The Cardiff Menu

Cardiff based food blogger, giving honest, in-depth, knowledgeable reviews of (but not limited to} the Cardiff food scene.

THOMAS, Pontcanna, Cardiff.

Posted on February 17, 2023 by thecardiffmenu

It took a little longer than I would have liked to write this review, always worried things will get a bit hazy if I don’t get it down soon after the event. Thankfully, this was a meal I wasn’t going to forget, and for all the right reasons.

Thomas by Tom Simmons has become quite a regular posting by other reviewers/bloggers we follow on social media, never seemingly criticised, and always held in high regard by those that know. Plenty of times I have gone to book but the time was never right, I wanted to be in the right headspace, I didn’t want to go just for the sake of a review.

Walking in you’re immediately met with the bar area, the layout didn’t seem a million miles away from when it was previously The Cameo Club, however the fixtures and fittings certainly have. 2 tone colour scheme walls that continue throughout the restaurant, the bar is beautifully lit and has a touch of art deco about it. There was nobody at the bar, the 5 empty cushioned stools crying out for someone to join them and relax with a good spirit, or one of their ample wines, another time perhaps.

After we have been taken to our table, our server kindly takes our coats, this is a first for me, a nice touch which if I’m honest, shouldn’t be a rarity. The menu is well laid out with 6 starters and 7 mains, there’s also a ‘For The Table’ section which you should give your undivided attention…basically I am telling you to order several things from here.

Our choices were the Ground Bakery Bread and house butter (heard good things about this) and the Fried Chicken with Lime Mayo. Now the Ground Bakery is literally next door, other than being baked on the premises it’s not going to get any fresher. Served as a kind of large cob, it’s cut into 4 (so you get equal amounts) and comes with mushroom butter and their house butter, I preferred the latter as I am not a huge lover of mushrooms, I ate both.

It’s only bread and butter you might say, but sometimes there really is nothing better than a soft bread with a firm crust and a nicely salted butter smeared across it, or a mushroom butter in fact, and as bread and butter goes this offering is as good as you’ll find.

The Fried Chicken is excellent, as good if not better than any I have had before, and who would have thought that Lime Mayo would elevate to a place you didn’t think possible? Tom Simmons did, that’s who, and that’s why he does what he does. If I had to be super picky, some of the pieces had very little chicken and a lot of coating, however when the coating tasted that good I am not even sure if that’s a criticism. I’d eat that fried coating all day long.

For main I had the Fillet of Welsh Beef & Mushroom Tartlet at £33, yes more mushroom, I’m trying to convert, I also added a Green Peppercorn sauce. At this point the old adage ‘Taste, don’t eat‘ will serve you well, you can’t rush this, your palette won’t allow it. Every mouthful is divine, your mind making a mental note to remember just how good this is as your knife glides through to cut the next piece. There’s a lovely char to the top of the beef that provides texture and depth of flavour, the permanent grin on your face likening it to an audition for The Joker.

The Green Peppercorn sauce is everything you want it to be and accompanied the beef perfectly, I took my servers recommendation and she wasn’t wrong.

I’d love to tell you more about the mushroom tart but I would be kind of guessing as to what made up it’s parts (other than mushroom) what I will say is this…it was delicious and the tart itself perfectly crisp and super thin.

Seating is fairly close in the restaurant but this actually works in your favour, everytime a table sits down you purposefully eaves drop as to what they are ordering, whenever a dish comes out you side eye it to see what you are possibly missing, stopping short of asking for a bite. When you hear someone order what you’ve had you feel like a proud expectant parent, and listen in for their approval as they eat…sorry, taste it.

Wine – I had a lovely Chardonnay De L’Ardeche to wash all this down with, so easy to drink and really refreshing, £34 a bottle or you can buy it by the glass. Small isn’t featured on the wine list but you can ask for it.

My dining partner ordered the Welsh Lamb Cannon with Black Garlic, came out looking like a cover photo for the Michelin Guide, all positioned, dressed and cooked with purpose. Beautifully cooked.

Sides consisted of the infamous Tom’s Chips and Glazed Carrots with spiced seeds. These chips are golden, crispy, and are layer after layer of fluffy goodness, seasoned to perfection.

The Glazed Carrots are cooked just how I would like them, not too hard, just still with that bit of bite without losing their form. Again taste incredible, and the seeds providing a contrast in texture but also adding to the overall flavour of the dish.

