreshing, and obviously made on the premises. My companion had the treacle tart with oatmeal, again homemade, but perhaps a little heavy following the beef; that wasn’t the restaurant’s fault, of course.
By the time we left, the restaurant was about 75% full; not bad for a Thursday evening in July; it is obviously well known and liked locally. This is excellent food, confidently cooked; portions are generous and presentation is polished.
At £40 for three courses each, including a bottle of water and a glass of wine, we felt that this was exceptional value for money. Cooking on this level is not widespread in the suburbs, and all the more welcome for that. We would be happy to go back to Crème.
Reviewed July 2009
Crème, 12 Toton Lane, Stapleford, Notts. NG9 7HA Tel; 0115 939 7422www.cremerestaurant.co.uk
Our Mystery Diners visit a restaurant incognito and do not accept any complimentary food or drink in return for their review.
THE BRIDGE INN, OXTON
The atmosphere on a Saturday evening in late Winter was cosy; The Bridge is made up of several small snugs, with a central bar area common to all, and the restaurant at one end of the building. Our small party gathered amongst locals enjoying a quiet pint, before moving into the restaurant.
The menu is made up of a choice of seven or eight starters, ranging from Soup of the Day to Garlic Mushrooms; a variety of main courses with the emphasis on standard pub fare (steaks, mixed grill, fish and chips) and four or five puds. There are Specials boards, in the form of your own personal blackboard brought to the table. The wine list shows a good variety, and of course there’s the full range of drinks available at the bar.
I started with the Baked Brie, which came with a mixed leaf salad and balsamic dressing. This was tasty, but the cheese was obviously one of those pre-packaged items, which was a shame; my heart always sinks to see one of those deep orange, perfectly-shaped triangles; dishes like this are so easy to make from scratch. My neighbour chose the Mushroom Pot, made with mushrooms in a garlicky buttery sauce, and said that it was very good. The dishes were cleared promptly by the young a friendly serving staff, and main courses arrived about ten minutes later. My neighbour’s main made its appearance in a cloud of steam; The Bridge offers a Sizzling Chicken dish, and you can hear it coming from across the restaurant! My own, rather more tame choice, from the Specials board, was Red Snapper on a Broad Bean Risotto. The fish was nicely cooked and correctly seasoned, the risotto slightly less successful; where a light coating of cheese had been melted over it, the rice was tasty; but where there was no cheese, it was rather bland.
The rest of our party had mainly chosen from the main menu; steaks and mixed grill, which all went down well. Portions in every case were very generous and the serving staff came back to the table shortly after serving to check that all was in order.
For pudding, we chose from six or seven dishes, plus a cheese board and a separate menu of ice creams and sorbets. I chose a dish called ‘Mad for Passion’, which turned out to be a sort of frozen tart made with passion fruit; My companion had the Apple Pie. Both dishes were tasty but again not homemade.
I paid a little over £20 for my three courses, which I thought was slightly on the high side for shop-bought Baked Brie and Passion Fruit Tart; but the overall experience was good, with a really nice ‘village pub’ atmosphere which permeates the establishment. I think that the forté here is the food from the grill; I would go again when I’m in the mood for a steak.
(Reviewed March 2009)
The Bridge Inn. Nottingham Road, Oxton. NG25 0SE Tel; 0115 965 2013
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1877
I have been wanting to visit 1887 for a while now, and so was delighted to be invited to participate in their St George’s Day celebration, which consisted of a special five-course Tasting Menu of local produce. The menu was accompanied by a wine tasting; each course had a specially-chosen wine, introduced by Tom Jacques of London wine merchant Bibendum.
1887 is a new arrival on the city’s restaurant scene; it opened late last year on the site of the old Ben Bowers restaurant at the top of Derby Road in Nottingham. Chums Tony Baxter and Mark Osborne are the co-owners, with Mark presiding in the kitchen and Tony taking care of front-of-house. Mark is a veteran of the best county restaurants, working as a chef at Hart’s, Langar Hall and Café Bleu in Newark.
The name ‘1877’ comes from the date on the building; it may be a historic property, but the interior is cool and modern, with the restaurant divided between the basement and the ground floor, and private dining available upstairs. We enjoyed a quick drink at the small bar, before taking our places at the table.
