Nestled in the hills just above Marlow, The Royal Oak (http://www.royaloakmarlow.co.uk/) manages to be both cosy and smart. Having visited many times for a drink, the idea of trying out the evening menu was a tempting one when Saturday night plans with friends were cancelled. We were lucky to get a table when we called - a group of ten had cancelled - and McFoodie and I were looking forward to giving it a go.
On arrival, we were greeted warmly and given the choice of going straight to our table or having a drink at the bar. We opted for the former, as McFoodie was driving and too many drinks before dinner can have an interesting effect on me. Our table was in a small area just off the main dining room, and there were about 6 other tables nearby. They have a hotch potch of furniture with jugs of wild flowers and candles on the tables, creating a nice laid-back and countrified atmosphere. When we sat down, we were given menus very quickly and we asked for a jug of water - a request which we had to repeat twice before it finally arrived.
The menu is a good one with lots of choice, plenty of locally sourced products and some interesting specials, so I really struggled to make a decision. I was seriously tempted by salt and pepper baby squid to start, although I opted for a roast butternut squash salad with Wensleydale and caramelised figs. This was a really good combination of flavours and textures, although I'm inclined to think that melting the Wensleydale was not the best idea, as the texture was not enhanced by such a treatment, and the piece of roasted fennel didn't really add anything. To follow, I chose grilled sea bass, with a shallot and almond dressing, served with lemon crushed potatoes from the specials menu - the fish was very nicely cooked and the potatoes were lovely and buttery with a lemon flavour that managed not to overpower everything else. Accompanying seasonal vegetables were a little carrot heavy but well cooked and flavoursome. McFoodie started with a crab risotto with paprika and mascarpone, which he described as "al dente in a good way" and was very well-received. I'm not a fan of crab but the mouthful I tried had a nice flavour and texture, lightened by the mascarpone. He chose pork belly with black pudding and a cider sauce to follow. This is normally served with champ but as McFoodie is not a potato fan, we requested skinny chips (yes, they're potatoes but in an acceptable form) and for once this caused no problem at all, and we were not charged for the chips. Our food was washed down by a lovely bottle of viognier and the jug of water was kept full throughout our visit. The pudding menu was tempting - a bread and butter pudding was on the specials menu and we were intrigued by chocolate brioche doughnuts with toffee milkshake, but we were unfortunately full so passed on the sweet option.
Service was very friendly but could have been more consistent - as well as having to ask repeatedly for our water on arrival, we also had to attract attention to order and request the pudding menu. Several minutes after we ordered our bottle of viognier, we were advised that there was no more sauvignon blanc, which was confusing! We were brought the correct wine, in a cooler, very quickly but when the bill arrived, we'd been charged for both. There was no fuss when we advised a member of staff of this, and the corrected bill was delivered very quickly.
The total for two starters, two main courses with extra vegetables and a bottle of wine was £59, which wasn't bad value for money, as the food was very good. McFoodie and I concluded that we'd definitely visit again (ensuring we leave space for pudding) and left feeling as though our experience had been a good one.
Sunday 8 February 2009
Sunday 1 February 2009
The Ferry, Cookham
Well, if I'm honest, I'd hoped that my first post would be about somewhere altogether more extraordinary...it's not some chic city eaterie but one of these eating houses that seem to be taking over much of the country. Somewhere between a pub and a restaurant, these can be a mixed bag and previous visits to The Ferry (http://www.theferry.co.uk/index.htm) have varied, but today was a pretty good one. The place itself is well decorated with comfy leather chairs in the bar, smarter tables in the restaurant area and views over the Thames and Cookham bridge. On a sunny day, the chances of getting a table on the riverside terrace are thin but it's a good year-round spot for a drink, with plenty of space for drinkers as well eaters.
Trying to find somewhere for lunch at 3pm on a Sunday can be a risky game, and past experiences have been of uncleared tables, exhausted waiting staff and the dried up remains of the roast beef. There were plenty of tables available for McFoodie (a.k.a. hubby) and I, although we were still asked if we'd booked, which is odd when you're looking at a room that's scattered with empty tables. Having been offered a table for four, our request to take a quieter corner table for three was greeted with only a slight grimace, and then we were seated in our chosen spot and left to peruse the menu and list of specials and gaze out of the window at the river.