Both these sides married perfectly with the beef, 3 individually stunning dishes that can stand out with balanced flavour in their own right, also coming together to make a truly memorable taste experience.

The beauty of this kind of cooking, clean, precise and perfectly portioned is that when it comes to dessert there is no question as to whether you have room for one. I am not saying you are left hungry, far from it, you just don’t feel stuffed, you feel well fed, content, ready to try more. Eating food like this isn’t a chore, and it leaves you wanting more. You don’t come here to wolf something down and disappear in to the night, you savor it, you converse between courses, you just relax and enjoy the experience.

I digress, for dessert we ordered Peanut Butter Parfait with Banana, Chocolate and Peanut Brittle £10 and Petit Fours, Salted Caramel Truffles and Seasonal Pate de Fruits £7

The Peanut Butter Parfait was smooth and creamy as you would expect, the brittle had the perfect amount of ‘crack’ not chewy and didn’t shatter. The peanut butter flavour never becoming ‘too much’ balanced just right, the different textures and temperatures of each part combining to be the best dessert I have had in a long time.

My experience that evening was one that will certainly linger, it’s not every day you get to eat food this good, this well loved. The service here is good, very good actually, it was busy as they are most nights yet you are never left wanting, check backs are made, more drinks are offered, they are attentive without being over bearing. Glassware and cutlery are super clean, cutlery is replaced and matched to your meal accordingly, time between courses is perfect. The overall ambience is spot on, appropriate music at a good level, lighting is spot on as is the temperature. My only negative (and it’s a small one) I found the chair really uncomfortable, the single wooden back dug in to me everytime I leaned back, resulting in me sitting bolt upright the whole time, hey it’s good for your posture right?

Thomas by Tom Simmons is a restaurant you need to visit at least once, just to see how food can really taste when everything combines, quality local ingredients, a chef with passion to deliver excellence and a skill level higher than most. I will certainly return (when the wallet allows) it’s not a cheap dining experience and nor should it be, but it’s worth every penny, this is special, savor it, and remember…taste, don’t eat.

The Gaff, Abergavenny.

Posted on January 28, 2023 by thecardiffmenu

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t aware of The Gaff’s existence until I stumbled upon it on a recent visit to Abergavenny, it looked my kind of place, and a peruse at the menu and a quick Google search affirmed this. I know Abergavenny is a growing culinary destination, partly down to it’s annual food festival, so was suprised I hadn’t heard of it before.

Opened in 2019, it nestles at the back of The Courtyard in 3 converted sheds, owned and run by former staff of the Michelin-starred Walnut Tree, it should be somewhere that demands high standards. Being recognised in The Michelin guide gives provenance to this fact.

On entering you are immediately drawn to how nice the interior is, laminate flooring, neutral and grey colour scheme, indoor plants, it’s airy and calming. A stern faced prolonged stare from one of the chefs in the open kitchen threatened to derail this, but we were soon welcomed in and shown to our table. They even have a lockable umbrella stand.

The tables are well laid out with minimal fuss, a novel cutlery holder holds all your cutlery, chairs are modern and comfortable. Artwork from a Herefordshire based artist Pete Bryden adorn the walls, and music fits with the vibe of the restaurant, think Average White Band – Pick Up the Pieces.

The menu at The Gaff is small plates, you’re advised to order 5-8 dishes between two and they come out when they are ready, the chefs will look to pair dishes as they come out so you’re not left with too much of a bizarre combination. On the current menu prices ranged from £5 to £17 a dish. You are offered water for the table and can choose between tap, still or sparkling, complimentary sourdough bread with olive oil, sea salt and rosemary (I believe) is also brought to your table, this was delicious.

We chose 6 dishes:

Cured Sea Bream, ponzu dressing, pickled cucumber £9
Korean Fried Chicken, sweet potato, gochujang £12
Bang Bang Cauliflower £9
Swede & Cheddar fritter, piccalilli £7
Hispi cabbage, squash, chorizo £7
Moroccan spiced carrots, chickpea, apricot, dukkah £7

The Cured Sea Bream and Swede & Cheddar fritter came out first. The fritters having a lovely crispy coating with an indulgent soft center, the swede being soft enough to blend nicely with the cheese. The piccalilli was tangy as you would expect, full of flavour and keeping the chunkiness of the ingredients it’s made with, balanced with the fritters perfectly.

The sea bream was clean, fresh and balanced wonderfully with the radish, spring onion and sesame.

