Pumpkins Galore - Double Tree Hilton

THE LOOK

These king scallops were served on a pillow of fresh pumpkin puree with scattered pieces of artichoke hearts. It was the perfect portion for a starter. For my main course I had the pumpkin risotto, also off the seasonal menu. The bright orange of the fresh pumpkin contrasted well with the creamy white of the risotto. My main complaint about these two dishes is that they would've been so much better had they been served hotter. Both were luke warm, which in some ways ruined the starter but the main was so good that even the temperature couldn't ruin it.

Rating: ***'  

THE TASTE

Personally I prefer smaller scallops as they seem to have more flavour but these definitely have the wow factor when they're served. The artichokes seemed to stick out in the dish as their flavour didn't blend as well as the scallops, pumpkin, and pea-shoots did together. However, the risotto was lovely! The pumpkin was the perfect accompaniment to this dish as without it the dish would've been far too rich. It cut through the creamy sauce of the risotto and made the dish a lot lighter.

Rating: ***'

THE PLACE

The restaurant looks very impressive! They usually seat people in the conservatory on an evening but we asked to be seated in the main area as the seats are so much comfier and you can settle down ready for a feast! The staff were very friendly and were actually interested in chatting to us, we really felt like they appreciated us as customers. Our waitress (unfortunately I can't remember her name) knew the menu inside out and made wonderful recommendations. However, I do have a couple of grumbles... The waiters didn't wait until we had all finished before taking our plates but my main problem is that when we complained about one of the dishes they did nothing to rectify the problem. My dad is a huge soup fan so ordered the mushroom soup but he soup one mouthful and almost spat it out! Even though the waiter came over several times and saw he wasn't eating he never asked how it was and then didn't offer anything else or even to take it off the bill....

Rating:*** 

Chocolate Bar - Fondue

THE LOOK

I loved how the chopped nuts and chocolate balls were served in the mini bowl but it did get very messy after a while! This is cute enough to do for a date (but definitely not a first date unless you don't mind chocolate smeared across your face!!) We put the ice cream over brownies so it melted into them, LUSH. We could've done with forks with bigger prongs as the food did fall off a lot....

Rating: ***'

THE TASTE

This was the perfect cheat day treat! The bananas were fresh, the marshmallows fluffy, and the brownies gooey. The strawberry sauce added the perfect sour hit the break up the sweetness of all the treats and was great mixed with the melted chocolate! 

Rating:****

THE PLACE

The cafe is located inside Metropolis shopping centre on the third floor. I recommend getting a window seat as it is perfect for people watching! The staff there were friendly but our table could've done with being wiped down and were weren't sure if we were meant to set ourselves or be seated. For what we had it was very reasonably priced and we will definitely be going back!

Rating:***

Va Bene! - Total Disappointment

Such a horrific meal, it's a struggle to put into words...

THE LOOK

1. Starter - Polpetti, beef meatballs, olives in a delicious tomato sauce £6.95 - Once again my plate wasn't wiped before it was served, I know it sounds rather stuck up but it really bothers me! My bread was lost under my dish and it looked more like a school dinner than a restaurant meal
2. Main - Tortellini Quattro Formaggi, pasta parcels with ricotta and spinach, mushroom, gorgonzola, parmesan, and mozzerella and cream sauce £10.95  - This is the only dish of the night that I actually thought looked appetising. It was a bit awkward when after only one teaspoon of parmesan the waiter asked if that was enough and I had to tell him a few more!
3. Side - Sauteed Potatoes £2.95 -  Looked as lovely as my main
4. Dessert - Eaton Mess Cheesecake £??? - I was missing my meringue, which in my opinion is the best part?! I have had better looking cheesecakes for Aldi, this was definitely not homemade!

Rating: *"

THE TASTE

1. Garlic, garlic, garlic!! That's literally all I could taste! The meatballs here so dry and bland, they were flying across my dish as i tried to cut them
2. I actually really enjoyed this dish! The pasta was al dente and the sauce was perfection! These really came through in the sauce and didn't even need extra salt!
3. After struggling to finish my main I couldn't manage these so took them home and they were lush cold the next day!
4. This dessert was actually disgusting and wasn't fully defrosted. The parts that were edible were bland and certainly not worth the calories.