We began with a Cappuccino of Nottinghamshire Potatoes, a delicately-flavoured soup served with a lovely eggy brioche. Perfectly seasoned, it was an excellent start to the meal. This was followed by a plate of cured meats from Johnny Pusztai’s shop, Beedham’s in Sherwood. Johnny home-cures his own meat, using traditional Hungarian recipes, and the plate included a variety of tasty hams and sausages, garnished with chutney, a tiny dollop of apple sauce, and an exquisite sauerkraut made with fennel and lemon. The trimmings were the perfect accompaniment to the meats. The chaser was a beetroot sorbet with a scoop of horseradish cream. I’m not fond of beetroot, but the smooth, earthy taste served as a perfect palate-cleanser .
The main course was Lamb from the Retford area; tender and perfectly-cooked, it was served with a lively-tasting wild garlic purée and carrots flavoured with ginger.
The cheese course featured Colston Bassett Stilton, creamed into small wedges shaped around black grapes. This is a speciality of Mark Osborne’s and it was stunning. It was perfectly accompanied by pickled walnuts, more of Johnny Pusztai’s ham, and a fruity chutney.
Pudding was an unusual spiced parsnip cake, a light cinnamon sponge in which the parsnip was present as a hint, but not an overwhelming flavour. It was served with a smear of savoury parsnip cream, and a lovely homemade ice cream in which the cinnamon flavour was echoed. If I have one minor quibble it is that I would have preferred something a little lighter as a pudding with this menu, but this is splitting hairs. The meal was delicious; this is cooking on a completely different level to the majority of restaurants in the city. The price was £30 for the tasting menu, wine tasting extra.
I have since returned to 1877, and enjoyed the same superb quality in the à la carte menu. Mark, Tony and the team at 1877 are a very welcome addition to the Nottingham scene.
(Reviewed April 2009)
Restaurant 1877, 128 Derby Road, Nottingham NG1 5FB. Tel; 0115 958 8008 www.restaurant 1877.com
Our Mystery Diners visit a restaurant incognito, and do not accept any complimentary food or drink in return for reviewing the restaurant.
LAMB'S AT THE MARKET, MANSFIELD
The welcome is friendly at Lamb’s, and the decor modern in the traditional surroundings of Mansfield’s former cattle market. Menus and drinks were brought quickly, and we were then left with the difficult task of choosing what to eat. There’s a choice of around six dishes at each course, which inspires confidence in freshness. The menu specifies the provenance of the food; there are a lot of local products on offer here; Derbyshire beef and lamb, vegetables from Halam and Kirklington, other ingredients from named farms. We particularly liked the section at the back of the menu which gave further details of the origin of the food on offer, together with a notation of the food miles involved.
We each chose different dishes in order to be able to taste as much as possible of the fare; and it did not disappoint. My Scotch egg, made with local pork, was very lean and meaty, and accompanied by perfectly-cooked creamy asparagus and some very fresh salad leaves. My friends’ ‘Ham Hock Terrine with Spiced Pineapple Pickle’ and ‘Warm salad of Local Black Pudding’ were similarly accomplished and tasty. Terrine can so easily end up as a mishmash with no distinctive flavour; black pudding on the other hand can be overseasoned to the extent that you can only taste the herbs. Neither mistake was made here; both dishes were cleverly constructed and perfectly seasoned. The bread was homemade Sage and Onion Loaf; it was light, crumbly and delicious.
For our mains, we chose Derbyshire Beef, Derbyshire Lamb, and a Collar of Pork. All were slow-cooked to tender perfection, and each served with its own vegetable accompaniment. My beef sat on a bed of mashed potato and peas ‘à la française’ (in a creamy sauce with silverskin onions). Portions were extremely generous; my (male) companions had no trouble in finishing theirs; I struggled, largely because I wanted to leave room for pudding!
This was definitely worth saving space for; the cheese plate showed the importance placed on local produce; the cheeses perfectly ripe and served at room temperature. The chocolate fondant was served with an exquisite homemade banana ice cream, and the lemon posset was beautifully balanced between sweet and sour.