Next came the Bang Bang Cauliflower and Korean Fried Chicken. Forget Cauliflower in the traditional sense, this one has bags of flavour, granted it’s all from the Hoisin sauce that envelops the dish but it’s all the better for it. The cauliflower itself is cooked well and is dressed with parsley and spring onion, I’m not too sure what the crispy garnish on top was (answers on a postcard) but it provided a crunchy texture that the dish needed. The Korean Fried Chicken had a lovely crisp coating and the sweetness on there from the Gochujang really elevated from what you are used to, chicken cooked perfectly. The sweet potato again, balancing the dish well.

Finally the Hispi Cabbage and Moroccan Spiced Carrots. The sweet hispi cabbage was beautifully cooked with a nice char to it that balanced the sweetness, with the addition of the soft squash and the chorizo, it was a lovely blend of the sweet and salty. The Moroccan Spiced Carrots were delicious, expertly spiced, soft, and that Apricot puree bringing a punch of sweetness that cut through the spice, the hazelnuts from the dukkah bringing texture and crunch to the dish.

Desserts were Sticky Ginger Cake, caramelised white chocolate, poached rhubarb with caramac and a rhubarb sorbet £9. The sorbet was a real palette cleanser, had a real zing to it that awakened your senses after so much food, caramac was beautiful, the cake could have perhaps had a bit more ginger but that is a minor quibble.

Crunchy Nut Cornflake Panna cotta, the description fed back from this was “This is the nicest panna cotta I have ever had”, nothing more to say really.

All of this washed down with Tydy, Sauvignon Blanc Loire Valley, I don’t drink a lot of white wine but if they all tasted like this I would drink a lot more. Exceptionally easy to drink with a real fruity taste. £29 a bottle.

The service is very good here, there were 3 servers on that night and you are served by all of them, normally I prefer to have one server however, it kind of works here. It’s a very organic experience at The Gaff and each server is as attentive and personable as the last, it’s formal without being stuffy, in fact it’s very relaxed, but maintains professionalism. Water is topped up regularly without the need to ask, plates are cleared in good time and there is little wait between each dish being brough out. It’s a perfect venue for couples and small groups that want to eat good food, drink good wine and converse.

I can thoroughly recommend The Gaff, it’s absolutely worth the trip.

As a side note, kudos to whoever decorated the toilet, I am a stickler for a well presented bathroom and The Gaff didn’t disappoint 🙂

Pasture, High Street, Cardiff.

Posted on November 10, 2022 by thecardiffmenu

It was a wet, miserable Saturday afternoon and we had a reservation 30 minutes before Wales kicked off against New Zealand just a street away. Was this a good idea? Wiping intermittently at the steamed up windows of the bus ride in, this was a journey only made bearable by the thought of returning to Pasture, a year after my last visit.

Since opening 2 years ago, Pasture has firmly established itself as a front runner in Cardiff’s dining scene, if you want to book on a Saturday evening in the 6pm-9pm slot, you’ll be waiting months, and what other restaurant can claim that? They can cater for walk ins but that’s always a risk, so is it’s popularity warranted? Let’s see.

On entering the first thing that struck me was the music, fairly loud beach house style, felt more like a beach bar in Ibiza and although not what I was expecting and slightly distracting it soon began to feel, well right. The restaurant was awash with Welsh Rugby jerseys, a well organised booking for many, no Greggs when we get into town for these fans, each table filtering out at kick off approached.

Pasture is busy (as always) and there is a good buzz within the restaurant, I have never been to a restaurant with so many staff, all busy, all smiling and all working as a team. Pasture blends the formal and informal perfectly, the bar sending out cocktails, Tiny Rebel IPA and £800 bottles of wine all under one roof. Exposed brickwork and pipes although perhaps becoming a little cliche really work here as an aesthetic and the addition of wood paneling in other areas prevents it feeling too urban.

I doubt this is the first review you have read of Pasture, I was treading where many had gone before and therefore had seen that the Short Rib Croquettes £6 were a firm favourite, I didn’t hesitate to order these and I’m glad I did. A lovely crispy coating packed full of that rich, tender short rib beef and the Gochujang aioli providing a hint of sweetness as well as a lingering heat in your throat, long after you’ve eaten them. Fantastic.

Just in case you weren’t aware, Pasture is all about Beef, and lots of it. Sourced from farms in Wales and the South West it can definitely be classed as local produce, and each steak is cut fresh by the in house butchers. For the range of cuts, weights and quality it’s far more than just your average steak house.