Rating: **

THE PLACE

Compared to previous visits this place was dead! The staff were quick to take out order but never cleared away the empty glasses. When we complained about one of our meals the manager agreed that it was over cooked and didn't offer us another main until the others were cleared away but he did take it off the bill.

Rating:*"

The Bell at Belbroughton

THE LOOK

Everything I had to eat this evening was presented with various levels of finesse.

1. Scallops of the Day served with Saffron mashed potatoes and drizzled with a pea and mint pesto dressing - £9.50 - The classic presentation of scallops! The Bell is part of the same chain as The Lyttelton Arms, and The White Swan in Harborne. Across the table though they varied greatly in size so there was a bit of food envy going on!
2. King Prawn, crab and chorizo linguine with white wine, tomatoes, garlic and chilli - £12.95 - I was so disappointed when my food arrived as it looked like it had been sitting there white a while and the excess sauce wasn't wiped from the edge of my place.
3. Baked New York style cheesecake served with strawberry coulis - £5.95 - When it first arrived I had to send it back as the plate was dirty. When my second one arrived it was presented completely differently and apparently they had forgotten the strawberries too.

Rating:***"

THE TASTE

1. I always love the scallops here. This time however, the mashed potatoes weren't very warm but the were perfectly smooth and I really couldn't get enough of the pesto!
2. Despite how it looks the pasta is lush! I will definitely be having it again. The crab meat is white (I don;t like the dark meat) and just like the prawns its cooked well and tastes fresh. I asked for as little chilli as possible (I'm a bit of a wimp) and personally that was the right level of heat 
3. The cheesecake was average. The traditional style we all love, I've had better but I've also had a lot worse

Rating: ***"

THE PLACE

Our waitress, Amy, was incredible this evening. She was very attentive and when there was something wrong with my dessert she came back even though she had already walked away. The beer garden here is soon modern and there are plenty of seats for it's ideal for large parties. If you're wearing heels bake sure you're confident in them as you have to go down a slight slope to get in and always RING THE BELL!!

Rating: ****

Rainbow Palace - £10 3 Course Deal

I've been going to this quaint little restaurant for years and it just keeps getting better and better! I've celebrated so many things here from anniversaries to birthdays, Chinese New Year to a new job, the food is such great quality at such a low price that everyone can afford it.

THE LOOK

All of the food here is usually served on tea light food warmers so it's ideal if you want to get a few plates to share! The starters usually come served on a bed of lettuce with a vegetable flower but that's as fancy as it gets, here it's the taste, not the presentation that keeps you coming back. It's back to basics here.

Rating: ***

THE TASTE

The £10 3 course menu changes weekly. There are always 4 starters on the menu and you choose two and then there's a selection of mains. The tiger prawns here are delicious. They are always perfectly cooked but I always ask for a bit more sauce to dip them in! This visit we were all a bit disappointed in the satay chicken this time as the sauce wasn't as peanutty as usual so was a tad bland. It was the first time I'd had the king prawn in black bean sauce here but I would definitely have it again. 

Rating: ****

THE PLACE

The restaurant itself is only tiny so you really do need to book, try and ask for a table in the main section rather than at the back as it gets too hot there. The staff are so lovely here, Stan, the head waiter will do anything for you and is great with kids. Once they didn't have a drink I wanted so they went out and bought it for me! However, I have noticed that we get a very different kind of service when I go without my Dad, perhaps the owner is just a mans man...

Rating:****

Hickory Smokehouse - A bit of Everything

After booking a few months in advance (we called up ages ago and asked for the first available Saturday at 7pm) the day finally arrived!

THE LOOK

No matter what you order you will always make an oooo or wow when it arrives at your table! My meal was Popcorn Shrimp, Macaroni Cheese with Salad and Garlic Bread, and to finish Campfire Marshmallows but I took pictures of more as they looked sooo good. 

