Ja Ja |
IT CAN be a challenge to find somewhere quick to grab a lunchtime bite to eat in town when you don’t want a full on three-course meal but you do want to sit down and catch up on the gossip.
My colleague Ed and I thought we’d give the Ja Ja Bar a go and put them to the Sexton-Marsh gossip/eating challenge.
We declined to sit outside, despite the opportunity to bask in a rare patch of July sunshine, preferring to road test the comfy looking squishy red chairs inside.
It was pretty quiet, but it was an early lunch, and we were greeted with a friendly smile.
The lunch menu was exactly what we were after: a choice of fillings for pickyour-own paninis, ciabattas and sandwiches that included yummy things like goats cheese, smoked salmon and
pesto chicken, as well as nachos, bagels and salads.
I went for a goats cheese and caramelised red onion ciabatta and Ed went for fajita chicken nachos.
We spent a pleasant 10 minutes or so putting the world to rights before they arrived speedily, lovely and fresh.
My ciabatta came with a little leafy salad, some crisps and some potato salad. I wasn’t so bothered about the sides, but the goats cheese was delicious, creamy and tangy and the onions
were perfectly sweet, soft and tasty.
The ciabatta was toasted to perfection and the whole thing was really satisfying.
Ed’s nachos came in an interestingly shaped bowl that curved at just the right angle for him to be able to bend his face down and scoff.
Thankfully he managed to resist the temptation to trough and instead dipped his cheese and salsa covered nachos in his little array of dips.
Judging by the fact that the veritable cauldron of nachos was empty and each little pot of dip practically licked clean, I would say that he enjoyed it.
He said: “They were glorious. The chicken was tasty and the nachos were really moreish.”
The bill came to around £15 with two drinks each thrown in there as well, so not a bad price and well worth every penny.
The service was charming, friendly and efficient and the atmosphere, although quiet, was comfortable.
All in all it was an extremely pleasant lunch date and I’ll definitely be popping back there.
Food (out of 5) 5
Atmosphere 3
Service 4
Value for money 4
Octopus |
I’VE made a few visits to the Octopus bar in the High Street during the evenings. After a hard day at work there is no where better to enjoy a cocktail and chill out on a comfy sofa.
Admittedly I’ve also enjoyed a couple of cheeky beers there on a Saturday night and the atmosphere is just as good.
And when the bar staff told me they were about to start serving food at lunch times you couldn’t hold me back.
My colleague Amie and I jetted down there one lunchtime to taste what the High Street’s
newest pub had to offer – and we weren’t disappointed.
You can actually appreciate the unique décor during the daytime in one of Crawley’s oldest and most cherished buildings – The George Hotel.
Sitting down on one of their sofas, Amie and I checked out their daytime menu, which ranges between salads, platters and paninis. I went for an Italian meat platter while Amie went for the Claudius platter.
A mixture of hams including salami milano, smoked cotto ham and prosciutto crudo mixed with the salad leaves and warm ciabatta bread – it was my idea of an ideal lunchtime meal at £7.75.
After tasting the variety of hams and salad leaves, the ciabatta bread finished off the platter nicely.
The olives were just the cherry on the cake and the meal was just about the perfect proportion for a midday snack.
There obviously isn’t the range or choice of an evening menu, but the quaint cocktail bar is a good choice for something a little bit different in the middle of town during your lunch hour.
The laid back, chilled out mood along with friendly staff made it even more enjoyable.
They even had Wimbledon on the TV just to top it all off.
Amie’s meal looked even more enjoyable than my own. She had the Claudius at £7.50
which included Mozzarella Di Bufala, sweet cherry tomatoes, oil and balsamic glaze,
smoked cotto ham, fresh basil served with warm ciabatta bread.
Amie said: “The platter was really tasty. I absolutely loved the mozzarella cheese, which
was refreshing and perfect with the slightly spicy olive oil and balsamic glaze.
“The dish was just the right size and included all types of healthy and tasty options including tomatoes on the vine, ciabatta bread, salad, peppers and of course the delicious mozzarella.
“It was original and very different to a lot of food places in town – and I would definitely
go there again.”
Don’t expect a massive range on the menu but what is there is superb, and the surroundings
make it even better.
And the next time I visit the Octopus for lunch I might even treat myself to one of their
famous cocktails.
Food (out of 5) 4
Atmosphere 5
Service 5
Value for money 4
Fortune Villa |
WHEN me and my colleague
Amie wandered down to Fortune Villa, it was with promises of all you can eat joy and requests for leftovers ringing in our ears.
We entered into a lush dark red interior with more red paper lanterns than I knew was possible
dangling from the roof and half a jungle stretched across the ceiling and were immediately seated.
We were handed three menus each – initially something of a confusion – before we realised we faced the choice of a la carte, lunchtime specials or all you can eat.
In the end we decided to share the vegetarian set menu from the a la carte and it turned out to be a pretty good choice.
We were loaded up with an enormous starter platter consisting of spring rolls, crispy seaweed, satay skewers and salt and pepper bean curd.
The spring rolls were fat and tasty and I was indiscriminate with the delicious satay sauce, which I dipped everything in.
The bean curd balls were something of a hit, and having swapped a few vegetables on the skewers – turns out Amie and I are the perfect eating team – we demolished the food mountain in a matter of minutes.
Delicious though it was, it was possibly an error to munch so much quite so quickly as we still had two courses to go.
Our plates were cleared (although strangely not our cutlery) and our ‘middle course’ arrived.
A bowl of crunchy water chestnuts, snow peas and other vegetables with plum sauce and a slightly alarming amount of iceberg lettuce were put on the table.
Unfortunately we weren’t quite so charmed with this little course as we had been with the monstrous starter, but it’s probably a good thing, the pain of demolishing another round of food
could have been a challenge.
Feeling slightly stuffed already I remarked to Amie that I was feeling a little concerned about the
fact that the main course was yet to
come.
But Amie of the iron stomach replied: “I am a bit worried as well, but also excited. Mainly excited.”
And she was right to be. Our eyes boggled as another section of the table was folded out and egg fried rice, noodles with beansprouts, mushrooms with bamboo, sweet and sour bean curd and sizzling vegetables appeared on the table.
I quailed a little inside. Amie’s eyes lit up at the challenge.
Again the bean curd was a surprise winner and the only dish we managed to finish, but the rest of it was just as tasty.
As I folded my cutlery and threw my napkin on the table, Amie looked up in horror.
With suspicion in her eyes she demanded: “Is that it? Are you done? Have you finished? Is this The End?”
For me, unfortunately, it was, but the waiting staff kindly packed up what Amie the vacuum couldn’t finish, so we could appear gracious and bring it back to the office for everyone else.
It cost us £18.00 each, drinks included, and for the amount of food alone, I’d say it was a bargain. Throw in a pleasant atmosphere and friendly, but not overbearing staff and it was
probably something of a lunchtime success.
There was even a fortune pot of water by the door for me to throw a lucky penny into. Fingers crossed.
Food (out of 5) 4
Atmosphere 3
Service 4
Value for money 4
Pizza Express |
LOOKING for a quick bite to eat in town can be a challenge, but Pizza Express is generally a winner when it comes to speedy, quality food in pleasant surroundings when you want a bit more
than a sandwich.
So my colleague Ed and I nipped in for something tasty on possibly the most dismal day of the year – can anyone tell me what happened to our summer?
Feeling in need of some comfort food I went for a bruscetta con funghi for a starter. Ed must have been feeling similarly in need as he went for garlic bread
with mozzarella.
My starter arrived – a pile of mushrooms in a rich creamy sauce poured over a chunk of dough. It was delicious, although extremely rich, but I would have preferred less red onion, which was massively chunky and crunchy.
Ed’s was certainly tasty looking with golden mozzarella oozing off it, he said: “it was really nice and the perfect way to start a meal.”
I was really pretty full after my massive starter, but I still made valiant efforts with my pizza Padana – goats cheese, spinach, caramelised onion confit and unfortunately more chunks of raw red onion.
Feeling a bit like I might slip off the old mortal coil if I even looked at another onion, I picked most of them off, but the goats cheese was creamy and delicious and the dough was perfect.
It was a good choice, although it did overwhelm me towards the end and I had to stop eating before I rolled out of the door.
Ed made the wiser lunchtime choice of a salad and went for the pollo salad – a yummy looking combo of chicken, goats cheese, red pepper, leaves, tomatoes and croutons.
But he wasn’t left short on the carbs front either. It came with a generous helping of chunky baked dough sticks on the side.
He said: “My main course was very tasty with crisp salad smothered in creamy dressing with goat’s cheese and chicken. Even though it was a salad it was still very filling and just the
right size for lunch.”
Service was prompt and effective, if not the most personal, and the same could be said for the atmosphere.
Ed said: “I thought the staff were friendly but it was a little bit chilly in the restaurant.
“It was a Wednesday lunchtime and not exactly buzzing, but we were sat by the window and not pestered unnecessarily.”
All in all it proved a good choice to pop into for a bite to eat. We were in and out in about an hour, full, happy and ready to face the rest of the afternoon.
"Even if I did smell rather oniony."
Food (out of 5) 4
Atmosphere 3
Service 4
Value for money 4
Frankie & Benny's |
HAVING been starving
since 10.30am and counting down the hours until lunchtime - I was delighted to hear I would be doing a food review at Frankie and Benny’s.
Famed for their massive dishes and a menu to make your mouth water I and colleague Ed Sexton strode towards the Leisure Park eagerly to see how much food we could cram in.