I rarely leave a restaurant without feeling that there was something, however small, which could have been done better; but not this time. At around £30 per head including a drink, this has to be some of the best value around for such excellent food. Chef Troy Lamb strikes a perfect balance between elegance and unpretentiousnes; he clearly knows his stuff, and I am already looking forward to a return visit.
(reviewed May 2009)
Lamb’s at the Market, Nottingham Road, Mansfield. NG18 1BJ. Tel; 01623 424880
TOM BROWN'S, GUNTHORPE
Tom Brown’s is a perennial favourite with my family, so when I suggested to a friend from Newark that we should get together for dinner, the restaurant at Gunthorpe was perfectly located halfway between us. We arrived early on a midweek evening, and were offered the choice of the à la carte menu or the Earlybird, which offers two courses for £14.95, three courses for £16.95. The order was taken while we were still in the bar, and we were ushered to our table shortly afterwards. Homemade breads (tomato, olive, seed or plain white) were brought, along with a carafe of tap water, and we selected a bottle of Argentinean white wine.
We had both gone for the à la carte menu. My companion had chosen the Cambozola cheese and cherry tomato tart, a tasty starter which came with a small salad. I had opted for the Carpaccio of peppered venison, which was really delicious, and prettily presented on a slate tile, with a few shavings of Parmesan, some toasted walnuts, sweet potato crisps, and some homemade blackcurrant jelly triangles. Set off with a few salad leaves, the dish came together very well and was unusual and memorable.
For mains, we had selected Japanese Beef and Belly of Pork. The Beef, a grilled fillet of Scottish beef, had a light coating of wasabi (Japanese horseradish) and was served with a dauphinoise potato topped with sesame seeds, some raw vegetable strips and a teriyaki jus. The meat was perfectly cooked, and my companion enjoyed it immensely. My Pork Belly was served with pak choi, a mixture of white and wild rice, and what was described as a ‘Five Spice Caramel Sauce’. The clue was in the ‘caramel’, so I should have known; it was a little sweet for my taste, but added welcome moisture to the dish. The pork was well-cooked, with a generous portion of crackling, and it was tasty. Apparently, it’s reasonably local, coming from a farm in Leicestershire.
My companion was keen to have a pudding, and I slightly reluctantly agreed; I was fairly full by then. We chose the Passion Fruit Cheesecake and the Apple and Rhubarb Crumble Tart. The Cheesecake was served on a ginger biscuit base with a salsa of pineapple and mint, and a tiny glass of lime sorbet doused with white rum. The flavours worked very well together and the whole thing was light and refreshing; not adjectives usually applied to cheesecake!
The Apple and Rhubarb Crumble Tart was clearly homemade, and was fruity and light. I am not normally a fan of this kind of pudding, but found it very moreish and was glad to clear my plate, which I don’t usually do.
Service throughout was prompt, friendly and helpful; we asked for a little more of the lime sorbet, and it was brought willingly. We left the restaurant just a little under two hours after arriving, feeling that we had been neither rushed nor kept waiting. Our bill came to just over £70 for two, including wine; acceptable value for this standard of food.
Reviewed February 2010
Tom Brown’s Brasserie, The Old Schoolhouse, Trentside, Gunthorpe, Notts. NG14 7FB. Tel; 0115 966 3642. www.tombrowns.co.uk
THE FULL MOON, MORTON
Looking for somewhere to have a celebratory Sunday lunch recently, we decided to revisit ‘The Moon at Morton’, which used to be something of a favourite with both of us in years past. The Full Moon, to give it its correct name, is the village pub in out-of-the-way Morton, next to Fiskerton, not far from Southwell. It has always had something of a reputation for good food, and the current owners apparently came there from the Waggon and Horses at Halam and the now-defunct French Horn at Upton.