1. Table-Toasted Campfire Marshmallows With chocolate dipping sauce - £7.95. This is one of the most impressive desserts I've ever had, it took me right back to my days as a Girl Guide! You get 18 pink and white marshmallows on skewers and your own mini campfire to toast them on, INCREDIBLE!!
2. Mac ‘n’ Cheese Garlic Texas toast & house salad - £9.95. This all comes served on a wooden block with the salad in a colander and the mac n cheese served in a hot skillet. For me this portion is way to big but it was so good I was happy to have lots of it! The garlic bread looks just like white toast (typical toast you get from your nan's house; drenched in butter)!
3. Blueberry Lemonade - £2.50. The colour of this was just stunning!
4. Popcorn Shrimp with creole mayonnaise - £5.95. I was a bit surprised by how small the prawns were as I've seen pictures on their Instagram and they look a bit bigger and also a much bigger portion. 
   
5. Georgia Iced Tea - £2.75. This drink looks lime summer in a glass. I love the fact that all of the lemonades and teas are served in jars as it really adds to the rustic effect of the place!
6. Smoked Baby Hot Links Sausages with mustard & sweet bourbon dips - £5.95. (Apologies for the hands in the background but it's the only way my dad would let me take a photo) The sausages look bigger here than in real life but it really was the perfect size for a starter. They were (apparently) a bit difficult to eat as the "hanger" was still in the way.
7. Kansas City Style BBQ Glazed Spare Ribs Glazed with homemade barbecue sauce with fries and American slaw. Half slab - £14.95. This really was a mammoth portion! There really isn't much as I can say, just look at this giant chunk of meat in awe!
8. Raspberry and Mint Lemonade - £2.75. I wasn't going to order this drink as I'm not a huge fan of mint but I saw a waiter taking this to another table and just had to have it! It looked just like a cocktail! I'm really impressed with how fancy their soft drinks look as it means those who are driving can get in on the fun too

Rating:*****

THE TASTE

1. In all honesty I didn't order this dessert for the taste but more for the novelty of it! I couldn't finish it as it was far too sickly, definitely one to share!
2. This is some of the best garlic bread I've ever had! I like my garlic bread to be really soft and buttery and that's exactly what this was. The mac n cheese was lovely, nothing special but still the traditional comfort food dish, just needed at little extra salt
3. This drink was incredible! I was actually sad when I'd finished it! It was the perfect combination of blueberries and lemon but tasted like there were so many more flavors! I was more like a mocktail than a simple homemade lemonade, I really would happily drink this and be the designated driver!
4. These tiny little prawns were lovely but the creolo mayo was a tad too spicy for myself so I used the BBQ sauce you get on your table. Another dish I'd have again 
   
5. This was my least favourite out of the three drinks, it wasn't bad but it isn't one I would have again. It was simple and peachy but nothing more the the bottles of Lipton's Peach Iced Tea.
6. This wasn't my starter but I pinched a little sausage to have a taste and they are gorgeous even without the sauces the really pack a flavour punch, I will definitely be having these next time!
7. Again this wasn't my meal but my dad had them and completely cleared his plate. They were so meaty and moreish
8. Ah this drink is incredible! Just like the blueberry lemonade it tasted more like a cocktail than lemonade. It was so sweet and refreshing that I couldn't help but drink it really quickly!

Rating:*****

THE PLACE

If you've ever been to Bubba Gump Shrimp in America you will love this place! We were really lucky with our table and got given a booth with a TV (unfortunately the Euros was on so people kept stopping at the end of our table to check the score) but it was so comfy and we had so much room. Our waiter was very polite and well informed on the dishes available and made great recommendations. This will sound like a strange point to mention but the toilets were also lovely and they was a basket in there with complimentary deodorant, tampons, and hairspray for you to use.

Rating:*****

Be At One - Cocktails

OMG this is my new favourite bar in Birmingham!!