We were asked fairly quickly what we wanted to drink but it took a while to actually take our order. Having been warned that the roasts were almost all gone we steered clear, not wanting to get the bits that had been kept warm for the last 3 hours, and both opted for beer battered haddock with minted pea puree and frites, with a glass of white wine each. The Ferry has a good selection of wines - my sauvignon blanc was a very nice one, and McFoodie enjoyed a glass of fiano. The complimentary bread failed to appear - it might be free but you pay for it in some way and my view is that if you give it to some, you should give it to all. However, our rumbling stomachs weren't left empty for long, as the food came fairly quickly and was generally pretty good. The fish was nicely cooked in a good, crisp batter, the peas were pleasant and the chips were...chips (not frites at all).
Having decided that fish and chips had well and truly scuppered any healthy eating plans, pudding seemed like the obvious next step: I went for an apple and blackberry crumble with vanilla custard and McFoodie opted for a total chocolate overload, with a steamed chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce and double chocolate ice cream. Both were surprisingly good, with the crumble topping being nicely crunchy (it sounds obvious but can be such a disaster if heated up in a microwave prior to serving) and the chocolate pudding being a moist chocolate sponge with a good cocoa-intense flavour.
By that time on a Sunday, the staff understandably just want to go home and put their feet up. Although the initial greeting was a little icy, that wasn't the case for the entire meal and the staff were friendly and helpful. When the food was brought, an apology was offered for the absence of bread. which is far preferable to the error being ignored for fear of any problem eating into the tip. The atmosphere was also good - lively enough but not too loud or crowded.
The total cost for a glass of still mineral water, a diet coke, two fish and chips, two glasses of wine and two desserts was just shy of £43.00.
Trying to find somewhere for lunch at 3pm on a Sunday can be a risky game, and past experiences have been of uncleared tables, exhausted waiting staff and the dried up remains of the roast beef. There were plenty of tables available for McFoodie (a.k.a. hubby) and I, although we were still asked if we'd booked, which is odd when you're looking at a room that's scattered with empty tables. Having been offered a table for four, our request to take a quieter corner table for three was greeted with only a slight grimace, and then we were seated in our chosen spot and left to peruse the menu and list of specials and gaze out of the window at the river.
We were asked fairly quickly what we wanted to drink but it took a while to actually take our order. Having been warned that the roasts were almost all gone we steered clear, not wanting to get the bits that had been kept warm for the last 3 hours, and both opted for beer battered haddock with minted pea puree and frites, with a glass of white wine each. The Ferry has a good selection of wines - my sauvignon blanc was a very nice one, and McFoodie enjoyed a glass of fiano. The complimentary bread failed to appear - it might be free but you pay for it in some way and my view is that if you give it to some, you should give it to all. However, our rumbling stomachs weren't left empty for long, as the food came fairly quickly and was generally pretty good. The fish was nicely cooked in a good, crisp batter, the peas were pleasant and the chips were...chips (not frites at all).
Having decided that fish and chips had well and truly scuppered any healthy eating plans, pudding seemed like the obvious next step: I went for an apple and blackberry crumble with vanilla custard and McFoodie opted for a total chocolate overload, with a steamed chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce and double chocolate ice cream. Both were surprisingly good, with the crumble topping being nicely crunchy (it sounds obvious but can be such a disaster if heated up in a microwave prior to serving) and the chocolate pudding being a moist chocolate sponge with a good cocoa-intense flavour.
By that time on a Sunday, the staff understandably just want to go home and put their feet up. Although the initial greeting was a little icy, that wasn't the case for the entire meal and the staff were friendly and helpful. When the food was brought, an apology was offered for the absence of bread. which is far preferable to the error being ignored for fear of any problem eating into the tip. The atmosphere was also good - lively enough but not too loud or crowded.
The total cost for a glass of still mineral water, a diet coke, two fish and chips, two glasses of wine and two desserts was just shy of £43.00.
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