Changes have certainly been made to the interior since our last visit. Rather than ‘old-fashioned pub’, the ambience is now ‘contemporary bistro’, with flower paintings on the walls and clean-lined tables and chairs. Through the front door (‘please leave muddy boots outside’), we entered the bar and passed through to the small restaurant. There are probably between forty and fifty covers, and on a cold Sunday in February, most, if not all, of the tables sported a ‘Reserved’ sign. Our fellow-diners were mostly families (a couple of highchairs in were evidence), and, from the banter with the staff, they were regulars; always a good sign. Not only that, but the restaurant was ‘turning tables’ on the day of our visit; in other words, they had more than one sitting booked in for lunch.
We noticed that the Moon also offers takeaway food, and that it operates a fish and chip van around the Trent Valley villages; a flyer publicised the times when the van would be in each place. We observed someone tucking into battered fish as we arrived in the restaurant, and it looked good, so the fish van is worth watching out for.
We were quickly seated and the menus brought to us, with a selection of 6-8 dishes at each course; Starters were priced between £5 - £6, Mains around the £12 mark, and Puddings mostly £4.75.
We decided to stick with a Main and and Pud each, and my companion chose the traditional Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding, with Onion Gravy. I chose the Mushroom and Spinach Risotto. They arrived after around fifteen minutes, and a dish of vegetables was also served. The mushrooms in my risotto were large, meaty and very tasty, but there was a certain depth of flavour missing, as if it had been made with water rather than with stock. My companion’s roast beef was well-cooked and also tasty, with a large, individually-cooked Yorkshire Pudding. The roast potatoes had been properly cooked in meat fat, but they had obviously been sitting around on the hotplate for a while. My companion also felt that it was a mistake to serve the potatoes on the plate; in the onion gravy, in other words, as they were slightly soggy by the time they arrived; but this is obviously a matter of personal taste. The vegetable dish consisted of leeks in a creamy sauce (delicious), roasted root vegetables, and green cabbage which had been cooked in orange juice and currants; this wasn’t completely successful.
For pudding, we went for Apple and Rhubarb Crumble, and an Orange Meringue Pie. The custard for the Crumble and the cream for the Pie both came in tiny individual jugs; full marks for this, as it allowed us to serve ourselves to the quantity we wanted. Both of these desserts should have had a certain tartness to them, but both were overwhelmingly sweet, to the extent that neither of us could finish our pud. We did wonder whether the chef had an extremely sweet tooth, as this is an unusual mistake to make.
A bit of a mixed bag, therefore; but all of those regulars can’t be wrong, so perhaps we had come on an ‘off’ day. Our bill came to just under £40 including (soft) drinks, which we thought was fair value. Service was attentive and cheerful throughout, and the manager listened carefully to our comments about the over-sweet puds. Our overall impression was that the mistakes were due to inexperience, and can be easily rectified. We will be glad to return in the future to see how things are progressing.
Reviewed February 2010
The Full Moon, Main Street, Morton, Near Newark. NG25 0UT Tel; 01636 830 251 www.thefullmoonmorton.co.uk
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TARN THAI, NOTTINGHAM
I’m a bit of a novice where Thai food is concerned. I do occasionally cook Thai-style curries and noodles at home, but I have only once or twice eaten in a Thai restaurant. I was glad to have the opportunity therefore to review Tarn Thai, having heard a lot of good things about it from various friends.
The first thing you notice is how beautiful the restaurant is, with elegant Thai decor, Oriental antiques and exquisite furnishings. The dining chairs are almost like easy-chairs, deep and well-padded.
We were a party of four, which works well with Thai, as it’s a cuisine made for sharing. As with Chinese food, you don’t order one dish for yourself; instead several plates of food are placed in the middle of the table so that you can try them all. The ideal Thai meal is a harmonious blend of the spicy, the subtle,
the sweet and sour, and is meant to be equally satisfying to eye, nose and palate.
We began with a traditional Thai starter, a variety of fish, vegetables and meat nibbles, spicy but delicate, and beautifully presented with three dips; a sweet chilli, a peanut satay, and a spicy vinaigrette. For our main course, we decided to follow the restaurant’s guidance, and we ordered one of their set menus for four, which included tender pieces of duck in a chilli sauce; a mild fish curry with a gentle coconut-lime flavour, battered prawns in a delicious sour sauce accompanied by dried noodles and seaweed, and a stir-fried vegetable dish; asparagus, baby corn and mushrooms in an oyster sauce. These dishes were accompanied by fried rice and Pad Thai, the traditional noodle dish; soft rice noodles with chicken and tiny pieces of spring onion and beansprouts in subtle sweet-sour sauce and covered with a delicate, wafer-thin omelette. It was all well-presented, graciously served and surprisingly filling. Only two of us had space for a pudding; one chose a simply sorbet, the other had a traditional Thai dessert of bananas cooked in coconut milk; sweet but utterly delicious.