THE LOOK

It's fair to say that we tried a variety of cocktails while we were here but unfortunately I wasn't able to get pics of them all!

• Cocktail 1: Popster. This is one of my favourite cocktails ever! I love how simple it is but the popcorn on top really makes all the difference. 
• Cocktail 2: Blueberry Muffin. I personally think that this cocktail looks so vibrant yet classy, the slice of orange peel floating on top really contrasts to the deep blueberry purple of the drink. 
• Cocktail 3: Rum Runner. This cocktail doesn't look the fanciest but it tastes amazing. Because it's a frozen cocktail it does start to melt at the bottom but that just means you need to drink up! P.S when they make the drink cheer when they do the five finger pour as hey are very proud of themselves!! 
• Cocktail 4: Candy Pants. Personally I was quite disappointed in the appearance of this one as there was just too much ice!! First the glass was filled with ice and then my lovely pink drink but then even more ice on top?! 
• Cocktail 5: Pear Sherbet. I was really shocked that this cocktail was clear! It was simple yet elegant, served in a martini glass and decorated with a simple slice of dried lemon. 
• Cocktail 6: Frozen Mango Bellini. The colour of this cocktail is absolutely stunning. You really do get that vibrant yellowy orange of a fresh mango but in the form of an alcoholic slushy served in a wine glass. 
• Cocktail 7: Rhys' Pieces (the final one I promise). This really reminds me of an alcoholic milkshake in both look and taste but a tad different as it's served in a wine glass. You get a Peanut Butter Cup on top but try and eat it right away as it tends to sink and then you get messy (I found out the hard way)!

Rating***'

THE TASTE

1. (Butterscotch schnapps · sweet and salty popcorn · vanilla ice cream) This cocktail is now in my top 10!! Each one has half a pack of sweet and salted Proper Corn popcorn in it but it's so smooth and you can really taste each individual ingredient
2. (Absolut Vanilla · gingerbread syrup · cranberry juice · lemon juice · blueberry jam) I really don't understand why this is called Blueberry Muffin, it tastes absolutely nothing like one?! For the first few sips all I could taste was ginger as it was so overpowering but eventually the other flavours started to come through. Not one I would rush to have again but I would definitely give it another try!
3. (Bacardi Carta Negra rum · banana liqueur · blackberry liqueur · grenadine · lime juice · Appleton Estate Signature Blend) I loved this cocktail but I was really surprised just when I looked up what was in it and saw that it has banana liqueur in it as there isn't even a hint of banana?! I'd definitely have it again as it's basically an alcoholic slushy but it is rather strong!
4. (Absolut Kurant vodka · Chambord · strawberry purée · fresh lemon juice · cranberry juice) Again I don't understand the name of this cocktail! It doesn't taste like candy?? To be fair it didn't really taste of much at all as the ice watered it down quite a bit
5. (Absolut vodka (Pears)· citric syrup) This cocktail was shockingly sharp!! I actually didn't finish it as it was simply too sour! Perhaps I chose the wrong vodka but this was actually vile
6. (Absolut vodka (Mango) · fruit liqueur · fruit purée · sugar · Prosecco Santome) This drink was lush! I've never tried a frozen bellini before but I definitely will again! I was pretty much like drinking an ice lolly, so refreshing but with a slight zing to break up the sweet sicklyness of the others!
7. (Peanut butter cups · bourbon · sugar · vanilla ice cream) OMG this cocktail was sent down from heaven! Perfect for any lover of the moreish Reese's Peanut Butter as this basically tastes like a bunch of them blended with ice. Perfection

Rating: ****

THE PLACE

I love this basement bar! It's so stylish and chic but you can get away with wearing whatever you like, some people were wearing dresses and heels, others were in jeans and a T-shirt, it's just that sort of place! The bar staff and doorman were also wonderfully friendly and would just come over to join in our conversations but actually gave their opinions instead of just agreeing.

Rating: *****

Chiquitos - Churros and Cocktails

Just popped into my local restaurant at Castle Gate in Dudley for a cheeky little pot of churros and a cocktail during happy hour!