A very friendly waitress showed us to our table with menus in hand.In an instant she was back to take our drink orders and then left us for about ten minutes to choose our meal.
The menu had an exciting mixture of traditional American and Italian food where there was something to cater for everyone.
After a few ‘hurry up I’m starving’ looks from Ed, I settled for the Tomato and Garlic Bread starter and a main of Penne Alfredo.
Now on his second diet coke in a space of minutes Ed opted for the Loaded Potato Skins starter and the Cheeseburger.
The starters arrived quickly, and it wasn’t until I saw Ed looking at my plate in what I can only describe as amazement, that I realised the garlic bread pizza was the size of a tractor tyre.
Refusing to be deterred by its sheer size and volume I made quick work of it and left Ed looking mightily impressed at my determination.
And the garlic bread was delicious – the sweet tomato paste blended perfectly with the soft garlic greasy-bread goodness and was a joy to eat.
Ed was less impressed with his choice. He said: “My starter was ok but not very interesting and a little bit dry.”
I was relieved to see the main wasn’t quite as big as my starter. But again it was a great choice
because the cheese sauce was light, not too stodgy and offered a hint of flavour - which a lot
of places eclipse by too much sauce.
The mushrooms were unbelievably tasty with a slight chargrilled peppery taste and the bacon
was cooked to perfection.
Now on his third diet coke - ‘but its free refills you can never turn down free refills!’- Ed said: “The cheese burger was really tasty and jam-packed with tasty fillings, most of which ended up on my top.
"The staff were very friendly and our waitress was very attentive.
“I thought that the food was good value for money and the refillable drink was a bonus although I wouldn’t recommend three pints of coke at lunchtime.”
All in all it was a tasty and very good value meal - and if I ever recover from the amount of food I ate and wish to dine again, that’s where I’ll go.
Food (out of 5) 4
Atmosphere 3
Service 5
Value for money 5
Heathy Farm |
GET out of the office for an hour they said. Have a spot of lunch they said. Enjoy the sun, it’ll be really nice they said. Well they were right.
The Heathy Farm pub, on Balcombe Road, is a pleasant vista what with the nice outside tables, kids’ playground and the lush greenery shutting out the rest of Pound Hill.
The interior is familiar and comfortable, absolutely no stainless steel in sight, although being six foot three the pesky low ceilings started to test me after a while.
The food? Well the menu and specials board is extensive and impressive to behold. Some of the dishes needed an English translation from the helpful bar staff but I was nevertheless mightily impressed.
For starters I ordered the chicken liver parfait with balsamic onion confit, toast and Somerset butter. I sat salivating as the sun beat down on my back but was disappointed to find out that parfait actually means pate, or it does at the Heathy Farm.
My colleague Hannah Marsh plumped for a goat’s cheese coated mushroom number drizzled in chilli sauce.
It looked frightful but Hannah assures me that is was both delicious and filling.
The service was rapid and friendly, we weren’t left waiting for anything except the bill - which is fine by me.
Within minutes our mains had arrived, Hannah scarcely had time to get halfway through her Dunhill extra tar cigarette before my duck arrived.
I’d ordered Duck confit and butter bean Cassoulet but what arrived was half a roast duck and a medley of vegetables - a surprise but a nicely presented surprise.
The duck was on the dry side but very tasty while the vegetable medley was under and over cooked all at once.
The cauliflower was too soft and the carrots tasted like al dente pasta, I was puzzled.
Hannah’s primavera and broad bean risotto was a visual feast, packed with healthy goodness and thoroughly delicious, summer vegetables on a summer’s day, what could be better?
After our plates were cleared away my ravenous colleague decided she’d crack in to the dessert menu eventually choosing some frozen yogurt.
She said it was light and refreshing, the perfect foil for the incredibly filling risotto.
Heathy Farm is a good looking friendly pub with a good looking menu, the food is tasty and the service prompt and friendly.
All in all it was a delicious and relaxing summer’s luncheon.
Food (out of 5) 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 4
Value for money 3
The Punch Bowl |
EXPECTING a friend over from
Australia, I had to find somewhere to take him out to in
Crawley.
I could have searched out some fancy restaurant, but I went for the very lazy option of the Old Punch Bowl (it’s a minute walk from the office!) for a nice pint and some good old pub grub.
It’s always nicer to catch up with mates you haven’t seen for a while with a pint and a great atmosphere.
The first thing we noticed was the massive screen ready for anyone who wanted to play on the Nintendo Wii.
They had a darts game ready for anyone who wanted to play. They didn’t have many takers and frankly, surely normal darts is much more fun?
Anyway, we decided not to go for starters just because I remembered how big the portions are at the Punch Bowl from a previous visit months before.
I opted for the Spaniard, from the very extensive burger menu.
This consisted of a chicken burger with chorizo sausage and an egg. It also came
with fries.
My wife picked the chicken and bacon caesar salad, Jim selected the beef and
ale pie and Marcus went for the ham, egg and chips.
After chatting about their trip to Wembley and life in Australia for Jim, the food
promptly arrived.
And I wasn’t wrong about the portions. A great size that left us all bloated. My burger was magnificent.
The chicken fillets were succulent and cooked to perfection while the chunky chips were very tasty.
Mandi said her salad was tasty but it was not quite filling enough for her after her stressful day!
Jim’s eyes lit up when his massive slab of pie turned up. He said it was very, very tasty but the bottom of the pie was a tad colder than the rest of it.
He also had a minor gripe with the peas, he prefers mushy to the normal garden peas.
But the chips also went down a treat with Jim.
Marcus thoroughly enjoyed his ham, egg and chips too.
All the main courses cost well under a tenner, and for the amount you get, it’s terrific
value.
Only one of us managed to find the room for a pudding and Marcus opted for the creme brulee.
We all agreed it’s one of the best puddings around but with the most rubbish name (I think that’s mainly down to League of Gentlemen). But Marcus was thoroughly
impressed with the Punch Bowl’s effort.
Very creamy and very tasty. The enjoyment of the meal was enhanced by the music the establishment was playing.
Jim and Marcus are both a bit older than me and they grew up loving the new romantic
scene and they were delighted when a bit of Gary Numan and Spandau Ballet came
on.
They were less impressed when Phyllis Nelson with Move Closer came on.
All in all though, it was a very good meal with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.
A perfect place for lunch or dinner.
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 4
Value for money 5
Si |
WHEN my colleague Ed and I strolled down to Si on the High Street for a quick spot of lunch I was hoping for a warm Italian break from the grey English drizzle.
Walking into the bright, clean interior we were shown to a table in the corner.
Unfortunately the disadvantages quickly became clear as I realised I was underneath the tall shelves where the glasses were stacked and spent a large part of the afternoon feeling a little hemmed in.
I decided to take on the mozzarella frittas for a starter and Ed went for the
crab cakes.
My deep fried bread and cheese was nice enough, in a deep fried bread and cheese kind of way, and the tomato and basil sauce it came with was certainly tasty.
But Ed said that his crab cakes were mainly batter and I certainly didn’t notice an abundance of meat in there.
He also struggled to dip in the chilli sauce, which was in a very small and bizarrely narrow pot.
I deliberated long and hard over my main – it’s always the same in Italian restaurants – pizza or pasta, that is the question.
But in the end I went for tagliatelle paradiso, which claimed to be pan fried mushrooms, aubergines and spinach tossed with tagliatelle in a creamy tomato sauce.
Ed went for my second choice which was pizza cipolla – caramelized onions with goats cheese and rocket.
Unfortunately the tagliatelle was a little bit overcooked and the helpings of mushroom, aubergine and spinach amongst the reams of rather overcooked tagliatelle were a little disappointing.
I definitely should have gone for Ed’s pizza which looked like a really tasty flavour combination.
Sadly what should have been a winning choice was slightly marred by the fact that Ed’s arms nearly fell off with the effort it took him to saw through the rather overdone base.
The music cheered me up though, if I closed my eyes I might have slipped off into the 1930s and been off to the Dorchester for dinner and dancing.
I love cheesecake, but I was a bit disappointed with this effort, finding the
casing just a little bit dry.
We finished off with coffees (my cappuccino did boast foam clearly steamed
by an expert) and paid the £35 bill.
All in all it wasn’t the most impressive lunch I’ve ever encountered. The service
was friendly but vague – when I tried to catch one waiter’s eye he just smiled at me and walked off.
Maybe he thought I was just flirting. But there was clear potential and it was a quiet lunchtime.
I imagine that in the evening the atmosphere would make the whole experience much more appealing.
Food 3
Atmosphere 3
Service 4
Value for money 4
Ask |
HAVING been to many ASK restaurants in my time - it was with much anticipation that myself and my two colleagues, Hannah Marsh and Ed Sexton, strolled towards the ASK restaurant on Crawley High Street last week.
And again we were not disappointed. Although the cosy restaurant was full to bursting, the polite staff showed us quickly to a table and appeared within seconds brandishing menus.
We found there was a good selection of pizzas, pasta and vegetarian options on the menu.
But as always I went for the old faithful – a starter of garlic bread, followed by Funghi pizza.
Hannah opted for the tasty garlic bread and cheese starter, and for mains the Fettuccini and Fungi pasta, while Ed went for Mushroom Alforno and the Four Seasons pizza.
As we were waiting for the food (which wasn’t a long wait) we glanced around the restaurant finding it to have a friendly and cosy atmosphere, with a rustic Italian style.
But before we could dwell any further on the pleasant and homely surroundings the food arrived and I have to say the service was excellent.
The food arrived quickly and the waitress appeared without hesitation offering ground pepper and chilli olive oil - of course we opted for both.
