Not sure how Mr. Snarky found this place, but it certainly was lovely from the outside. When we…read morewalked in, it was loud and clearly a very popular place. However, we stood there for quite some time as there was no clue as to whether we needed to seat ourselves or wait for someone to seat us. When we did have a walk around to find a table, many were reserved, so we tried to find a member of staff. To the right of the entrance is a tiny office (reception for the B&B) and there happened to be a man in there. Mr. Snarky tapped on the window and asked if we needed to seat ourselves or wait for a member of staff. He quickly got up and took a look around for tables, picked up some menus, and showed us to a table.
He was actually quite friendly and apologized for the wait. He also took our drinks order and waited on us the rest of the night. Based on how nicely dressed he was, I was guessing he might be the owner... or manager. After that, the service the rest of the night was very good. As someone else mentioned, there are a lot of nooks and crannies and it is nice as it breaks things up and allows for some interesting seating arrangements. It had a feel of a new pub about it, but also a bit rustic.
This place is very good for groups as there was a birthday party (apparently for a fellow Yank) not to far away and after we ordered, there was a group that were seated next to us. If you are looking for a quiet dinner, this may not be the place as one of the ladies in the group next to us was trying to yell over her friends about giving birth, while the birthday group were busy breaking glasses and dishes. Actually, now this makes me wonder how much of the noise transfers to the B&B upstairs :/
The food menu isn't huge, but it does seem to have a little something for everyone, including sharing platters. The have some pub classics, but also some higher end entrees, like a Surf 'n' Turf at £28! Mr. Snarky decided on the Chicken Parmigiana, served with potatoes and veg. I guess I am used to Chicken Parmigiana being served with spaghetti, but then again I realized I'm not sure I have seen Chicken Parmigiana on very many menus here in the UK. I had a difficult time deciding, but ultimately I chose to go with the Chicken Fajitas.
I will say that when our food came out, my sizzling fajitas inspired many of the group next to us to order them! The food portions are quite large, so be advised. While I did like my chicken fajitas, they weren't quite what I am used to. The chicken pieces were quite large, making it difficult to get them into one of the tortillas. It was also quite saucy, but it was a bit of a sweet sauce. For the amount of chicken they provide, you won't have enough tortillas for all of it, however, they are very generous with the guac, sour cream, and cheese. Mr. Snarky seemed to enjoy his Chicken Parmigiana, but there was a lot of food... the chicken itself was quite large, plus the large sides of potatoes and veg.
It is moderately priced, however, it could easily get expensive. Overall, not a bad place for dinner... clearly better for drinks before heading out to the club. I would be happy returning to try some of the other items on their menu, although hopefully at a quieter time.