THE LOOK

As you can see both my churros and my cocktail were perfectly presented! I just managed to order in the last few seconds of Happy Hour and get my Strawberry Margarita for just £5!! Who can complain about that?! I loved the colour of this cocktail, a bit lighter than what I've had before but I love the delicateness of it and also the simple addition of half a strawberry (which I cleaned up the last little bit of chocolate from my churros with)!! The presentation of my churros was also simple yet effective. I think I had around 8 maybe more in total served with 3 strawberries and a rich chocolate sauce!

Rating: ****

THE TASTE

My cocktail was delicious! You could really taste the Tequila (which I was quite surprised about considering how cheap it was) but it wasn't overpowering and the strawberry flavour also came through well, one I will definitely be having again soon. My churros were freshly fried and were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy in the middle. The cinnamon coating was ideally balanced and went so well with the dipping sauce! However, there were simply too many for me to finish them all, no matter how hard I tried to munch my way through these delicious doughy treats!

Rating: ****

THE PLACE 

In all fairness it was just your standard Chiquito's restaurant, nothing special but a bit better than your local pub! Unfortunately the service here was below par and they forgot my friend's order of churros so we all had to wait for hers to arrive but to be fair we were all offered fresh ones and we were given a portion of churros and a cocktail for free!

Rating: *** 

Boston Tea Party - Eggs Royale

Been here a few times now and I just can't stop ordering the Eggs Royale with avocado, it's just so good!!

THE LOOK

This brilliant brunch is an absolute burst of colour! The vibrant yellow hollendaise sauce is poured generously over fresh, pink smoked salmon all sitting on top of half an English muffin. This is how it is as per the menu (£6.95) but I always like to add half an avocado (£1.25) to mine to lighten the dish a little more and to add a dash of colour! I adore the drinks here as the majority of them are served in mason jars! On my last visit I tried the Iced Coffee (£3.30, pic 3) served in one of those jars and to be fair if it was served in anything else I don't think it would look very appetising!

Rating: ***'

THE TASTE

This really is my favourite brunch anywhere!! My poached eggs are always runny, what more can you ask for! <3 Even though I get full just after half way through I just keep going and even lick my plate clean! Everything is freshly made, the only minor grumble I have is that my avocado was slightly under ripe once but that really is nit picking! My Iced Coffee was so refreshing, the perfect brunch drink and you really can't taste the avocado in it! I've also had the brownie here before (surprising as I'm not a brownie fan usually) but it was scrumptious! It was so gooey and moist that I couldn't wait for my Eggs Royale to arrive before I finished it.

Rating: *****

THE PLACE

I've been here a few times and sometimes you get taken to a table and other times you seat yourselves. It really is made for brunch but unfortunately you can't book between 12-2 or for a group less than 8 people. You simply order at the counter but I would really recommend one person ordering for everyone because I've ordered with a small group of friends before and even though we ordered directly after each other we were left waiting for each other. 

Rating: ***

Eis Cafe - Locoshake Take 2

Slowly working my way through the menu...

THE LOOK

As you can see these milkshakes are simply FABULOUS!! The mason jar is drowned in lashing of Betty Crocker fudge icing and then the shake it topped with luscious whipped cream, a gooey chocolate brownie and a massive toasted marshmallow! As tempting as the place may seem it definitely isn't a date place as you get in such a mess, or maybe that's just me...

Rating: *****

THE TASTE

Having already tried the PRETZEL LOCOSHAKE this one didn't quite measure up. This one is still AMAZING but slightly too sickly for me. The brownie was the perfect consistency, so soft and chewy <3 My recommendation would be to save the marshmallow til last because once you've eaten that it's game over! The shake itself is pretty similar to the other one but still delicious maybe even slightly chocolatier! 

Rating:  ****

THE PLACE

Please see the other post for details! 

One point I must add is that they do NOT do some of the things they have on their Facebook page!!