The starter was delicious; I found the garlic bread to be of a hearty portion with the garlic not too overpowering.
Hannah tucked straight into the garlic bread with cheese and from the speed it was devoured found it to be very tasty.
She said: “The garlic bread was soft and yummy and oozing with calorific badness and tasty mozzarella dripping off it, delicious.”
Meanwhile Ed also chomped through the Mushroom Alforno in record speed and said it was delicious.
Almost as quickly as the starter had arrived, the waitress reappeared and seized our empty plates and left just the right amount of time before serving our main courses.
The Fungi pizza was as always delicious. Again they gave a good portion size, with a pizza base that melted in the mouth and complimented the fresh flavours of the tomato and mushrooms.
Hannah and Ed tucked straight into their main meals and said they thoroughly enjoyed them.
Hannah said: “The pasta was super tasty with lots of mushrooms, I couldn’t quite finish it as it was such a generous portion, but I’m not going to complain about that!”
After the meal we considered the lovely selection of puddings, but were too full to indulge in anymore food.
But all in all, situated in a convenient and easy place to get to, Ask offers a friendly atmosphere, great food, and a brilliant service, where given the choice I would dine again and again.
Food 4
Atmosphere 5
Service 5
Value for money 4
Parsons Pig |
IT was a wet Wednesday evening when my colleague and I took refuge in The Parsons Pig.
The pub is located on the busy Balcombe Road, but once you are inside, the warm atmosphere and friendly staff really helped us relax after a day in the office.
Inside the pub there is a large restaurant area, which was very busy for a Wednesday, with diners tucking into their evening meals. The large bar area towards the front of the pub was equally packed with people enjoying a few post-work drinks.
There is a wide range of choice on the menu from light bites, starters and sandwiches to specials and main courses with options for vegetarians.
A sign in the pub commands ‘Pig out at the Parsons Pig,’ so, not wanting to disappoint anyone, that’s exactly what we did. For my starter I ordered the smoke mackerel pate served with salad and crispy bread. The portion was quite big for a starter but the pate was suitably smoky and very tasty.
Hannah decided to go for the tuna fishcakes, served with salad and a delicious dipping. She said: “I’m not sure that the tuna in my chilli fishcakes was fresh from the sea that morning and they certainly weren’t chilli but they were quite tasty.”
For my main course I ordered the melanzane a la formaggi, which was layers of aubergine and mozzarella in tomato sauce served with salad, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic bread.
The aubergines were swimming in a sea of molten cheese, which was quite nice, but the large amount of cheese meant that the dish lay pretty heavily and left me feeling very full.
My colleague plumped for the porcini mushroom ravioli, which came in a white wine sauce and was served with garlic bread and salad.
She said: “My ravioli was certainly a generous portion with lots of garlic bread but it was a bit heavy and rich.
She added: “The atmosphere was nice, it was busy for a Wednesday evening and the staff were lovely, very friendly and helpful. And you couldn’t really complain about the prices.”
As we were both feeling like a couple of porkers after our first two courses we decided against a dessert but there was a tempting selection including chocolate fudge cake, cheese cake and lemon tart. Instead we both plumped for a digestion boosting peppermint tea. I would recommend the pub as the service was very attentive and friendly and we were made to feel very welcome.
The food was pretty standard pub fare but the portions were very large and offered good value for money. Both of our main courses were £7.95 and the starters £4.50. The pub has a new summer menu starting in May.
Food 4
Atmosphere 3
Service 4
Value for money 3
Black Swan |
ALMOST two years ago, I went on a first date with a lovely young lady to the Black Swan in Pease Pottage.
The venue must have been nice because I ended up marrying that lovely young lady!
I remember it being the perfect evening with great food, atmosphere and company.
With this in mind, I thought it would be great to go back there and see how it’s changed or whether the menu differs.
As myself and the new Mrs Dunford walked in, the memories of that wonderful night came flooding back.We were even lucky enough to get the same table where we sat as well.
So we took our seats and perused the menu. There was plenty of choice and once we selected the food, I had to go up to the bar to order.I made a massive schoolboy error by not clocking the table number.
So I had to traipse back to the table, but the number wasn’t clear enough in the dark lighting so I had to wave my arms like a conductor to show the barmaid where we were sitting!
I am sure if I had embarrassed us like this on our first date, there would not have been a wedding three weeks ago.
Mrs Dunford went for the classic prawn cocktail (£4.25) and I went for the pork and herb pate with onion marmalade (£4.95) for starters.
My pate was very tasty and it was nice to see large pieces of toast come with it so I could lay the pate on thick. But why do restaurants always bring the butter out so it is unspreadable?
My dining partner liked her prawn cocktail but it was not easy to eat because it came in such a tall glass with the prawns balanced on top of a load of lettuce.
For our main course, I chose Confit of Duck Leg (£11.99) while the wife opted for the gammon (£7.99).I was very happy with her choice because it came with a field mushroom and I know she hates them - it was just a shame it wasn’t one of those massive field mushrooms that normally hides a steak on a plate!
My duck was lovely with a very tasty garlic mash but Amanda was not overly impressed with her meal because the peas were not cooked enough while her roasted tomatos were overcooked. But she did enjoy the gammon.
With room left for dessert, I had two scoops of the ice cream with one scoop of serious chocolate and one of clotted cream, with the latter being very nice (£2.50).My partner chose the proper apple and blackberry pie with ‘piping hot’ custard.
Unfortunately there was barely any steam coming off the cupful of custard. She said this pudding was average.It wasn’t the perfect dining experience - or the cheapest - we were hoping for but the banter with the waiter and hearing Erasure in the background were certainly plus points.
Food 3
Atmosphere 4
Service 4
Value for money 3
Bella Italia |
CRAWLEY Leisure Park can be a little over-powering at times but there is one little haven of tranquillity that makes a visit worthwhile.
Tucked between the garishly over-the-top McDonald’s and Cineworld, with Pizza Hut and Nando’s looming across the way, it would be all too easy to overlook Bella Italia. But my advice is don’t.
With our anniversary rapidly approaching and memories of a slushy weekend in Rome still fresh, hubby and I took ourselves off for a cosy meal (followed by the cinematic explosion that is Alien v Predator – who says romance is dead?) and we will definitely be going back.
We were greeted at the door with a smiley ‘buonaserra’ and, although there were diners aplenty, we did not have to wait for a seat.
The restaurant is all kinds of cosy, from the dimmed lights to the rustic decor and the flickering candles on the tables and the staff are unobtrusive yet always there when you need them.
We ordered a bottle of house white while we browsed the menu and it arrived promptly.
The one criticism I have about the menu is the size of the print. The stylised italics would be hard to read at the best of times but, combined with how small the text was, it made it impossible for me to read and hubby had to do the honours.
We ordered a combined starter – the Assortimento. As the name suggests, it offered a selection – and they were all delicious. The garlic bread was cooked to perfection, the butter oozing out of the bread with each bite.
The buffalo wings were succulent and not too spicy and the bruschetta and formaggio fritta left you wanting more.
Our waiter topped up our wine as the plates were cleared before bringing our main course.
We had both opted for the linguine rustica – chicken and marinated rustic tomatoes sauteed with linguine pasta and fresh basil pesto.
Now, I can boil a pan of pasta with the best of them but the linguine at Bella Italia makes what I prepare taste like Pot Noodle.
If you can’t get to Rome for your supper, this is the next best thing.
The strips of chicken were very tasty and the tomatoes gave the meal a little kick. Perfect when washed down with the last of the wine.
Although the desert menu looked devilish, we opted not to indulge – maybe next time!
The bill came to just over £35 – not bad at all for two courses and a bottle of wine.
If you fancy a change from burgers and nachos, give Bella Italia a look. It may cost a little more than a Big Mac but it’s well worth it.
Food 5
Atmosphere 4
Service 4
Value for money 4
Farmhouse Pub |
A LUNCH that nearly killed me, but it wasn’t the food or the drink, just a very close call with a lorry near Horley town centre.
Arriving at the Farmhouse Pub on Wednesday afternoon, I took stock of my near death experience and decided that this was the first lunch of the rest of my life.
If you’re after a quiet comfortable watering hole with the illusion of country living then the 400 year old Farmhouse Pub is ideal. The throngs of afternoon regulars are testimony to the well stocked bar and selection of ales on tap.
But watch your head on the low front door frame though or you’ll make a clumsy entrance just like I did, much to the amusement of the seated regulars.
Still shaking from my dice with death and the bang on the head I settled down with a menu looking out over the garden and children’s play area.
To start, I went for the duck and hoisin sauce spring rolls which came served with an ample and well-dressed salad - it’s the little touches that make a meal. It arrived in quick time served with a smile and to my surprise, it was delicious.
I think the adrenaline was still pumping because even though I wasn’t hugely hungry I plumped for the biggest meal on the menu. With eyes bigger than my belly I ordered the Farmhouse grill, a traditional mixed grill consisting of a lamb cutlet, rump steak, gammon steak, sausages, grilled tomato, onion and chips.
The huge meal arrived sizzling on a metal hot plate with the ever present cheerful smile and pleasant repartee that the Farmhouse is famous for.
Without standing on ceremony I greedily attacked the gammon steak which was soft and tender, a good start. The sausages were a little superfluous but they were delicious. I had a breather and then savaged the lamb cutlet with curious vigour considering the amount of food piled on my plate. It was very well cooked and like good lamb should, it fell cleanly from the bone and had a slight pink tint that spurred me on to attempt the rump steak.