For our main event we went with a 550g Chateaubriand, at £13 per 100g this came to £71.50, however this price includes two sauces and two sides, so good value in my eyes if dining as a pair. The beef itself was exceptional, unbelievably tender, barely had to chew it, wonderful flavour from the coal and cherry wood method of cooking and the lovely gnarly edge giving it a nice char. The sauces chosen were Peppercorn and Whisky Teriyaki, both excellent.

The sides we chose were Spinach Gratin with leeks and cheese, and Truffle Chips with Cornish gouda cheese, these would cost you £4.95 each on their own. Additional sides ordered were Seasonal Greens and Dripping Chips at £3.95 each.

The Spinach Gratin was well seasoned, the taste of the leek and cheese really coming through, it was rich, warm comfort food and I ate the lot. The chips were as they should be, hot with a crispy coating and a fluffy centre, again well seasoned.

To wash all this down I had a 2018 Thorn-Clarke Shiraz from Australia, with flavours of black cherries, plums and mulberries it matched my meal well and was very easy to drink. £8.75 for a 175ml glass.

To finish was The Spiced Rum Trifle £7.95, whipped coconut, charred pineapple, poached quince, ginger cake, lime, hazlenut and sprinkled with chilli flakes. Absolutely delicious, everything balanced well, the cocunut and hazlenut adding texture to the rum soaked cake, there may have been room for a touch more rum….hic!

It’s not just the food that is exceptional here, the service matches it every step of the way and more. They have really understood the importance of the customer experience and the mission to create a wonderful dining experience, something so many fall short on. Restaurant service is my bread and butter and so far, I have yet to experience better. I need to give a shout to our Italian server Miriam, delivering a faultless service with notable touches such as notifying us she was going on a break and introducing us to who would be taking over our table during that time.

Pasture is the kind of restaurant that will cover any occasion, going on a date? Book it. Going out for drinks and want to eat first? Book it. Catching up with friends? Book it. If you’re willing to eat outside of regular times you will have no trouble getting a table here, you’ll just wish you had done it sooner.

Rocket & Rye, Cowbridge.

Posted on April 2, 2022 by thecardiffmenu

Rocket & Rye has long been one of the many restaurants I follow on social media channels, and I could see it was always being mentioned, tagged and liked by it’s peers. Embarrassingly I had always assumed Rocket & Rye was in Cardiff, simply by how often it was mentioned, however once I had corrected my geography and saw they had a new menu out this week, I knew I had to make the 30 minute drive to Cowbridge to see for myself.

Walking down Cowbridge High St I had forgotten what a wonderfully quaint place Cowbridge is, plenty of Blue plaques on the Olde worlde buildings and the air full of the smell of wood burning fires.

On arrival at the simple but beautifully presented restaurant, I was immediately welcomed and after giving my reservation details was seated. The restaurant opened at 6pm and my table was booked for 6:30pm, I was the only diner at this point but the restaurant quickly started to fill from this point. The decor is great, simple but stylish furnishings and a mix of open brick wall and elaborate wall paper, the table was set out beautifully as well, water, some flowers, and spotless cutlery, void of unnecessary clutter.

After being handed the food and drinks menus it was explained to me the food menu here is a collection of small plates, so I was recommended to go for 2 or 3, I went for 3 and a glass of South African white wine. The wine was lovely, quite earthy and married with my food perfectly, the wine glass was crystal clean. My food choices were Nachos with miso onion salsa, crema and chilli pickle, Ricotta dumplings with sage butter, and Aged beef slider, double cheese and pickles.

It was a struggle to just pick 3 with such appealing menu choices and this really lends itself to being a restaurant that would be great to come to in a group, with enough of you you could practically order the entire menu.

The food took a speedy 10 minutes to arrive, normally that would raise an eyebrow for me, not here, first of all I was the only one ordering at the time and I got the sense from the open kitchen that they were a well organised and well prepped brigade. Everything arrived looking pretty as a picture and I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. The Nachos had bags of flavour and perfect heat, provided by the Anise pickled chilli, and the Crema (almost like a mexican sour cream) combining the balance of coolness. The peppers adding a lovely sweetness and the miso onion salsa bringing another level of flavour. These Nachos had the punch I am always looking for when I order these and I would definitely recommend.

The Ricotta dumplings with sage butter (while being a completely different dish to the nachos) were equally as good. I’ll admit dumplings aren’t something I have had a lot of and certainly not for some time, so didn’t really have anything to compare it to, however I thoroughly enjoyed these. Rich, soft dumplings packed with ricotta cheese, the sage butter adding some moisture to the dish and the preserved tomatoes adding the sweetness it needed, all perfectly seasoned, fantastic. I shall be eating dumplings more often.