Island Bar - Cocktails

Absolutely love this little bar, been so much recently, just can't get enough!!

THE LOOK

Each cocktail here is completely unique! Picture 1: Birthday shots. We went here for my housemates 21st and were given these shots for FREE, no idea what they were but they look incredible. Picture 2: Fab. I have had this cocktail a few times and each time it has looked different: the amount of ice changes, the cream differs and sometimes you get sprinkles sometimes not... Picture 3: Blue Hawaii. I adore the colour of this cocktail, it is the perfect Hawaiian blue and the strawberry really makes it pop. However, some of our friends ordered this cocktail after I did and each time it was served in a different glass. Cocktail 4: Passionfruit Bellini, by this point I couldn't think of another cocktail I wanted to try so asked the barman for something sweet and cheap and here's what he produced! A much classier look compared to the others but still the perfect bellini.

Rating: ****

THE TASTE

The shots were surprisingly nice, I though since they were free they'd be so weak but they were lovely and sweet. We drank them through the fire with a straw but you have to be quick so that it doesn't melt! The Fab cocktail does what it say on the tin, it tastes just like the icelolly, there's really nothing else I can say!! I was a bit disappoint in the Blue Hawaii, all I could taste was pineapple and it seemed basically non-alcoholic, not one I would have again. The passionfruit bellini was one of my favourites, the barman asked my favourite flavour and used that syrup for it so it was very personal to my taste! A sweet cocktail but not too sweet. My absolute favourite cocktail here, which unfortunately I didn't manage to take a photo of, is the COCO-POPS cocktails. It is so easy to drink!! I think I had at least 2/3 last time I went! It's literally like drinking the chocolatey milk! 

Rating: ****'

THE PLACE

Island Bar is the perfect little TIKI BAR. The main bar is downstairs and the Tiki Bar is upstairs, which is only open at selected times. The Bar has a different menu during the week, which I personally think is better that the weekend one! In the corner there is a games console so ADULTS CAN BE KIDS AGAIN and play games or simply get up and dance to the music from the in house DJ. It's the perfect place and very versatile; you can either go for a casual drink or get dressed up and party the night away!

Rating: *****

The Plough Harbone - Calzone

Having heard so much about this quaint little Harborne pub, I finally decided to give it a go to celebrate my exams finally being over!!

THE LOOK

I was so shocked by the size of my calzone when it arrived, it was MASSIVE!!! Definitely great value for money! I ordered the calzone with stilton and caramelised red onions and it was perfection. It came on a wooden block with a pizza cutter and with a rocket salad and drizzled with a herby butter. On weekdays between 12-5 they cost £8 (instead of the usual £12) and you get a free soft drink on draft. The calzone was the perfect golden baked colour and lovely and crispy with an expertly folded crust! For a cheeky celebration we ordered a bottle of Prosecco (£27.50) which was a bit more expensive than were used to but it went down well and made for a lush photo!

Rating:****'

THE TASTE

This combination of fillings was the best calzone I've ever had. The strong taste of the stilton was a great accompaniment to the sweet caramelised onions. You get the basic tomato base with mozzarella and then you choose two more toppings. I was tempted to try the candied bacon as it's something I've never tried before but I think I've already found my perfect combination!! The only negative I can thing of is that the twisted crust was a bit too doughy and plain for my liking... The Prosecco was just to our taste (no too dry) and went well with the pizzas, a bottle we shall definitely be having again!

Rating: ****'

THE PLACE

The Plough has a modern, city, arguably American sort of vibe. Each table seems slightly different with metal chairs, wooden tables and drop glass lights. We were seated at the back of the restaurant and opened the french doors so the whole pub was opened to their beer garden. We were very jealous of these sitting outside, especially those under the far canape. There's a bar inside and out, where you order your food and the outside one even has sun cream for customers to use. The service was also great for out little celebration but make sure you all order at the same time so your food arrives all together. I really don't have a bad word to say!