Cutting into the steak I could see immediately that it was overcooked. I like to see some blood and I’d ordered it cooked medium. Instead it was very well done. It’s a shame because the meal, atmosphere and service were top notch otherwise. I still ate the whole steak though, it was tasty if not perfectly cooked.
A good menu, a good bar and lovely staff, this pub was well worth the brush with death and bang on the head but having the meat sweats back at the office didn’t win me any friends.
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 5
Value for money 4
Harvester |
A FEW Fridays ago I decided to visit Harvester in Three Bridges for a bit of dinner before I made my way into town.
The restaurant is located on the squareabout in Three Bridges and is very easy to access with plenty of parking spaces.
My friend and I both arrived at the restaurant at about 5pm and it was surprisingly busy. However, the service was very efficient and we were seated straight away.
On a recommendation from my friend Kevin, I decided to join him in having the Harvester Mixed Grill.
Once we ordered dinner, we had the luxury of picking our own salad at the salad cart.
You can pick from a variety of ingredients such as cherry tomatoes, diced beetroot, as well as pasta salad, and also a three bean salad.
There are a selection of sauces and dressings to choose from and you can visit it as often as you like.
I chose the pasta salad which was very tasty and I could have actually had a bit more and made it my main meal.
Once the salad was finished we were quickly presented with our main meals. The service was excellent and very friendly, offering a selection of sauces to go with our main course.
The Harvester mixed grill was larger than expected and included a 4oz rump steak, sweet cured bacon steak, a Lincolnshire sausage swirl, served with crisp seasoned fries, two fried eggs, black pudding, onion rings, garden peas and grilled tomato.
There was something for all tastes and it was all very delicious. My only criticism was that it was a little bit bland and there was a lot to get through.
If you have the salad it is best not to over exert yourself before starting the main course. The mixed grill can be a bit over ambitious if you just want something quick to fill a hole. However the portions were about right and the meat was cooked just how I asked at medium rare.
Priced under £10 it is very good value for money and with a vast menu there is plenty to choose from if you want to take the family along.
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 4
Value for money 4
Blue India |
I AM very unadventurous when it comes to Indian food.
Not being able to handle anything spicy, an Indian restaurant is probably not the best choice for a meal out for me.
But after a stressful week at work, my lovely fiancée Mandi met me from work and said she would take me out for a meal.
We had both heard good things about Blue India so, I though why not?!
It was a warm, humid evening and as we approached the restaurant we noticed they had the doors all open to keep the place cool. That suited me down to the ground because spicy food + me = sweat! And there is nothing worse than eating while you are sweating (well,I don’t think so anyway).
I always need a cool breeze and that was perfect.
Once we had settled, we mulled over the menu and to Mandi’s shock, there did not appear to be a chicken korma on the menu.
But after asking the waiter, they said they could knock one up for her.
And also, there was no vegetable rice dish, but again the staff were very accomodating and managed to make the dish.
I normally like something mild but I was feeling adventuours and the chef’s special roast jumped off the menu to me.
When ordering, I was informed by the friendly waiter that I had made an excellent choice – that always bodes well.
Obviously we tucked into some poppadums first as we discussed our respective days before the delicious meal arrived with a side order of plain nan.
My meal was very tasty. It may have been a little spicy for my liking but the flavour was superb.
The waiter was right, I did make an excellent choice.
Succulent chicken covered in a tomato based sauce with vegetables. It was superb!
Mandi liked her chicken korma too. She said it could have done with a little more flavour but again the chicken was succulent and the sauce was very creamy.
Overall, with two drinks, the meal came to £36 and it was well worth it. If they can get chicken korma on their menu, it would be the perfect place to eat!
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 5
Value for money 4
Heathy Farm |
MAKING the most of the summer sunshine my colleague and I headed to the garden at Heathy Farm on the Balcombe road.
The pub is in a lovely setting with extensive gardens and plenty of parking. The 500-year-old farmhouse that was last occupied by the Capel family in the late 1970s has been sympathetically restored and extended into a country pub.
The garden was packed with families and children on the adventure playground, as well as many people enjoying their lunch breaks in the summer sun. After ordering at the bar we headed outside to enjoy the sun and our starters arrived pretty quickly.
For my starter I had the prawn cocktail, which was enormous with plenty of prawns, crispy salad and freshly baked bread.
My colleague ordered the chefs’ special, which was whitebait served with Cajun mayonnaise.
She said: “My starter was a mountain of crispy whitebait which was perfectly cooked and not at all greasy. It was nice to have the fish served with salad, which made it just the right sized portion for a starter of a lighter lunch. And the spicy Cajun mayonnaise was the perfect companion”
For my main course I had the smothered chicken which sounded rather cruel! But was very tasty. The dish was not for the faint-hearted with chicken breast and bacon smothered in mushroom sauce with grilled cheese on top. It was served with seasonal vegetables and new potatoes. It was delicious, but possibly a bit heavy for lunchtime.
My colleague opted for the wild mushroom lasagne which came with salad and garlic bread.
She said: “The lasagne was again a generous serving and came with mixed salad leaves drizzled with a zingy dressing and two hefty slabs of garlic ciabatta bread. The rich, earthy flavours of the wild mushrooms were complemented perfectly by the spinach, garlic and cream sauce. A really tasty vegetarian version of a classic dish.”
We were both too full to manage a dessert but there was a nice selection, including baked whole apple pie, chocolate torte and clotted cream ice cream.
The portions were very large so it might be better to choose something from the light bites menu at lunch time and go for something larger in the evening when you have time to enjoy it.
The service was very quick and the staff were friendly and attentive and the food was great value for money.
There is also a range of Casque Standard Ales, the pub has a tasty selection of summer salads on offer and during the summer holiday there will be a bouncy castle every Saturday to keep the kids occupied.
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 4
Value for money 4
The Hillside Inn |
THE SUN was finally shining and it seemed a sacrilege to waste its precious rays so me and a colleague jumped in the car and headed for the beer garden at the Hillside Inn.
As we drove in we could tell the traditional watering hole on the Balcombe Road must be a popular choice from the packed garden and very few parking spaces!
Despite the crowds we found a table in the garden with ease and promptly went to the bar to order drinks and food.
We were served by a friendly member of staff and quickly handed our drinks before heading outside to enjoy the rare moments of this summer’s good weather.
We were given just the right amount of time to chat and relax before our starters arrived which were nicely presented by another smiling employee.
I had the breaded flat mushrooms on a bed of salad and a garlic dip costing a very reasonable £3.95 and Claire chose the Moules Marinieres in a creamy white wine and garlic sauce for £5.25. The mushrooms were gorgeous with what tasted like a home-made bread crumb coating and the salad leaves were drizzled with a delicious dressing.
Claire was equally happy with her first course and was very surprised when a generous portion of perfectly cooked steaming mussels arrived complete with bread which was definitely enough for a light lunch for one. The mains took a bit longer to arrive which suited us fine after filling up on our starters but again they were presented well and we quickly offered a range of around 10 different sauces and dressings to chose from.
As a vegetarian I went for the dolt elate and pear tart served with sautéed new potatoes at £6. This wasn’t on the menu and in fact it appeared there was only one veggie option but after asking at the bar there turned out to be four. Claire ordered the warm chargrilled chicken and asparagus salad with baby potatoes and crustine soldiers costing £7.
My tart was definitely tasty and it contained just the right amount of pear (not overpowering), although it was a bit too dry and crunchy around the edges.
The potatoes were delicious with a delicate sweet flavour which complimented the salad beautifully. Again Claire was far from disappointed after tucking into her salad and the combination of chargrilled chicken and asparagus worked really well together with the tasty honey and mustard dressing and crunchy crustine soldiers really making the difference. A perfect summer salad.
We managed to enjoy our alfresco dining for most of the time but we were forced indoors when two rogue wasps decided they wanted a taste of the honey and mustard dressing on Claire’s salad!
Overall we had a lovely time; the staff were friendly and polite and the food was tasty and reasonably priced. I’d definitely go back.
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 3
Value for money 4
The Shades |
THE last time the Observer officially visited Brewery Shades the reporter was far from impressed, saying the food and service were not up to scratch.
But because we always like to acknowledge improvement, a colleague and I went back to the High Street pub for lunch last week to see if things had changed.
And we were pleasantly surprised to see just how good the food and service had become.
The Brewery Shades is certainly the type of pub to benefit from the new smoke-free England – the wooden floors and cosy atmosphere look much more appealing for lunch without lots of cigarette smoke circling the room.
So we settled down on a table by the window to browse through the extensive menu.
There really is something for everyone on the menu, with a huge selection of starters, pub favourites, light meals, salads, gourmet burgers as well as classic jacket potatos and sandwiches. There are also a selction of mouthwatering specials on the board.
I plumped for the classic fish and chips (£7.95) which was a fillet of cod in home-made beer batter with chips and peas.
The cod was a huge portion in a delicious light batter with lovely looking chunky chips on the side. I struggled to finish it all.
My companion had opted for the sausage and mash in a giant Yorkshire (£6.95) but they were all out of Yorkshire puddings so she had the option for ‘smaller appetites’ without it for £4.25.
She said: “It was a very generous portion and the mash was lovely and creamy. It could have done with a few more peas but other than that I was pleased with it all.”
The service was pleasant and professional throughout and our food arrived quickly.
In a complete about turn from our last review of the place, there are only positive things to say about the Brewery Shades. We enjoyed a fantastic lunch with polite service and will definitely be popping back in the future.
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 3
Value for money 4
Pizza Express |
EATING at a Pizza Express is usually a reliable and pleasant experience and this summer the restaurant chain have unveiled a ‘Roman’ menu to add a bit of variety.