Finally, the Aged beef slider with cheese, this was a triumph, perfectly cooked beef smothered in double cheese perfectly encased in a beautifully glazed bun. All their produce at Rocket & Rye is locally sourced and the slider really showcased local flavours for me. Despite being a slider it had the look and feel of a normal size burger, I certainly didn’t feel like I had been short changed with this. It was pure indulgence.

I was hoping after 3 plates I would still have room for dessert and thankfully I did, they have 3 choices available: Chocolate Hazelnut torte, Panna Cotta and Tiramisu. Normally when looking at desserts I can rule out most of them and head to my favourite, all of these sounded amazing but settled on the Panna Cotta.

The Panna Cotta came with lemon and lime curd and burnt meringue (gf) and was exactly the palette cleanser I was hoping it would be. The panna cotta itself was smooth, sweet and creamy and the lemon and lime curd added the sharp citrus flavour to cut through, boy was it sharp and absolutlely delicious. The burnt meringue gave texture to the dish, having that perfect mix of crunch and a slight chew and completed the dish perfectly.

All the food I ate here just screamed freshness and quality, every mouthful a joy and I made sure I savored each mouthful ( I can sometimes eat very quickly, I’m working on this). Rocket & Rye has that perfect blend where it’s equally suitable for celebrating a special occasion or just dining out with friends socially, the décor being formal enough to feel special but not overly formal that you can’t relax, you definitely feel relaxed and at ease here.

The ambience was great, suitable music at an appropriate level, nice calm lighting and everything clean and tidy, I’m not entirely sure what feng shui is but I’m sure this place has it.

The service was great, my server was friendly, attentive, did her check back, replaced used cutlery for new after the mains and answered any questions I had. When I asked for the Wi-Fi password she had to ask the manager, I then heard the manager say to his table that this was her first few shifts. Well I am officially signing off her trial period, give her the job, she gave better service than most places I go. It said Meg on the bill, I hope that’s her.

The manager was great as well, acknowledging everyone that came in, often knowing them by name which show’s they have regular clientele here, and answered any question the tables he was serving were answering. He was friendly, conscientious and you felt safe knowing he was at the helm.

Toilets were through the back past a nice outdoor seating area, they were super clean, had everything you needed and were nice and warm.

Rocket&Rye is somewhere I can thoroughly recommend, It’s not often I go somewhere and it ticks every box, but this place did, if you’re in Cardiff book a table and drive over there at the earliest opportunity, you won’t regret it.

Service 10

Ambience 10

Food 10

Cleanliness 10

OVERALL 10

The Sorting Room at The Parkgate Hotel, Westgate St, Cardiff.

Posted on March 16, 2022 by thecardiffmenu

The Parkgate Hotel describes itself as “Cardiff’s finest new luxury hotel“, a part of the Celtic Collection which includes The Celtic Manor and Manor House. Located at the far end of Westgate Street opposite Brewdog, it adds some grandeur and presence to what if I’m honest has never been the nicest part of the city, for those of a certain age you only ever went there to get your concert ticket from the now gone Ticketline. I digress, the restaurant within the hotel is called The Sorting Room, set within the rooms of the old Post Office it definitely has a feel of it’s former days, the decor giving a very elegant and plush feel while keeping the feel of a bygone era.

I wanted my next review to be somewhere ‘upmarket’ so when I saw they have 25% off midweek dining until March 31st, I jumped at the chance to book myself a table.

The ‘upmarket’ feeling I was looking for was soon realised as I walked through the hotel doors, marveled at the huge chandelier and made a right turn towards the restaurant. We were greeted immediately at the entrance, referenced my booking and were then shown to the table where we were handed both food and drinks menus (we all know what we’re having at this point anyway right?).

As you would expect in a luxury hotel restaurant the drinks menu is extensive with a good range of wines, spirits, beer, cocktails and Champagne. Vodka and Whisky drinkers will be happy here, you’re certain to find a drink that will cater to your palette and your wallet. We opted for a Chilian Chardonnay and a Spanish sweet white wine, I wouldn’t ever pass myself off as a wine connoisseur but the Chardonnay was lovely and smooth and something I would look for again.