When we made our reservation, we were told that the restaurant did not serve alcohol, so we should bring our own wine. I don’t know whether this is a temporary or permanent situation, but is worth noting. With no wine to pay for, and tea included in our set menu, our bill for four came to just over £100. We felt that this was a reasonable price for an excellent meal, and look forward to returning.
Reviewed March 2010
Tarn Thai, 9, George Street, Nottingham NG1 3BH. Tel; 0115 959 9454 www.tarnthai.co.uk
THE BROMLEY ARMS, FISKERTON
I must have cycled past this pub many times, but for some reason have never really noticed it; it is slightly set back from the main road through Fiskerton and looks directly on to the river. When I had dinner there with two friends on a balmy evening in late April, we were able to enjoy a post-prandial stroll along the towpath.
Our schedule called for an early dinner, and this worked very much to our advantage because of the Bromley’s ‘Beat the Clock’ special offer, available from Monday to Thursday; the time you place your order is the price you pay; order at 6.00, and your main course from the Beat the Clock menu costs £6.00; at 6.30 p.m., it costs £6.30. I overheard someone at the next table saying that next time he would come for lunch at 1.00 p.m.; but the landlord was already wise to that ploy; the offer is only valid between 6.00 and 7.30 p.m!
There’s a full menu as well as the Beat the Clock offer, of course; a considerable amount of choice, with a page full of specials, another page of chicken dishes, one of steaks, one of fish and one of vegetarian dishes. Starters were priced at around a fiver each, mains around the £9-£11 mark, with the exception of the Steak menu, which ranged from £10.00 to £16.00.
There was also a Curry Night menu available; curry and a drink for £6.00, with side orders of a samosa and bhaji only £2.50. The man in our party was very impressed, especially as three types of curry were offered; mild (“girlie”), medium (“not so girlie”) and hot (“Man curry”). Having thus christened them, he was pretty much obliged to choose the hot curry, and he really enjoyed it. A starter of poppadums was accompanied by three relishes, which he said were tasty.
I hovered over the Specials board, which offered Monkfish with Parma Ham and shrimps, or Duck Breast in a red wine and mushroom sauce; but I was in the mood for pub food, so plumped for a Smoky Joe from the Beat the Clock menu (£6.15). This was a chicken breast wrapped in bacon, smothered in barbecue sauce with melted cheese on top. It was served with some really chunky chips (nicely cooked, crisp and hot), peas and some salad. Onion rings were offered as a side order, and I can’t resist them with this kind of food, so ordered a portion. They too were very tasty, again crisp and hot.
My other companion began by ordering the Monkfish, but the waitress returned quarter of an hour later to say that they had run out of Monkfish. The same dish using a different fish was offered, but my friend went back to the menu and chose a steak instead. She asked for it to be served rare; it arrived only faintly pink in the middle, having spent far too long on the stove, which was disappointing.
Other than that, the portions were more than generous, and although we had spotted the Bailey’s Crème Brulée on the Special Board when we sat down, we simply didn’t have space for it after our mains.
The restaurant is part of the main bar, so a full range of drinks was on offer. Service throughout was prompt and friendly, with a predominantly young, enthusiastic team in the restaurant and at the bar. Our bill for three came to just over £34 including drinks (a pint, a glass of wine, and mineral water for the designated driver)
A good find, and one to remember when in this part of the county.
Reviewed in April 2010
The Bromley Arms, Main Street, Fiskerton. NG25 0UL Tel; 01636 830 789
PETIT PARIS, NOTTINGHAM
In Nottingham, looking for somewhere to eat pre-theatre, our choice fell upon Petit Paris in King’s Walk, just off Parliament Street. My companion had eaten there before; my reluctance to visit was because of the location of the restaurant; on the first floor, on a blazing hot evening in June; surely it would be horribly hot up there?
