After a long day, post-launch for Yelp's Passport Event, I was in need of some serious sustenance…read more A few folk had already planned for a few pints in The Palace, so after the clean down, I bobbed along to join them and grab a drink. (Non-alcoholic sadly, still on antibiotics.) There, gleaming on the side of the bar, was a Sunday Roast menu-happy days! Of course, that was exactly what I desired.
We all picked our fare, from the choice of lamb, beef, chicken and nut roast. I opted for the beef, which came in at just under £8. Fortunately the kitchen was still open at 8pm -if it's busy they'll serve until about 10pm, but things had quietened off due to the rain. Even so, we were grand. The chicken, it has to be noted, is a whole half a chicken and the lamb (just under £12) is a lamb shoulder -so if you're hungry, go for those options.
The service was fabulous; all the staff we dealt with were super friendly, helpful and full of smiles, which goes such a long way. The range of drinks is fantastic -there are plenty of good ales to choose from, and the pub itself is a beautiful building. They've tons of outdoor space for the summer months, with tables and umbrellas out front, and a sheltered space out back.
The only let down, unfortunately, was the food. I'm still a fan of this pub, as the locals seem pretty friendly, and it's a great place for a pint, but I doubt I'll dine here again. The 'roast' potatoes clearly came from some kind of Aunt Bessie's style frozen packet, the Yorkshire was a little overly crispy, and the beef was a little tough. It was late in the day, so that perhaps accounts for the beef, but the overall standard of the food just wasn't quite worth the £8 paid! The gravy was delicious, and I thought it was a reasonable portion, though. Somehow, if I'd have paid £5, I'd have felt it was worth it. Perhaps I'm a roast dinner snob.
I've not tried the quiz, so can't comment on Hannah's poor experience, except that hopefully no one else has had similar treatment! Regardless, this is a fabulous spot for an excelllent pint, and plenty of warmth and welcome from the lovely bar tenders -if anything, definitely go along for the range of ales and proper pub style vibe.