My first experience of The Rose Villa Tavern was about a year ago, when I popped in for a drink one…read morebusy Saturday afternoon. I immediately liked the vibe of the place, and the quirkiness of the decor, in particular, the old red telephone box that houses an array of bottles.
Whilst I have eaten there a couple of times last year (prior to my yelp days), brunch on one occasion and dinner on another, I've never been wowed by the food, even though I've always enjoyed it.
Last night, however, was a different matter altogether. I was wowed!
I went along with a friend and had the pleasure of a free meal and a bottle of wine, courtesy of the Yelp Snaps Local competition. I was pleasantly surprised by the latest menu, which offered some intriguing dishes, and certainly not just bog standard fare. Finding myself torn between 3 options; Venison & Cherry Stout Pie, Slow-cooked Oxtail & Root Vegetable Stew or Spiced Root Vegetable & Coconut Curry, I took a while to decide. In the end, the promise of honey roast parsnips and pancetta mash, which were the sides for the Venison & Cherry Stout Pie, won the day!
We had to wait quite a while for our meals, whilst others who had come in after us and ordered the 2-4-1 burger offer that is available on Wednesday nights, seemed to get served really quickly, however it was worth waiting for...and it's not often I can say that and mean it!
The presentation was fabulous, and far more interesting than on previous occasions. Rather than just receiving a dish of food, we each received a wooden platter of dishes, so it looked delightful and to be honest, it's a minor miracle that I remembered to take photographs, so eager was I to get stuck in!
My friend had the steak, which looked very tasty (and apparently was) and I hungrily tucked into my Venison & Cherry Stout Pie. What a treat! It really was delicious, packed full of tender Venison, with more than the occasional juicy cherry making an appearance and thus remaining true to its word! The taste was amazing, and the accompaniments worked perfectly.
The only tip I would give for the RVT is to wear layers, as it did feel rather cool in there, and if you want to order dessert, do it before 9pm as we missed out by chatting and not realizing the time. Having said that, the meal was actually really filling, so we didn't NEED dessert, we just fancied trying it out as there were some interesting options!
So, the verdict - great food, good and friendly service, a nice choice of Mocktails if you're driving (or just a non-drinker), good coffee and a varied and interesting menu. I would definitely go again, as I'm actually quite keen to try the Oxtail option, and if possible, make it all the way to dessert.