It wasn’t; the restaurant is air-conditioned, and also has those lovely ceiling fans which make you feel cool just by looking at them!
Petit Paris has a pre-theatre menu, offering two courses for £9.95, which we felt would suit us perfectly. This menu is available from 5.30 daily, and there is a deadline for vacating the table; 7.55 during the week, 7.25 at the weekend. The menu offers a variety of soups, salads, patés and tarts to start with, and chicken, pork, steak, pasta, fish and a vegetarian option for mains. A specials board gives a couple more choices at each course. We both chose from the main menu; my companion had Lasagna, and I chose the Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Feuillette with sundried tomatoes in white wine and cream. Both arrived piping hot about twenty minutes later, and were well-presented and tasty. My feuillette, a puff-pastry casing around the vegetables, was light enough to go down well on a hot evening, and the sauce was sufficiently moreish to be mopped up with half of my companion’s garlic bread. There was a pleasant aniseedy taste of fennel in the dish as well, which harmonised well with the other flavours. My one quibble would be the sundried tomatoes; they are very intensely flavoured, compared to asparagus and mushrooms, and really needed to be chopped up a little more finely, instead of being presented as large pieces of tomato.
Service throughout was friendly; the staff really is French, with many of the young servers over here on a work-experience basis from one of the French catering colleges. They were attentive, but not overbearingly so, and our requests were dealt with promptly.
We both have a sweet tooth, so indulged in a pudding each; my companion chose the Caramelised Banana and Custard Tart on the strength of its accompanying rum and raisin ice cream, and was not disappointed. It would have been a little sweet for my taste, but my Lemongrass Crème Brulée was absolutely delicious. It’s quite easy to get Crème Brulée wrong; most people put too much egg in it. Petit Paris didn’t; the emphasis was on the cream, and the result was really smooth, with a lovely lemony tang.
Our bill came to £25.00 with drinks (an apéritif and some bottled water), which we felt was appropriate for this kind of quality. We will be back!
REVIEWED IN JUNE 2010
Petit Paris, 2, King’s Walk, Nottingham. NG1 2AE. Tel; 0115 947 3767 www.petitparisrestaurant.co.uk
LARWOOD AND VOCE, WEST BRIDGFORD
We have eaten at two of the other restaurants in this small, local chain; The Wollaton and the Lord Nelson in Burton Joyce, but had never before ventured into the Larwood, which was the first of them to be opened. Wanting somewhere South of the river for Sunday lunch, we decided to visit the Larwood, on Fox Road, right next to the cricket ground. Sunday Lunch bookings are accepted on the hour, and we had thought to reserve a table at 2.00; but the friendly girl on the phone said that, as there was an England football game on that afternoon, which would be shown in the bar from 3.00, we might have a more peaceful lunch if we came earlier; so we arrived at 1.00.
There is a car park for customers, which we were glad of, as there was a cricket match in progress at Trent Bridge, and the on-street parking was all full. The Larwood has outdoor as well as indoor tables; we chose the latter. We sat down promptly at 1.00, and drinks were brought and the order taken within ten minutes. The food itself followed five minutes later.
The Sunday Lunch menu offers a selection of juices, smoothies and milk shakes to start with. First courses of Prawn Cocktails, soups and salads are priced at around the £5.00 mark. Main courses focus on roasts, with a couple of fish dishes and a vegetarian option, all priced between £9 and £10. A lovely selection of traditional puddings (lemon posset, crumbles, cheesecakes) is priced between £4.50 and £5.00.
It was a hot day, so in spite of the appealing Sunday roasts ‘with all the trimmings’ offers, we both selected lighter options; a pea, asparagus and leek turnover, and roast beef with new potatoes and a watercress and celeriac salad. The beef was cooked pink, and tasty, if perhaps slightly dry. Horseradish was offered and gratefully accepted; the Larwood and its sibling restaurants offer homemade condiments under their own label, and the horseradish was piquant and with a nice fresh taste. The pink fir apple potatoes were delicious; boiled in their skins, with a lovely nutty flavour, and the watercress and celeriac was dressed with mayonnaise, and provided a refreshing counterpoint to the beef.