Rating: *****

The New Inn - Cocktails

Decided to take a much needed break from revision and pop out for a few cocktails with my favourite girlies! They do Happy Hour here 4-7 Monday to Friday, 4-12 Saturday and 4-11 Sunday where some cocktails are £4.50!!

THE LOOK

As you can see these cocktails are adorable!! 

1. Love Hearts - £5.50
2. French Martini - £6.50
3. Lemon Bon Bon - £5.50

The Love Heart and Lemon Bon Bon cocktails were both served in jam jars with crushed ice and topped with little sweets. Although they look very cute in the little jam jars, the colours aren't the most attractive but the taste is still good!

Rating:****

THE TASTE

Now to the serious part.... do they taste as good as they look?? My personal favourite was the Lemon Bon Bon! It was even better than the sweet itself; the perfect balance of sweet and sour! Then there is the Love Heart one. I really liked this one but I love sweet drinks and this one is literally like drinking pure sugar!! It doesn't really taste of Love Hearts in all honesty and after one glass that's probably all you could drink as it really is that sweet. The French Martini was surprisingly disappointing... The only taste I got throughout the cocktail was pineapple juice and it was generally just a very weak drink, not one that I'd have again. I will definitely be returning for the first two though!!! 

Rating: ***'

THE PLACE

The New Inn was a lot smaller than I expected it to be but it was the perfect, cosy little pub for a quiet drink with the girlies. We had a lovely window seat opposite the secondary bar, looking out over the quaint little street. The bar staff were all lovely and as it was a quiet night in there they brought our drinks over to us and kept on checking how we were doing throughout the night. I really can't wait to go back here!!

Rating:*****

The Lyttelton Arms - Dad's Birthday

This will just be a short little blog update as I've already done a blog post on the Lyttelton Arms a few weeks ago but unfortunately this time we were very disappointed...

THE LOOK 

As always the food was wonderfully presented. The Lyttelton Arms always puts so much effort into the presentation of their food. On our table we had a small buckets of nachos to nibble on while we decided. For my starter I had Scallops of the Day (£9.95) which were with pumpkin ravioli, butternut squash crisps and a white wine veloute. For my main i had 7oz Fillet Steak (£23.50) with roasted mushroom & caramelised shallot, béarnaise sauce and rosemary, tomato & garlic jelly, usually it comes with dauphinoise potatoes but after the disappointment last time I switched them for the twice cooked chunky chips! The sauce and jelly came in two little pans but they were quite difficult to use so I just tipped to sauces out! And finally there's my cocktail! Unfortunately I can't remember what it was called because the restaurant drinks menu isn't up to date with the online one so I can't check but it had whisky in it. Although it looks like it has a lot of ice in it, it was actually a pretty alright cocktail.

Rating: **** 

THE TASTE

I personally loved my starter but my dad and brother hated to pumpkin ravioli! They did have a surprisingly strong marzipan taste but when eaten with the veloute and crisps they combined perfectly! The scallops were also cooked to perfection! My steak was also delightful and cooked excellently (rare of course). The jelly and sauce were the ideal additions and swapping the dauphinoise potatoes for the chips was definitely a good idea! Personally I don't think that the mushroom and onion were necessary on the dish. 

Rating:****'

THE PLACE

This is where everything starts to go downhill.... 

Usually we have wonderful service here but this experience was just a disappointment from start to end. We had a drink at the bar before we went to our table and the barman got our order wrong and my mom, who is a diabetic, was given sweet instead of dry white wine. Once we sat at our table we were asked to order pretty much right away, despite only having had the menu for 2 minutes so we asked her to return later. Literally another 2 minutes later she was back so we had to order on the spot! Throughout the meal we kept trying to order drinks but all of a sudden no waiters were available... We kept getting told that they would send over the drinks waiter but no-one came! At the end of our meal we wanted to order dessert but yet again no-one was around so after at least 20 minutes of waiting we decided to leave and pick a dessert up on the way home. The waitress just gave a very half hearted apology but in the end she did discount our bill. It goes without saying that we wont be returning in a hurry.

Rating: **