Walking into the Rock after a snowy, windy walk through Sunnyhurst Woods was great - a warm welcome, a fire and a refreshing pint. After warming up a little we took in a bit more of our surroundings. Locals at the bar, and not a particularly wide selection of beers. The people remained friendly.
Pub grub was just what was required. A review somewhere praised the food and the selection on the specials board looked decent so we went ahead. The pub grub classic that is potato skins was ordered for starters in two guises. Sadly, both were bought in catering affairs, the cheese separated when being heated, and it hadn't been heated enough to actually melt into one piece.
Mains started off with a disappointing veg lasagne, with no discernible vegetables in between the pasta sheets, accompanied by distinctly average garlic bread and a simple salad garnish. The beef stroganoff was fine - at least the fillet was of good enough quality and cooked properly so that it wasn't at all tough or stringy. The sauce was fine and the rice perhaps a bit overdone.
The service throughout was spot on - everything at the right pace and appropriately informal for a pub with food. Again, we were made to feel welcome during our visit.
The reviews we'd seen mentioned the pies, which on the specials board were the only things labelled as homemade. Perhaps we should have given them a go, but I'm afraid it's unlikely we'll be heading back for food. A pint and a warm up in front of the cosy fire would be another matter, and we'd be more than happy to repeat that experience if we're in the area before moving on elsewhere to eat. read more