The pea, asparagus and leek turnover was also tasty; the puff pastry was lovely, homemade and crisp, and the vegetables were well-cooked and flavoursome. One small quibble was that they had been incorporated into a cheese sauce; being made with blue cheese, the flavour of the cheese rather overwhelmed the vegetables. We also felt that the menu’s description should have mentioned the blue cheese, as its presence was so strong in the dish. We probably wouldn’t have chosen the turnover if we had realised that there would be blue cheese in the sauce.
We moved on to puddings, and my companion threw caution to the wind on seeing Sticky Toffee Pudding on the menu. With an outside temperature of around 26oC, it would not have been my choice, but he just can’t resist this dessert! And it was a good Pud, with a light sponge and a lovely buttery sauce. It was served with a large scoop of clotted cream.
My choice was a little more appropriate for the weather; a delicious Eton Mess of strawberries, cream, meringue and a scoop of homemade strawberry sorbet.
Our two courses were served within the hour, and we were getting ready to leave as the bar area, separated from the restaurant by a curtain, was starting to get crowded. Service throughout the meal was friendly and prompt. Our bill for two, with two apéritifs, a large bottle of water and two courses each, came to just over £26.00; good value, we thought.
Reviewed in June 2010
Larwood and Voce, Fox Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham. NG2 6AJ Tel; 0115 981 9960 www.larwoodandvoce.co.uk
Our Mystery Diners visit a restaurant incognito, and do not receive any complimentray food or drinks in return for their review.
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THE OLD VOLUNTEER, CAYTHORPE
We have been hearing good things about The Old Volunteer in Caythorpe, near Lowdham, since its refurbishment last year. The village pub was turned into a gastro-pub with two small dining rooms, each seating about twenty people. The bar has been retained, and friends who live in the neighbouring villages have spoken of good quality food (though occasionally small portions). The interior of the old pub has clearly been completely gutted and refurbished in a clean, modern style. On the warm evening of our visit, only one dining room was in use, and the door out on to the deck had been left open, providing a welcome breeze as we ate. The Volunteer has a weekly programme of special events; one which caught our eye was Monday’s Taster Night, offering three miniature dishes per course, which sounded quite intriguing.
The menu is a mixture of pub standards; steaks, burger, pizzas, sausage of the day; and a more ‘gastro’ list of seasonal dishes. We both chose from the latter, though we observed a number of regulars tucking in to what looked like half a roast chicken with great enthusiasm.
My companion chose sea bass with cauliflower florets and a cauliflower reduction. This came with a few vegetables, but she also decided to order a portion of chips. I plumped for the wood pigeon, which was accompanied by a roasted peach and onion tart. The prettily presented plate arrived with a tiny glass of onion soup; this was delicious and beautifully made, but it did not harmonise with the other items, which were nicely cooked and worked well together. My companion polished the soup off when she had finished her fish, dunking her chips into the creamy onion.
We both ordered puds; glazed lemon tart, which had a good balance between sweetness and zing, and a warm chocolate fondant, served with blackcurrant sorbet, again nicely prepared and not too sweet. A bold notice at the bottom of the mneu declared that all puddings were homemade in the restaurant’s kitchen, and we could well believe this.
Service throughout was friendly and prompt, with a particularly attentive manager keeping a close eye on the proceedings.
With a bottle of water, two large glasses of wine and a coffee, the total for two courses each came to just over £50; a fair price for this quality of food.
Reviewed July 2010
The Old Volunteer, Caythorpe Road, Caythorpe, Notts. NG14 7EB. Tel; 07934 020 762 www.theoldvolunteercaythorpe.co.uk
DAKOTA, ANNESLEY
It was a Tuesday evening in late July when we ate at the Dakota Hotel, near Junction 27 of the M1; not exactly peak season for business travellers, but the majority of our fellow-diners were clearly guests in the hotel. The decor in the restaurant is industrial chic, with exposed girders in the ceiling and wooden screens dividing the dining area from the bar.
