We arrived a little early, so got a drink and sat in the sunny outdoor area attached to the restaurant, before being seated on a cosy table in a stunningly decorated room inside for our meal. The low lighting made for an intimate atmosphere (but unfortunately not so fantastic pictures!) and we settled into comfy armchairs while we took a look at the menu.
I wasn’t feeling a starter but DanMan was hankering for some mussels, so he ordered the mussels of the day which came with a creamy lemon and tarragon sauce (classic moules mariniere were also an option, but what can I say, Dan’s a daredevil). They were huge mussels and there was the perfect amount for a starter portion, and Dan seemed to thoroughly enjoy them as he polished them off pretty quickly! I was more than ready for the mains by this point so that was fine by me.
With all the beautiful sunny weather we’ve had recently I’d been craving a proper salad – not the rubbish kind with too many leaves that you make at home, but a proper, veg filled, summery salad. So I was very excited to try Judge’s Lodging’s ‘super salad’, which involved butternut squash, beetroot, herb tabbouleh (which I’m obsessed with but struggle to find nice versions of), chargrilled corn and courgette, seeds and a pomegranate vinaigrette. Yums. I also added in the optional goat’s cheese extra because I’m a wild woman and I could not have picked better; it was a beautifully balanced spring salad. I love the combination of butternut squash, goats cheese and pomegranate, and might just be a beetroot convert after having it in this dish.
ManDan opted for the spiced ginger barbecue ribs which came with a veg and cashew salad, coleslaw and skin on fries. He loved that the ribs just fell off the bone and the flavour of the sauce, and he said it was a good portion size as the thick ginger sauce might have become sickly if there was much more of it.
We couldn’t manage a pudding so got the bill and had a little chat with the waiter – the service was great all evening, as both the waiter who served us and the barwoman were lovely and upbeat (not always easy on a busy Friday night!). We came away satisfied, having both had meals which were (quite specifically) perfectly suited to our tastes, and we’ve both already said we’d love to go back as there was plenty more on the menu we both want to try.