Apparently in Rome ‘the pizzas are different’ and the two new varieties they have introduced are both ‘genuine’ examples of what true Romans eat.
Eager to sample this little slice of Roman life a colleague and I ambled down to Pizza Express on the Boulevard.
The friendly waiters quickly seated us and provided us with menus.
We both plumped for the Savoury Bread selection which consisted of two thinly rolled flat breads, one covered with rosemary, rock salt and garlic and the other with tomato sauce and garlic.
These breads are a welcome addition to the new Pizza Express menu but could have been improved by offering some balsamic vinegar and olive oil to dip them in.
For our starters my colleague and I opted for the Mozarella and Tomato salad, which included a pesto and olive oil garnish. Enjoyably rough and ready, both the tomatos and mozarella were of good quality and the salad made a tasty apperitif to our main course. The only gripe being that the pesto and olive oil garnish was a bit on the stingy side.
For my main course I chose the new Roman pizza, Campo di Fiori.
This was a light, thin crust pizza, with artichokes, black olives, mozarella, parsley and onion.
As I am not a huge fan of artichokes I had to put aside my initial scepticism before tucking in, and was glad I did, because this pizza was very tasty indeed. The artichokes were fat and plentiful and the delicate base really allowed the flavours to breathe. My colleague enjoyed the Pancetta Pomodoro, which had ‘a really good yeasty crust, the pancetta was really tasty although it could’ve been used more sparingly’.
Pizza Express are also offering a Funghi di Bosco pizza, which is Portobello mushrooms with simple seasonings on a light base.
If you’re looking for a light, enjoyable lunch or a quick, unfussy dinner you could do a lot worse than checking out the new Roman menu at Pizza Express.
Food 5
Atmosphere 4
Service 4
Value for money 4
Saffron Lounge |
THE SAFFRON Lounge, a contemporary restaurant offering authentic Indian cooking, has just opened in Crawley High Street.
My colleague and I strolled down to investigate and were not disappointed with what we found.
The interior of the restaurant is very modern and clean with gleaming granite floors and patterned walls. There are blocks of striking orange and lime green which give the restaurant a contemporary and trendy feel.
This modern atmosphere is definitely a move away from the traditional curry house and nicely offsets the authentic Indian cuisine.
There is also an extensive wine list, including Bollinger champagne if you are feeling flush.
The menu offers an excellent selection of appetizers and main courses for vegetarians and the selection of seafood is mouth watering, with monkfish, tiger prawns and sea bass all on offer.
There is a lounge and bar area at the front and the long restaurant is tastefully furnished and decorated; it is modern without being uncomfortable.
My colleague and I sat in the middle of the restaurant and the service was very quick and polite.
I chose the non-vegetarian selection which included salmon tikka, chicken, lamb and a tiger prawn. The starter offered a fantastic selection of the different dishes available in the restaurant and was very filling.
My colleague ordered the vegetarian selection which included a Pachratan Samosa, Tandoori Phool and Dahi Puri.
He said: “The starters were excellent, a combination of interesting twists and more unusual morsels beautifully presented and very filling, perhaps too filling for a lunchtime as I struggled to get through my equally excellent main course.”
For my main course I had Chingri Malai Korma, tiger prawns in a delicately spiced creamy korma sauce.
The sauce was delicately spiced and not too rich with plenty of large prawns in it.
My colleague had the Tadka Daal Lasooni and the Punjabi Chole, lentils tempered with garlic and spices, and chickpea curry with traditional Indian spices.
Having gone for it with our starters we opted to share a portion of rice and a garlic naan.
Neither of us felt capable of tackling a dessert and went for a coffee, there is also a selection of teas.
The Saffron Lounge will be offering a special lunch menu and a happy hour with discounted meals and special offers on drinks.
And with a wide range of meals from light bites and appetizers to substantial evening meals Crawley’s newest Indian restaurant is sure to be a success.
Food 5
Atmosphere 4
Service 4
Value for money 4
TGI Fridays |
TGI Friday’s offers a full-on American dining experience complete with chirpy staff, big portions and endless free drink refills.
So despite it being a lovely sunny Wednesday afternoon, a colleague and I headed down to the Leisure Park and sat inside the faux-American diner.
It’s never good eating in an empty restaurant and TGI Friday’s was nicely busy considering it was mid-week and beautifully sunny outside.
We were seated by an attentive waiter and settled down to look at the menu.
Tempted by the hot weather, we chose some smoothies to start with – I had a Tropical Runner and my co-worker chose a Banana Berry (both £2.75).
They were nice – with huge hunks of fruit perched on the glass – but didn’t taste as fresh as they could have.
For a starter I chose Jack Daniel’s Special Shrimp (£3.95) – a cajun-battered shrimp with a Jack Daniel’s sweet and smokey dip.
The shrimp were delicious, huge and succulent and the sauce complimented them well. Although at nearly £4 I think you could have got more than five.
My companion chose the Mozzareela Dippers (£2.95). He said: “They were tasty as only deep-fried cheese in breadcrumbs can be.”
Next we both eschewed steaks, fajitas and salads for the classic burger.
I plumped for the Chargrilled Chicken Breast (£7.45) but was actually delivered a regular hamburger (£7.45).
I think this might have been down to the waiter’s habit of not writing down any orders, preferring to store them in his memory. They did remember my barbeque sauce though (a total of £9.25).
The burger was huge and juicy and came with two onion rings, fries and lashings of bbq sauce.
To counteract all the unhealthiness of our choices, we also ordered a side salad (£3.95) for some freshness.
My colleague opted for the vegetarian San Fran burger (£7.45). He said: “It was a tasty, hearty burger but it could have had more salad in it. The chips had their skins on which was nice but they could’ve been crispier.”
The food at TGI’s is classic, hearty, American fare but it is at the more expensive end of the market for what it is. But the staff are friendly and (perhaps overly) attentive and TGI’s has a nice lively atmosphere.
Food 3
Atmosphere 4
Service 3
Value for money 4
The Thai House |
THE THAI House on Peglar Way opposite the multi-story carpark isn’t the most obvious place for a Thai restaurant, but it's definitely worth a visit.
The restaurant is set upstairs with, wisely, not too many windows overlooking the busy road below, and a nice bar down on street-level.
The restaurant itself is neat and cosy and is decked out with traditional Thai ornaments.
The Thai House now offers a special lunch menu to try to tempt town centre office workers to come for a quick meal.
And at just £7.50 for a choice of delicious starters and mains, it’s really good value.
A colleague and I popped in on a quiet Wednesday lunchtime - in fact we were the only diners there - but were given a warm welcome.
We opted for Thai Chang beers (£3) before choosing our starters. We had to wait a little while for the starters to arrive but they were good when they did.
I chose Kung Ping Ta Krai (King prawns marinated in red curry), which was six king prawns grilled on a lemon grass skewer, which were piping hot and tasty.
My veggie colleague chose the Por Pia (deep fried spring rolls with sweet chili sauce). He said: “They were tasty and not too oily. A well executed version of a timeless classic.”
We then opted for the same main meal – a rice dish with red peppers, carrots and cashew nuts – I had it with chicken and he chose tofu.
The dish looked appetising and was full of fresh ingredients but it wasn’t quite as interesting as it could have been. There was a sauce over the vegetables but there wasn’t enough of it and it wasn’t particularly inspiring.
My colleague agreed and said: “It was tasty and all the ingredients seemed fresh, but it maybe lacked depth and complexity of flavour.” But perhaps we just made the wrong choice.
All in all, the Thai House is a great place to pop in for a meal.
Food 3
Atmosphere 4
Service 3
Value for money 4
Ye Olde Six Bells |
TUCKED away in a quiet corner of Horley, Ye Olde Six Bells pub, is a charming historic building nestled next to St Bartholomew’s Church.
The drizzle had just started to fall as we entered the cosy and welcoming pub which was rapidly filling up with hungry diners.
Grabbing a table we got down to the serious business of choosing what to eat and began sizing up the tasty options from the menu and the special fish board.
Unable to decide which of the starters to choose my colleague and I both plumped for the two most substantial dishes on offer – breaded mushrooms and salmon and broccoli fish cakes.
Despite it being the busy lunchtime rush, with office workers trying to cram a good pub lunch into their hour break, our food turned up quickly after ordering.
My fishcakes were generously sized with more fish and broccoli than I was expecting – a rare treat not to simply be palmed off with just mash potato.
My colleague’s breaded mushrooms arrived, not as the small buttons we were expecting, but as giant crispy goujons. The mushroom coating remained crispy while keeping the mushrooms juicy and he described them as “very tasty”.
For mains I opted for pesto and sun-dried tomato linguine with parmesan and rocket.
A generous bowl of steaming pasta arrived topped with fresh parmesan and a decent share of sundried tomatoes.
The pasta was cooked to perfection and managed to avoid becoming that horrible greasy pesto pasta mess you so often end up with.
My colleague chose the steak, Guinness and mushroom pie served with cheesy leeks, mash and carrots for his main course.
What looked like a small loaf of bread arrived and my colleague, dedicated to the job in hand, made a good attempt at demolishing the whole pie, and after battling through a very hard pastry top nearly succeeded.
Ye Olde Six Bells is the perfect choice to get a decent, generous sized meal, in your lunch break without breaking the bank. The bill for two, including soft drinks, came to £26.85.
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 3
Value for money 4
Gatwick Manor |
WITH the earliest building dating back to the middle of the 13th century, the Gatwick Manor has one foot firmly set in the past.
