My parents and I booked a table at the Railway for Sunday lunch - each of us had eaten at the…read moretypically small but cosy pub and were all looking forward to another visit.
The Railway Inn is all about traditional, filling grub; the perfect setting for a Sunday lunch in the Welsh countryside. The interior exudes authenticity with its dark pine skirting and floorboards. The Railway is not a place for gourmet eating and lavish surroundings, it is as wholesome as its surroundings from the cask ales served at the bad to the ENORMOUS dog that lays idly by the fire.
To the food. As has been expressed the Railway is not a ground-breaking venue of haute cuisine it is a traditional pub for good, wholesome food. I had the pate to start. It was rich, well-textured and altogether moreish and I enjoyed every bit of it; the only trouble was there wasn't enough toast to match the generous dollop of pate provided. My mother had the mushroom bake, my father the pea and ham soup which were equally enjoyed.
Next came the main and the Railway lived up to its reputation of excellent portions size as well as its quality. I had the lamb (as always), my father the pork and my mother the beef. The lamb was lusciously succulent, my knife making little work of it which hastened both my appreciation and completion. Beside the lamb came three fist-sized roast potatoes, cooked to perfection leaving the comparatively bland new potatoes in their wake. Some places such as the Trefeddian in Aberdovey only provide a Yorkshire pudding with the beef and you have to go through the undignified rigmarole of specifically requesting one if you choose any other meat to get one. At the Railway they slap one on every plate; crisp, majestic and golden brown I'm very glad they did so.
As for vegetables we were given a fair portion of leeks and cauliflower. There's been some talk in the news recently that the humble cauliflower is losing its popularity compared to other vegetables but it's welcome on my plate any day!
Dessert. I was well stuffed by the time the dessert board was passed around and was looking for something light. I went with the old, dependable strawberry cheesecake which ended the meal sublimely. I would prefer a few more strawberries and a little less gelatine normally but the pleasingly solid biscuit base and rich, creamy filling overpowered its shortcomings. On another occasion I would probably have gone for the plum pudding that my father chose which was drowned in custard.
All in all this is an excellent place for hearty pub-grub and so shall be rated accordingly. As far as the meal is concerned it was superb, just what one needs on a cold, wintry Sunday afternoon in February. The only sore point was the service. I felt a little too rushed and would have preferred to have at least sipped my pint of Madog's bitter before being ushered into the dining room by the all too hasty staff.
Speaking of which - my pint was worth an extra star for the pub in itself. This was my first pint of Madog's (http://www.realalepub.co.uk/beers.php?beerId=53). It's not too thick like some bitters and so didn't ruin my appetite. It was full of flavour and I will definitely order it again.
Good food, good pint and a good atmosphere. A perfect mid-winter pick you up.
