Following a significant bit of surgery that meant our chief cooking type person was going to be on crutches come Christmas Day, I made the executive decision that we were going "out" for dinner for the first time this year.
We'd popped into the Boathouse Cafe back in November for coffee and loved the location and the atmosphere. Sure, it's too low down to have a really good view over the Sound, but it's very close to The Dolphin, so that was a good start.
I'd looked around all the other options and the Boathouse offered the best deal - £40 per head plus whatever alcohol we could put away on the day. Job done.
Dealing with Charlie in advance was a delight - so cheerful and pleasant, efficiently taking the initial order and then emailing the menus for us to choose from.
The options were simple and traditional, just what you wanted from a Christmas menu - all the standards and trimmings to match what you'd have made (or tried to) at home. Easily done.
When the day came, following an enjoyable pre-dinner pint at The Dolphin, we were very warmly welcomed at the door by Charlie and his colleague, showing us to our table and taking drinks orders as well.
He and his team couldn't have made us feel more at home and at ease. The starters (pate and toast) were soon on our tables, with crackers pulled and Christmas tunes playing over the PA, we knew we'd picked the right place for this special event.
The main courses were equally splendid - I even ate a number of carrots and sprouts, so well were they presented alongside generous slices of turkey and pigs in blankets and roast potatoes.
The dishes had been carefully scaled so that we had enough space for the dessert, traditional Christmas pud.
All in all, it was just perfect - great food, splendid service and a happy atmosphere. What more could you ask for?
The only thing I'd have liked to have seen more of were other customers - there weren't that many of us, making us slightly worry about whether the day would be worth it for Charlie and his team!
We're already certain of a return to The Boathouse Cafe for next Christmas, as well as a few days in between too.
Even with all the wine that was consumed, our bill was just £60 each, including a decent tip of course.
Take my advice - strongly consider following our lead and coming here next Christmas.
See you there. read more