Thankfully, the cooks at the Manor Royal drinking hole have kept tradition in mind while drawing up their menu – offering proper pub tucker from scampi to steaks – all with a modern twist.
The pub was quietly busy when a colleague and I took a wooden pew in the oak beamed interior of the Manor at Wednesday lunchtime.
Sipping drinks, we decided to skip starters and stampede straight for the main courses. My work mate plumped for surf and hand-peeled Whitby scampi (£7.75) while I decided to stick with turf in the Beef and ale pie (£7.65).
The food was much quicker than the last time we took lunch at the Manor, arriving before we could finish discussing exactly what else you would peel scampi with.
My pie was an absolute colossus – squatting astride a mountain of fresh garden vegetables and smooth, earthy mash. After chipping through flaky pastry – which if I was to be fussy was a bit hard – the filling was tender chunks of prime British beef, braised in Old Speckled Hen Ale.
It was probably one of the best pies I’ve eaten outside of London.
My colleague was equally pleased with her choice. The whole tail scampi looked delicious and were served up with peas and fat chips that were crying out to be dunked into freshly made tartare sauce.
She said: “The scampi was crispy and not at all greasy and the tartare sauce was really good. The peas were a bit undercooked though, which was a shame.”
Not really needing a dessert; indeed less conscientious reviewers would have laid down their knives and forks, we pressed on. After the size of my pie I avoided a tempting treacle sponge and opted for a Strawberry Charlotte Russe. My colleague was more daring and went for the mysterious sounding Eve’s pudding.
My Strawberry Russe consisted of a strawberry flavoured mousse wrapped up in a light sponge, decorated with raspberries and cream and accompanied by a raspberry coulis. To be honest, it was a bit of a let down and resembled a pre-prepared shop-bought pudding and the ‘extra thick Channel Island double cream’ was more like nasty squirty cream.
But my work-mate’s dessert fared better, although it too was probably bought in as it came with its wrapper still partly attached.
But it looked delicious, with sweet pastry topped with layers of frangipane and blackberries.
My colleague said: “It was very rich and the custard was lumpy, but the sponge was really soft and the frangipane was delicious.”
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 3
Value for money 4
Le Cordon Vert |
LE Cordon Vert immediately brings to mind the sort of formal banqueting hall that you might expect for a big wedding reception or corporate event.
The restaurant is located in Central Sussex College and is staffed by students from various courses. On the day the Observer dined there the waiting staff were gleaned from budding air cabin crew cutting their teeth in the world of service.
The eagerness to please is palpable in both the silver service set up and the demeanour of the staff.
One thing any air steward is sure to have to learn is how to think on their feet and my dining partner’s veggie requirments soon meant the second year student chefs could tick another box on their module requirments.
With no planned option for non-meat or fish eaters the busy cooks had to rustle up an impromptu vegetarian curry, and a fine job they did too.
There was no such problem with the starters.
My colleague pronounced his sweet potato soup with croutons to be ‘delicious’, and my salmon tartlets were equally tasty, leaving just enough room for the generous helpings offered in their main course.
While my dining partner tucked into his rapidly assembled plate of curried veg, which in the circumstances he was more than satisfied with, I began my assault on a perfect looking plate of beef and yorkshire pudding.
The large, succulent slices of beef were cooked just to my liking, and went down very well with the two notably sizable yorkshire puds, roast potatoes and green beans.
Although I for one was lacking in the requisite stomach space, the table of desserts was just too tempting to pass up. Any one of the vast array of cakes and mousses would have been eagerly devoured, but we plumped for the fruit salad and cheese cake resapectively.
My colleague was too busy enjoying his citrus cheesecake to utter more than a highly approving ‘mmmmm’ on its merits, but it was clearly just as nice as it looked, and the fruit salad, covered in a zesty, grape-dominated juice went down a treat.
A couple of coffees rounded off a hugely enjoyable meal, with the combination of quality food and incredibly attentive service making for an immensely satisfying experience, made all the more remarkable for its good value.
Le Cordon Vert charge just £8.95 for lunch, which is available from 12.30pm during term time. Also of interest are their themed Tuesday evenings.
At £14.95 per person, and with themes ranging from African Safari to Nursery Rhymes, it could well make for a good option on a group night out.
Food 4
Atmosphere 3
Service 5
Value for money 5
The Fox Inn |
ON A cold and rainy Wednesday evening we entered The Fox Inn, Bucks Green, with rumbling tummies, eager to get into the warm and devour our dinner. We made our way to the bar and were greeted promptly with the offer of drinks and menus and quickly shown to our candlelit table. So, supping a glass of good quality house white we made our choices from the extensive menu which includes a huge selection of seafood, some traditional dishes and some vegetarian options. We were given just the right amount of time before the friendly landlady, Erika, came to take our order. My partner and I had about 15 minutes to enjoy a cosy chat and take in the traditional, beamed decor of the 16th century pub before our starters arrived. I had a Mango Crab and Prawn Salad and my partner chose the scallops wrapped in bacon, both costing £7.95. The starters were beautifully presented and of ample size - My prawn and crab salad was wonderfully creamy with just the right amount of mango and my partner’s scallops looked luscious swimming in their sauce. Despite our hunger the wonderful flavours slowed us down in order to savour the tastes and then it was only another 10 minutes before our main course arrived. After topping up our wine we got stuck into our meals, I tried the Mushroom, Spinach and Toasted Almond Stroganoff costing £11.95 and my partner treated himself to the rather extravagant Whole Lobster and Prawn Thermidor - although this one might be a meal for special occasions, with a price tag of £32.95. Again the meals were immaculately presented and my stroganoff was extremely tasty and perfectly cooked; the toasted almonds sprinkled on top added a subtle yet essential flavour. The lobster and prawn thermidor was described by my boyfriend as being ‘absolutely delicious’ with a healthy amount of prawns, immaculately cooked with the sauce, strong and flavoursome without being overpowering. We were well looked after during our course but not inconvenienced and the staff cleared our plates promptly. Despite being near to bursting we couldn’t resist dessert and chose the homemade honeycomb ice-cream and the blackurrent sorbet, they both cost £4.95 but yet again they were well worth it. Overall we had a delightful time and the food was some of the best I have ever eaten, as a confirmed seafood lover my partner thought the food was fantastic - we’ll definitely be back! The Fox is open for food 7 days a week & serves until 10pm every day. For directions and a full menu visit www.foxinn.co.uk
Food 5 Atmosphere 5
Service 5
Value for money 4
La Bodega |
STEPPING inside La Bodega on a rainy Thursday afternoon my colleague and I were immediately basked in that warm holiday feeling.
Despite the drizzle outside we could quite easily imagine being holed up in a restaurant in Spain seeking solace in the local tipple because the sun had let us down.
But having to face a whole afternoon of work we fought off the temptation to order sangria and instead set about the serious task of testing as many tapas dishes as possible.
The menu was packed with a huge variety of options including fish, meat and vegetarian dishes alongside a more substantial main course menu.
Having decided to head down the tapas route we finally plumped for five dishes, the perfect amount for two hungry diners, which arrived quickly after we ordered.
Waiting briefly for our food, the conversation quickly turned to holiday countdowns and the restaurant’s cheerful, relaxed atmosphere made us realise they couldn’t come soon enough.
The restaurant has an extensive wine and liquor list and is decked out in traditional Spanish taverna style with tiled walls and bright and airy decor, making it hard to believe we were in Crawley High Street.
As soon as our food arrived we knew we had made good choices. Sole goujons, chorizo in rioja, Spanish omelette, mushrooms in garlic and white wine and tomato, mozzarella and avocado salad filled the table and we wasted no time in sampling the all.
The Spanish omelette was served as a giant wedge packed with potatoes and onion and cooked to golden perfection.
The spicy chorizo was served in a rich rioja sauce which my companion and I happily soaked up with large chunks of crusty white bread.
The mushrooms proved to be another good choice. They had fully absorbed the garlic and white wine sauce which they were soaked in and the tasty liquid was the perfect excuse to get the bread basket refilled.
Feeling slightly guilty about the fat content of the chorizo I tucked in to the various salad garnishes and the three colour salad.
The deep red, strong flavoured tomatoes were the perfect partner to the moist, fluffly mozzarella and fresh clean avocado drizzled with olive oil made the salad another good choice.
My colleague said: “The restaurant was really authentic and made me feel like I was on holiday. All the dishes were tasty and it was nice to have so many varied dishes in one meal. A great choice for lunch.”
After the short walk back to the office I was feeling full and relaxed and found it difficult to shift out of holiday mode.
La Bodega is a perfect hideaway for either lunch or dinner to dream about your next escape to the sun.
Our bill came to £32.50 including soft drinks.
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 4
Value for money 4
The Cherry Tree |
A COLLEAGUE and I popped into the Cherry Tree in Faygate last Wednesday lunchtime for a spot of lunch.
There were a hairy few minutes when we thought we might have to order off the special Valentine’s lunch menu, but we soon relaxed when we saw a normal menu on the table.
The pub is located just off the A264 heading towards Crawley. Despite its busy location it’s a sweet, homely little pub that’s full of character and low-beamed ceilings. And there’s a little play area outside for children, boasting a large yellow elephant which impressed my colleague no end.
We sat at a little table by the window and looked through the menu.
I don’t know if it was because of the romantic day, but the pub was busy for a Wednesday lunchtime.
There only seemed to be one man on the bar and they could have done with a few more staff, but our order was taken and we didn’t have to wait too long for our food.
I plumped for Thai prawns in a sweet chili sauce (£4.50) and my colleague had the only veggie option on offer, breaded mushrooms with garlic dip (£3.75).
