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Went here on a whim. Best decision I’ve made in years. The food was all great, the monkfish cheeks stood out in the main section but the venison sourdough was excellent. Unusually for me though it was the desserts that really shone. The lost bread was delightfully caramelised and the ice cream it came with (brown butter I think) paired excellently. But it was the hay ice cream that was the standout of the evening.
HAY yes hay, made in house with actual fresh hay! It was unusual and delightful. It really made the meal stand out and it is the primary reason I came to write this review. I don’t write reviews often but more people need to try this. It tastes like the smell of a fresh hayloft, it’s inviting, almost cozy but with a fresh taste that makes you warm and fuzzy while acting as a perfect palate cleanser for the meal.
Rarely has a dish had such a profound impact on my senses it looks like a humble clotted cream ice-cream with its gentle yellow tint but wow, what an experience. 11/10 I cannot recommend this enough. I’m only disappointed I don’t live close enough to have this regularly.
They advise 2 dishes per person then see how you get on, honestly I just wanted to keep going every dish was a new delight.
Also worth noting they are one of the few places with an interesting non alcoholic cocktail menu. Tried the salted caramel non-alcoholic espresso martini and it was good.
Tried monkfish cheeks venison ragu with sourdough dart (a skewer of a quails egg a little asparagus and a few other bits) lamb and bacon with gnocchi crispy potatoes ham and cheese croquettes garlic mushrooms Rachel cheese with rhubarb ketchup (you kinda have to have the goats cheese when you’re at a place called goat on the roof) lost bread hay ice cream (ridiculously good)
All of it was high tier but the hay ice cream is going to stay with me. This place deserves to be in the...
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JULY 2025 * UPDATED REVIEW * I posted an average review after a poor experience on April. I have retuned to this iconic restaurant in Newbury and I am thrilled to say the experience was much better.
The food was interesting and delicious. The Waitress kind and attentive and the overall experience excellent.
Still on the pricy side for a Tuesday evening, but overall an excellent dinner. Thank-you.
APRIL 2025 2 ** Overall a very pleasant but perfectly average evening. The food was enjoyable but nothing special. The wine list was comprehensive and overpriced. I would have preferred to have seen a wine list of 20 excellent wines rather than 60 average wines. Staff were great at first but uninterested as the evening went on. I'm very sad to write such a negative here however it also saddenes me that something as good as this so quickly turned into average.
The vineyard in Newbury is much better. The Hare & Hound in Newbury as the same quality food but a very different price.
Overall disappointed. I had big hopes for the British style tapas ... but each of my dishes just missed being "right" 😕 e.g. the battered haddock still had the skin on the filter & the batter was soft, which in a small dish wasn't good, the drizzle of mayo wasn't in balance and the peas turned out to be lentils 😕 Positives were staff very professional and helpful. Place nicely laid out and really like the goat posters. But for the prices charged, the dishes should be spot on and they aren't ☹️ (£45/head with no wine)
UPDATE: Responding to "Everything OK", "Yes" was partly me being old and being brought up to always be polite, partly I thought everyone else was happy. It was only at home that various comments were made, and I decided to post my thoughts. Various dishes were rated excellent, e.g. Lost Bread. Some were ying/yang, e.g. Pollock was really good, but the sauce was way too salty ... I had a taste and totally agree, the pollock was lovely.
UPDATE: Checked, and the other person who had haddock did not have any skin, the batter was crispy and it...
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