The Riverside at Aymestrey — Restaurant in England

This is a review of the restaurant only.

We have been visiting 3 similar priced restaurants lately. This one, the Foyles at Glasbury and the Oak at Wigmore. The chef Paul if he reads this may remember the nightmare customer l was (..he may remember one Sunday lunch review which got deleted thanks to his integrity). The Riverside wins, high up the hill. The dishes are very varied, local products used, and even though l found my starter, a little less nice than my friend's (l had the trout in local gin which tasted more like lemony-trout than gin and was not as nice as the gravadlax trout they had on the menu years ago because it didn't melt in the mouth and was a little chewy) Never mind that one dish, everything else was heaven. We ordered some "snacks" first, with garlic snails (local) which were deep fried but good, some bread and pannacotta. Starters : we had the cured trout and a green (delicious) soup. Mains: the fillet steak and the duck, and collard greens with chips. It was all outstanding. Steak was like butter. Veges and chips were amazing. Desserts: the chocolate parfait was good, but the pannacotta with strawberry...had the most fabulous delicious strawberry coulis l have ever had - apparently it had rose water in it, and something else. It was so exquisite l was in love. Literally. It had a hint of mint. The same dessert at the Oak didn't have a tenth of this deliciousness. (sorry to compare) The staff was brilliant - l noticed a waitress who despite being very busy, didn't lose her head and brought us the drink we had asked for, in a very short time. The main waiter was young but very responsible and had an excellent attitude, friendly and personal. l am pleased to see the standards haven't flinched due to Covids but that Paul is doing amazingly and coming up with such delicious dishes. Thank you for this very good evening, we will be back! This is the best restaurant so far...We will be trying the Cider barn next, as l have never been there for an evening meal and want to find out if they are rivalling with the Riverside for quality and ideas. Hopefully they are as good in a different way. PS we are sorry for the Oak losing the contest. l hope you change your welcome and do it in a...

This will be a hefty one, every word is fully deserved, but to cut to the chase, simply, the Riverside is outstanding - eat here.

Ever since we first stepped through the doors it’s charmed us with how cosy and warm it is, how much it feels like home and how the people, staff and customers alike, are so joyous. The last few years we’ve chosen to spend our anniversary evenings here, and I doubt that’ll change any time soon. It’s always, ALWAYS, knockout. I think I’ve updated this review 3 times now haha, but everytime there’s a new story to tell of brilliance!

Looking beyond the perfect buzzing atmosphere, attentive and chatty staff, charming decor and very reasonable prices, you get to the food, which never fails to excite and delight. Our most recent endeavours began with a crunchy canapé of wild mushroom and the usual bread, ever so slightly toasted and lathered in a whipped butter that I have yet to experience anywhere else. It’s really good. For starters, pork terrine and cheddar dumpling, embodying the restaurant so well: they’re simple, they’re delicious, they’re exactly what you want to eat in a little pub in Herefordshire on a winters evening. The mains, the star of the show, followed, this time opting for chicken and the duck. Banging. The meat has never failed to blow our socks off, melt in the mouth, and the sides, every option ordered to complete the feast once again, were equally as tremendous. In fact, they were better than last time, with the potatoes a little more cheesy, the red cabbage tangy and sweet, and the greens being crunchy and light. I could go on for so long, we just love it here, it’s so good. The desserts were a whimberry parfait and hazelnut meringue. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

All in all, we are so so so glad we stumbled across the place, and I would be a very happy man knowing someone else reads this and decided to make the trip - it’ll be worth it.

The chef is clearly very talented, and deserved more credit, as well as the front of house staff who take care of you oh so well. Thanks again guys, see...

Wow! You must go here. We live in Hereford and drive past all the time but have never actually been in. We thought we would give it a try and we find all aspects to be superb. We arrived quite early so thought we would go for a walk nearby. We bumped into someone who works at the pub and he showed us a great little path up behind the pub. The views were fab. The water in the river is so clear! The accomodation looked lovely. When we went into the pub, we received a very warm welcome. The decor is amazing, very well thought out. The pub has a really great ambience and the building itself is incredible. We sat by a beautiful wood burner while drinks were brought and we perused the menu. The service was exceptional. Staff were attentive without being in your face, knowledgeable about the menu and produce, and I was surprised by how quickly the food arrived. The starter, cheese dumpling, (which my husband ordered but I tried!!) was simply amazing. The bread, baked in house, was delicious and the butter was gorgeous. I'm not sure I can do the starter justice as there were so many complex flavours. It was an exceptionally well thought out dish. Husband had a steak sandwich and I had cod. Both exquisite. I actually gasped when I tried the sauce! Thank you to the chef - your expertise is appreciated !! The cod just flaked away at the touch of my fork and the sauce had such a wide range of flavours. The vegetables that accompanied it were amazing. The potatoes were sinfully delicious - I tried not to think about the calories!! We both thought it was very good value for money and actually would have paid more. Well done to all that staff - the service was truly exceptional. We will definitely be back. Can't wait to visit in the warm summer months. We feel very lucky to have this on...