The over-stretched barman misheard my order and delivered me a prawn cocktail (£4.75) instead.
I’m not really into prawn cocktails, all that mayonnaisey dressing makes me feel a bit funny, but I’m sure if you were a fan this would have been lovely. It came with lots of brown bread and a large fresh salad.
My colleague said his mushrooms were “nice and crispy and not too oily.”
Feeling a bit disheartened by my starter, I wasn’t too hopeful about my main course, but my lamb shank with mashed potatoes and veg (£10.50) was a delight. The lamb was tender and fell away from the bone. The mash was hearty and covered in a lovely thick gravy, served with broccoli, peas, cauliflower and carrots. It was a huge portion and was absolutely delicious.
My colleague opted for the vegetarian lasagne (£8.50) which came with chips and garlic bread.
He said it was “a nicely roasted selection of Mediterranean vegetables flavoured with pine nuts and garlic. I could have done with a bit less cheese though.”
Too full to contemplate a pudding we rushed back to the office for a sleepy afternoon at our desks.
Food 4
Atmosphere 3
Service 4
Value for money 4
Cinnamon |
SET behind dark windows in an unnassuming spot on Tilgate Parade, from the outside Cinnamon looks very much like an Indian restaurant of the old school.
As we opened the door last Wednesday lunchtime, I was expecting dark wallpaper, dark red carpets, and maybe a backlit photo of a waterfall.
But inside the restaurant is modern and well designed, with light colours, exposed wooden floors, and tasteful paintings on the walls
The tinted windows, instead of making the interior seem gloomy, made the restaurant seem like a sanctuary from the world outside.
Despite the contemporary surroundings, the menu is quite ‘traditional’ (the tradition of Indian restaurants in the UK, that is).
But it’s none the worse for that.
As has almost always been the case when I’ve visited an Indian restaurant in Crawley for lunch, me and my companion were the only people in there.
The staff were polite and attentive nevertheless, but they lost a point when we realised they hadn’t turned the heating on.
I know it seems like an expense for two customers, but by the time they bought my mango lassi the temperature seemed very cold indeed.
We both ordered samosas to start (him meat, me veggie), and I plumped for a vegetable dhansak with pilau rice for my main meal.
Sadly they lost another point when the samosas arrived. First samosa - yum. Crispy, not too oily, and a nice selection of vegetables inside, including some more leftfield inclusions like broad beans. Second samosa - meat.
My friend examined his second samosa and, sure enough, they had mixed up our orders.
He was happy with the variety - I was less overjoyed to have broken 15 years of vegetarianism by ambush.
Things looked up again with the main courses.
My dhansak was just what it should be - a balanced selection of vegetables, not over or undercooked, and an excellent lentil-based sauce, with just the right amount of lemony bite to complement its underlying sweetness.
My companion went for Zuzu Chicken - a house special variant on that old favourite chicken tikka masala - cooked with green peppers an a combination of masala and mild sauces.
This also got the thumbs up - although on reflection it was probably too heavy for lunchtime, as he later fell asleep at his desk.
In conclusion, one-and-a-half thumbs up for food (would have been two, except for the samosas), two thumbs up for decor, and it’s hard to judge atmosphere on a quiet Wednesday lunchtime.
One more tip - if you do go for a lunchtime curry, bring a jumper.
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 3
Value for money 4
Fortune Villa |
As my colleague and I entered The Fortune Villa on the High Street, we were met with Patsy Cline’s Crazy being belted out across the restaurant - for me not a desperately good omen.We were quickly seated by a waiter who pointed out our table from afar before coming over to offer assistance.The interior was quite smoky and the air conditioning was on full whack to compensate for this which meant the restaurant was close to freezing.The service was as warm as the decidedly chilly atmosphere and both service and temperature meant my colleague and I came close to setting the record for the speediest meal review in Observer history.The interior of the restaurant is quite nicely decorated with detailed murals and mirrors making the room appear much larger.The staff seemed keen for us to order as quickly as possible and the menu offered enough choice for a lunch time with a mix of vegetarian and meat dishes.There were noodle and rice dishes with a selection of sauces and different meats to allow you to build up your own meal.For my starter I ordered the vegetarian spring rolls which were ok but quite greasy and served on a scattering of salad.My colleague ordered the chicken wings, which came smothered in sauce and looked pretty good.He seemed quite happy with them.For my main course I ordered the vegetarian Singapore noodles which were tasty.My colleague ordered the shredded pork noodles and said: “The starter was fine as far as barbecued chicken wings go.“I enjoyed my noodles and the pork was very tasty, but it could have done with being twice as large.”Unfortunately the staff made us feel slightly under pressure to eat quickly - which left with me indigestion.Other diners seemed to be enjoying their food, and the speediness of the service would make the restaurant convenient for those on a tight lunch break.Again, on the plus side, the restaurant is pretty cheap so if you are looking for somewhere to grab a quick lunch bite this could be the place.The portions are quite small but I think they were ideal for a lunchtime when you have to return to work and don’t want to feel too drowsy.
Food 3
Atmosphere 2
Service 2
Value for money 3
Greens |
Having sampled cuisine from pretty much everywhere in the world in recent months, we decided to do what the cast of Goodness Gracious Me once termed ‘going for an English’.
Greens Restaurant on Pegler way offers up traditional cuisine, with a full English breakfast sharing the menu with steak sandwiches, toasted muffins, and of course, a roast with all the trimmings.
This reporter decided to plump for a straight forward club sandwich while my colleague ordered a cheese, onion and potato flan.
The restaurant makes a point of leaving out papers for its cutomers’ to read, which turned out to be pretty handy given the somewhat overly generous time they gave us to settle in between ordering and receiving our food.
Once it arrived the food was pretty much as you’d expect.
The bacon, cheese and boiled egg were all present and correct in a good-sized club sandwich, with the succulent strips of chicken making for a particularly tasty and filling offering.
The salad and potato crisps served alongside were less inspiring, but could still be enjoyed once adorned with a large dollop of the lovely homemade mayonnaise.
My colleague had a lukewarm reaction to his dish, which came with salad and new potatoes.
While he was impressed that it had clearly been freshly made he said: “I’m not sure separating the layers really worked – especially the slice of cheese on top and having a whole layer of potato when the dish comes with new potatoes.”
For pudding I went for a Jam roly poly, based entirely on the fact that I liked the name.
You might not think that to be the most flawless method of choosing a pudding, but it worked on this occasion, as the jam-coated rolls of sponge went down a treat with the restaurant’s homemade Baileys ice cream.
My dining partner was also more pleased with his pudding of chocolate bread and butter pudding.
He said: “The dessert was good, made with brioche so it was ever sweeter than a regular pud.
“The chocolate custard was excellent although with all that excess I’m not sure I needed two scoops of homemade Baileys ice-cream. Nicely done though.”
The atmosphere throughout the meal was relaxed, if a little quiet given the lack of fellow punters to create so much as a murmur of background conversation.
And given the lack of competing orders, the lethargic nature of the service was a little surprising.
Overall Greens Restaurant offers decent food, at decent prices, in a decent setting.
So it was very decent indeed, and things don’t get much more English than that.
Food 3
Atmosphere 3
Service 3
Value for money 4
Goffs Manor |
SHELTERING from gusty winds and threatening rain clouds my colleague and I hurried in to the cosy comfort of the Goffs Manor pub for lunch.
And with the fire roaring and lighted candles setting the scene the pub was the perfect bolthole from the stormy January weather.
The 16th century building retains many characteristics from its time as a farmhouse including low slung timber beams and dark wood which add to the cosy and welcoming atmosphere.
We settled at our table which offered a view of the rain soaked garden and started wading through the menu.
On offer was a tasty selection of salads, pasta dishes, classic cooking and grill option.
Light bites, a children’s menu and a specials board with dishes including tuna steak, herb roasted lamb and glazed belly of pork were all on offer to tempt us.
I eventually decided on the crispy blanchebait with lemon and tartare sauce to start.
A generous pile of crunchy whitebait fish quickly arrived served with a thick wedge of lemon and was a perfect light start to the meal.
My colleague chose the stilton and mushroom melt - grilled flat mushrooms on an English muffin topped with melting Stilton cheese sauce.
She described her dish as “very nice and the pesto dressing had a nice fresh taste.”
For the main course I opted for grilled pesto marinated vegetable skewers.
An impressive looking dish piled high with salad, new potatoes and two jam-packed skewers arrived.
The vegetables included red and yellow pepper, aubergine, mushroom, red onion and courgette coated in a sweet pesto sauce.
The soft vegetables were perfectly cooked as were the crumbly and soft new potatoes.
My colleague plumped for a traditional Sussex Smokey, a dish of smoked fish, spinach and tomato in a cheese sauce topped with crumble.
She described it as a “lovely dish with lots of cheese and big chunks of fish, perfect for a cold winter’s day.”
Her meal was served with “good chunky chips” and a mixed salad which was more of a half hearted garnish.
The pub was relatively busy for a rainy mid-week lunchtime but the staff were highly attentive and pleasant.
And having warmed up from the chill of the winter wind and with full stomachs it was difficult to leave the friendly atmosphere of the pub behind.
Our bill including drinks came to a very reasonable £28 for two.
Food 3
Atmosphere 4
Service 4
Value for money 4
The Crown |
ON a lazy and slightly hungover New Year’s Day we set off to The Crown in Turners Hill for a birthday meal with the mother-in-law.
Due to the night before and Christmas only days earlier, none of us felt like cooking and we were all in a rather relaxed and cheerful mood.
