1861 Restaurant with Rooms — Restaurant in Great Britain

The fact that I felt compelled enough to write a review as soon as I got back to my holiday cottage should hopefully speak for itself. The restaurant was pretty much empty on a Saturday night from 7:15pm when we arrived until 8:30pm when we left.

This restaurant charges roughly £12 for a starter and £25 for main. It was a special weekend away, i’m a firm believer that you get what you pay for. I thought the prices would reflect the quality of the food. Unfortunately this could not be further from the truth.

We had a Nettle risotto and a duck pâté for starter. They sounded very promising. The risotto was average and the duck pâté didn’t taste of duck at all. We had skirt of beef and Hake for main. The skirt of beef was completely tasteless along with the selection of vegetables. The Hake came with carrots broccoli and potato and another identified vegeteble. Unfortunately they were so flavourless as to be pointless.

When we were asked how the food was after the main we said that quite honestly it was very tasteless. One would think this would be an opportunity for the owner/chef to come over and speak with us. They could not have cared less and just commented that she would pass it onto the chef.

I’m just hoping that this review will deter others from making the same mistake because if had I read something like this I would have avoided it. I cannot remember a worse meal or...

Dinner on 27-08-2022 Wine : Good wine collection

Food : There was a lot of effort to make the guest happy. The bread with butter which was served as complimentary item was good. There were other things served as complimentary. The food was presented nicely but the taste was boring! The chef was definitely trying his best but I am sorry I think the combination of things on the plate was not working. I ordered the starter seared foie gras which is very fatty piece of meat. It was served with confit chicken legs so it was a super rich starter. The confit chicken leg and seared foie gras as individual elements was nicely done but it was served with bland lentils! Nothing sharp to balance the fatty meat! Most of the items had similar issues. The potted pork had no flavour. The little complimentary servings tasted better than the items on the menu. My opinion is the chef should try and keep things simple.

Staff : There were just two of them serving everyone. The lady taking the order was friendly and did her best in the circumstances, the lady serving us was probably tired so it felt she was doing a favour...

When I have the funds to give myself a good treat, this is my restaurant of choice. The food here is wonderful and I cannot praise it highly enough! Exquisitely tasty, beautifully presented dishes with a menu which will have you puzzling which enticing option to choose. There's a good range whether you appreciate meat or are vegetarian. The portions are balanced perfectly so that three courses will leave you with a pleasant feeling of satisfaction, rather than hungry or too full to move.

The service is also excellent. The staff make you feel very welcome and are very helpful with things such as special dietary requirements.

The ambience is very pleasing too. The restaurant is compact and cosy, striking a great blend of traditional and modern. Classy, but welcoming and intimate. With white walls, black beams and beautifully polished wood tables, the décor is very appealing and sets an atmosphere of relaxed sophistication.

Abergavenny is lucky to have an abundance of top quality eating establishments in its environs. For me, this is the best of them all, so high...