We hadn't planned to eat a The Halfway Bridge Restaurant but we stumbled across it on a drive to Uppark House (National Trust). We were not hopeful because the carpark was almost full, but without a reservation we managed to get a table in outside (this was our preference).
We started with drinks, both of which were served with nice garnishes and what appeared to be freshly squeezed fruit juice.
We ordered from the lunch menu; a BBQ beef burger and a Chicken Caesar open sandwich with extra handout chips. The food came out in reasonable time and looked wonderful.
The burger was superb. It was made from good, tasty beef, with was served with some strong cheese and maple bacon, both of which were delicious. It was served on a sesame seed brioche which was really fresh. The handout chips were very tasty indeed, they were golden brown and very well seasoned. And hot!
The chicken caesar open sandwich was delicious. I was offered white or brown bread and because I had spied on the menu that the white bread was some kind of corn bread, that's what I went for. It was absolutely delicious. The chicken was not at all dry, and although there could have been more dressing, it was great. The side salad looked a little lacklustre when it first came out, but I was soon to discover that it was dressed with the most beautiful (sweet?) dressing and it was packed with garden herbs. It was beautiful and it complemented the chicken really well.
We wouldn't usually go for dessert with lunch, but after being offered the menu we thought we'd take a look. That's all it took... I ordered the chocolate mousse and my husband ordered the strawberries and cream.
These were two of the best desserts we've ever eaten. I'll be coming back just to try my mousse again! The dark chocolate mousse was amazing and it was served with cherries, some kind of berry reduction, some micro herbs (tasted like lemon balm?), some chocolate crumb, and a grapefruit sorbet. Seriously. Amazing. The strawberries and cream was served with what tasted like a basil reduction, some micro basic, edible flowers, a splodge of the most wonderful vanilla sauce, some sort of strawberry crisp, what tasted like strawberry and champagne semifreddo (?) and some fresh strawberries. It would have been nice to have a description of these items on the menu, but I can totally understand the want for a little secrecy and drama. We were NOT expecting such spectacular desserts, and we loved every crumb.
Our service was great, the food even better, and I can't fault this restaurant. We're already planning our next trip. Hopefully we'll get to stay in the hotel next time! read more