We started with tomato tart and a Caesar salad; both perfectly acceptable, although we felt that the tart, which was basically a puff-pastry circle with plum tomato and goat’s cheese topping, was a little bland. The croutons on the Caesar salad were not freshly made, which was a shame, but the dressing was well-balanced, with just a hint of anchovy.
Our main courses were halibut wrapped in pancetta, with creamed leeks and new potatoes, and a rump of lamb. The lamb was actually my second choice; I always look at the menu online before going out for a meal, and the Dakota website had promised ‘Tempura sole fillets with sautéd Pak Choi and Chilli Jam’. Sounded pretty good to me, but when the menu was placed in front of us, there was no sign of the sole on it.
The lamb and the halibut were both well-prepared and tasty, however.
I decided that I had no space for a pudding, but my companion wanted something sweet to finish, so we ordered the Chocolate Fondant and two spoons. Chocolate Fondant isn’t the easiest dish to get right; if you cook it for too long, you are left with chocolate sponge with nothing fondant (melting) about it. This one had probably spent one minute more than necessary in the oven; there was some melted chocolate in the middle, but not much.
The waitress service was friendly and competent; each course arrived within ten minutes and was cleared away promptly. The bill, including a large glass of wine, a large bottle of water and a coffee, came to just over £60. We felt that this was slightly on the high side; that once you get beyond £25 per head, you are looking for a little sparkle in the food, which in this case was lacking.
Reviewed August 2010
Dakota Bar & Grill, Sherwood Park, Annesley. NG15 0EA Tel; 01623 727 678 www.dakotanottingham.co.uk
OPIUM, NOTTINGHAM
It has been a while since I have eaten out in a Chinese restaurant. There are some good ones in Nottinghamshire, but our choice this time fell on a new one to all of us; Opium on Warser Gate, Nottingham, in the Lace Market.
When we arrived for a pre-theatre dinner, there were already two or three other tables occupied, and before we left, the restaurant had filled up and several tables had been occupied twice.
Opium offers a wide choice on its menu; the à la carte offers about a hundred different meat, poultry, fish and vegetarian dishes, as well as the usual set menus for different sized parties. There are also three ‘Sharing Platters’, one offering seafood and another dim sum. Dim sum are well represented here, with a separate menu of the flavoursome dumplings. We toyed with the idea of including a selection, but our time was a little limited, and the restaurant requires a fifteen-minute lead in which to prepare this item.
We were also offered the pre-theatre menu; a starter platter, then a choice of one dish per person from a limited selection from the à la carte menu, and steamed or fried rice for £10 per person. A similar menu included a cocktail and glass of ‘bubbly’ (presumably not Champagne, then!) for £15 per person and there are a number of weekly offers, including Wednesday’s ‘Try as much as you like’ menu of Dim Sum and Oriental Tapas, which sounded interesting. The menu offers hints on the best way to plan and order a Chinese meal.
We opted for the £10 per head menu, and added a couple of dishes simply to round out the menu. The starters included a large and succulent spare rib each, some sesame toast, a Spring roll, some crispy wontons and some fried shredded seaweed.
Our chosen main dishes were Fillet of tempura halibut in prawn sauce, Lemon chicken, Beef Cantonese style, and Crispy chilli shredded beef, served with egg fried rice. We were really pleased with the taste and quality on offer here; the menu states that everything is cooked on the premises and this certainly seemed to be the case. The dishes were delicately seasoned, and the Lemon chicken, for example, was not overly sweet. The Crispy beef had a slight sourness to it which was unusual and refreshing.
No space for puddings after all that, but we left pleasantly full. The service was good for most of the meal, perhaps a little slow at the end, but the waitresses were working flat out by then, and even the barman joined in to lend a hand. We concluded that the majority of the clientele had not booked and the management had been caught on the hop on what they had thought would be a slow night.
A good meal, and we look forward to returning soon to try the Dim sum!
Reviewed August 2010
Opium, 25 Warser Gate, Nottingham NG1 1NU. Tel; 0115 988 1133 www.opiumnottingham.co.uk
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Our Mystery Diners visit a restaurant incognito, and do not receive any complimentary food or drink in return for their review.
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