The food menu has a nice broad range, covering food types that should allow anyone to find something they like, the starters include Grilled Octopus, Monmouthshire Reared Pork Scotch Egg, Grilled Black Tiger Prawns and White Onion and Cider Soup to name a few. We decided to skip starters and head straight for mains followed by dessert, again they have a broad range that reaches the fussiest of eaters. Prices range from £17.50 to £42.00 for the Beef Wellington or the Beef Tomahawk, I went for the Braised Welsh Beef and Ale Pie at £18.50 and my partner the Moroccan Roasted Salmon Fillet at £19.50. The next part of the menu is where you add your potatoes (5 choices) and your vegetables (4 choices), I added Buttery Mashed Potato £3.00 and Thyme Roasted Carrots £3.50.

Our food took around 25 mins to arrive, that’s the golden zone for me, not too long and not so quick you feel it was made before you even sat down. I was immediately impressed by the portion sizes, it was a belter of a pie and the mashed potatoes and carrots were in plentiful supply on the side. The pie was aesthetically pleasing with a nice glaze, perfect colour and a lattice top. As I cut into the crisp pastry my enthusiasms just grew, perfect pastry, perfect thickness and a slow flow of velvety beef and ale spilling out. The beef was tender, full of flavour and the ale sauce it was in was a triumph, also it was piping hot, at this point I was nearly in tears, I will declare now it was the best pie I have ever had.

The buttery mashed potato was exactly that, smooth as you like, perfectly seasoned and the right amount to accompany the pie. The Thyme roasted carrots were full of flavour, had a lovely glaze and had just a minimal amount of firmness. Everyone takes their carrots differently, some preferring crunchy, I have always preferred mine soft and this hit the mark. The gravy that you can take great delight in pouring over your meal, picking the parts that deserve more than others was also deep in flavour, and a perfect texture.

Thyme Roasted Carrots and Buttery Mashed Potato

The Moroccan Roasted Salmon Fillet had a beautiful salty crispy skin, and was cooked perfectly, the spiced couscous delivered a different flavour of spice with each mouthful and partnered the Salmon well. The Thyme Roasted Carrots and Garlic Mushrooms were added as sides here, the mushrooms having just the right level of garlic not to over power the mushroom itself. The Coriander beurre blanc was rich and buttery and brought the dish together.

Only I had room for dessert (or at least I thought I did), again a varied selection starting at £6.50 for the Sticky Toffee Pudding and going up to £9.00 for the Paris-Brest…..which is what I ordered. Described as Salted Caramel, Welsh Chantilly cream, praline, crème anglaise and Gold leaf . My first impressions when it arrived were how big it was, my second was that I couldn’t see any Gold leaf, I was expecting some nestled on the top but even on close inspection I couldn’t make out a fleck of Gold.

Forget the Gold, this was a great dessert, beautiful choux pastry with the ice cold Chantilly cream, salted caramel and praline made for indulgence with every mouthful. Adding the warm crème anglaise gave it the sweetness it needed, like the custard to your apple pie. On another day I would have demolished this but not today, at £9 it’s not cheap but it’s a hefty dessert and dare I say it, you could share it.

As the plate shows, I enjoyed this meal, It’s one of those meals that you’ll remember for a while to come. The cookery, the flavours, the temperatures, textures, presentation, it was all there and I couldn’t fault it. The ambience of the restaurant was great, correct lighting levels, not too light or dark, ambient music at the right level and a good number of diners, some hotel guests and others taking up the midweek offer. The restaurant was far from full but for a Tuesday night and such a large number of seats it was respectable.

Service was very good, all servers smartly kitted out and clean, prompt with clearing of tables, removing unneeded cutlery and glassware and doing a check back. The only stumble being at the end when clearing my dessert the fork fell off the plate on to my jeans leaving me wiping cream off my leg with a napkin, it’s ok, it happens and she was apologetic. The first bill that came didn’t have the 25% taken off, a query from me was met with an “oh yes” and a new bill was brought. The total was £63.47 which included a 10% service charge, I felt this was good value for money for the quality of the food we had received in the surroundings we were in. Without the discount this would have been a fairly expensive meal out and something you would perhaps do for a special occasion, however they say you get what you pay for and that would certainly apply here. Overall I would highly recommend The Sorting Room, sometimes you just need to treat yourself and with the discount until the end of March there’s no better time. I just hope you have the same experience that I did.

Just to add, even if you don’t need to, visit the toilets, there is something satisfying about walking in to posh, immaculately clean toilets and these were just that.

Service – 9

Ambience – 10

Food – 10

Cleanliness – 10

Overall – 10