We arrived at the very attractive 16th century watering hole at 1.30pm and, despite the restaurant being very busy, we were promptly seated. The décor has a traditional country pub feel with wooden floors, huge oak beams, old paintings and large dark wooden tables.
And as it was the Christmas season the pub was still very festive, although tasteful and again traditional. We bought drinks at the bar and our food order was taken quickly by friendly staff.
Despite this we did wait at least 20 minutes to get our starters, although the pub’s website does warn of delays during busy periods.
I chose the spinach and ricotta roulade from the specials board, my partner had the duck and port, my mother-in-law had the soup of the day and my six-year-old son’s main meal, Chicken Charter Pie with chips and vegetables, was also served.
The food was well presented and luckily it tasted as good as it looked!
My starter was soft and creamy, and a tangy sauce delicately drizzled around the edge provided a welcome bite. My partner was also more than happy with his duck, his only complaint was there wasn’t enough toast to go with the pate; my mother-in-law was also very satisfied.
My son seemed ready to get stuck into his chicken pie.
The restaurant does offer a typical children’s menu but they also make smaller portions of adult options if you want your kids to be a bit more adventurous.
We all finished pretty quickly and again had to wait a bit longer than we would have liked for our mains.
When they did arrive each one looked very appetising and substantial. I ate the spinach, mushroom and pepper parcel, a lovely mixture of ingredients mixed in a cream and yoghurt sauce and encased in a puff pastry.
My partner had the beef in Guinness casserole served with potatoes and vegetables which he described as ‘lovely, with a thick sauce, nice chunks of beef and plenty of veg’.
And my mother-in-law had the lamb chump chops which looked as tantalising as the rest and went down very well! Hopefully it satisfied her birthday palette.
Much to my pleasure the bill was a lot more reasonable than I was expecting at £61.50 and I think we’ll definitely be back.
I would certainly recommend this delightful public house and restaurant.
And with over 300 hundred years of hospitality under its belt you probably can’t go wrong.
Food 4
Atmosphere 3
Service 5
Value for money 4
Maid of Sussex |
UNDER new management The Maid of Sussex in Gales Drive Parade has got a brand new menu.
Diners can choose from light bites like nachos, ploughman’s and sandwiches to more substantial meals and Sunday roasts.
The restaurant area was packed with diners enjoying their lunch so my colleague and I retired to the bar area.
The service was friendly, if a little slow - but this was possibly due to how busy the pub was.
The pub looks all the better for the change in management with a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere and lots of different areas for those who are eating or just going for a swift drink.
After ordering our food from the bar we decided to sit in the conservatory to make the most of the winter sunshine.
I opted for a gourmet beef burger with brie and mushrooms served with salad and chips.
The burger was delicious, it was an excellent size and very tasty – it was very filling so I didn’t make much of a dent on my chips.
The topping was very tasty with loads of melted brie, salad and coleslaw – I managed to make a fairly horrendous mess and needed several napkins, but the burger was well worth it.
My colleague opted for the mature cheddar cheese ploughman’s which was well presented with a gigantic wedge of bread and plenty of cheese, salad and pickle to go with it.
My colleague, said: “There were lots of onions, a good size wedge of bread and generous hunks of cheese.
“The pickled onions were good and very fiery and tasted like they were home made.
“The salad was quite fresh although tomatoes would have been nice.”
For dessert I had the sticky toffee pudding which was excellent although quite heavy for lunchtime.
My colleague went for the apple and pear crumble which he said was ‘delicious’.
He said: “I couldn’t have eaten this if I had had a main meal and not a light bite – it tasted home made and I think that it is nice that a pub seemed to take care of their food rather than ordering it in from suppliers.”
The Maid of Sussex is ideal for a relaxed evening meal and I would recommend their light bite selection for a quick lunch time snack as their main meals are very filling but could leave you a little sleepy at work in the afternoon.
The food is reasonably priced and the menu has options for those of different budgets and different tastes.
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 3
Value for money 4
Thai Star
PULLING into Northgate Parade on a drizzly Friday afternoon doesn’t necessarily fill you with a lot of hope for a meal review, but the Thai Star is an absolutely fantastic find.
Set in one half of the Black Dog pub, it is an authentic Thai restaurant, with the added benefit of pub prices and atmosphere.
Although it was rather quiet when a colleague and I arrived for a late lunch, we were greeted by friendly and polite staff and took our seat at a table.
We were handed a menu to look at, which was extensive and extremely tasty-looking.
We plumped for a mixed starter platter to share to begin with (£5.45 per person).
With delicious smells wafting from the kitchen we were both eagerly anticipating our starters, but were not expecting the delicious platter that arrived on our table.
Beautifully presented in a wicker dish and banana leaves, we were treated to a selection of spring rolls, chicken satay, sweetcorn cakes, Thai chicken wings, prawns in blankets and deep-fried beans, with a selection of sauces.
Eating perhaps more than we should have, we devoured our starters and both agreed how tasty and well presented they were. It’s also nice to have a bit of variation with starters, rather than just the usual spring roll options.
Considering the delicious start to our meal, we were eagerly awaiting our main courses, and certainly weren’t disappointed.
I ordered the Tamarind Fish (£8.95) which was absolutely stunning. A whole crispy Thai fish, it came served with tamarind sauce and was topped with crispy fried onions, garlic and ginger.
I’m a bit of a Thai-food obsessive and was in my element when I visited Thailand a few years ago, and I have to say this food is amongst some of the best Thai food I have ever eaten. The fish was cooked to perfection with a crispy coating and delicious, flavoursome topping. It was too much for me to finish but I definitely made the right choice.
My colleague opted for the Asian Chilli (£10.95) which was similar to my fish dish but slightly hotter with fresh chilli sauce and a king prawn.
Although we both chose from the chef’s specials menus, which are slightly more expensive, there are lots of cheaper options available.
They do a lunchtime offer for £4.45 or a two course meal offer for £8.95.
Although the setting is slightly unusual, the standard of the food is so high that it doesn’t matter.
The Thai Star is close enough to town that you can pop in for a quick lunch, but the food is so spectacular you could also save it up for a special occasion. Whatever you decide, it is definitely worth a visit.
Food 5
Atmosphere 4
Service 5
Value for money 4
Estrelicia |
SOME people don’t have time for that complete lunchtime experience – a sashimi wrap and a glass of something cold and white. But that doesn’t mean your taste buds have to be tortured by tasteless cardboard sandwiches and limp salads.
To try to prove a point, my colleague and I ducked into Estrelicia to sample one of their many light bites.
The café is a busy Mediterranean bolt hole located halfway down Church Walk, which judging from the throngs of people inside, already does a good job at tempting office staff away from their computers.
Choosing a table by the window we scanned the menu, which ranges from continental toasted ciabattas, to the more traditional baked jacket potatoes and all day breakfasts. There was also a blackboard of daily, home-cooked specials.
For me there’s always a certain buzz about eating out when the atmosphere is good and friendly. And in Estrelicia there is a real family feel to proceedings, the staff have time for their customers and really seem to care about the food they serve.
Although there is certainly a rough and ready look to the place, we felt its shabby-chic leant to its homely charm.
Sipping black coffees my colleague plumped for an omelette with mushrooms and peppers. I decided to go for one of the eatery’s home baked rolls stuffed full of chicken, olives, crispy bacon and mozzarella.
The omelette looked fantastic, cooked like an omelette should be – slightly soft in the centre and browned to perfection. There was hardly enough room on the plate for the mound of chips and salad served up with it.
My colleague was also impressed. He said: “It’s really nicely cooked, good generous portions. Quality.”
My roll was also on the larger side, great hunks of chicken and mozzarella oozing out of the springy, fresh bread. It was fantastic and was probably one of the best things I’ve eaten out all year, proving that food needn’t be fussy or expensive to be delicious.
My colleague, full from his chips, decided that he would skip a pud. Feeling no such restraint, I picked one of Estrelicia’s patisserie cakes to eat with my coffee. Again it was superb, made sweeter still, by the sight of people hurrying past in the rain. Make sure you think twice before grabbing that plastic-wrapped sandwich.
Food 4
Atmosphere 5
Service 4
Value for money 5
Blue India |
Blue India provides a modern setting and a mix of traditional Indian dishes amongst the hustle and bustle of Crawley High Street.
After charging through the farmers market on the High Street my very hungry colleague and I were welcomed into the clean and modern setting of the Blue India restaurant.
There is a bar area for diners to enjoy a pre-dinner drink while waiting for their table and a huge dining area which is sympathetically lit.
The service was quick and the waiting staff were polite and courteous, offering us a variety of combinations to make up our dishes.
The menu contains a mix of dishes with options for those with more adventurous tastes and those who like to stick with more tried and tested dishes like chicken tikka masala and korma.
The portions were filling but not too much for a lunch time and there is a wide selection of side dishes including home made breads.
To start with I choose the ‘Magic Mushrooms’, which were perfectly legal button mushrooms coated in minced lamb and breadcrumbs with a mint dip.
My colleague chose the crab malaba - fresh white crab meat cooked with spices in white wine and mango, topped with cheese.
My starter was quite big but was very tasty and my colleague said that hers was quite cheesy and perhaps a little lacking in mango - possibly a bit too rich for lunchtime.
For my main course I chose the fairly mild Goan red curry with chillies and coconut milk. It came with saffron rice which was flavoured with plenty of saffron and cardammon.
The flavours were quite delicate and light and there were plenty of large prawns in the curry - I think that it was an ideal choice for a lunch time.
My colleague chose shashlick tikka - a choice of bite sized pieces of marinated chicken roasted with tomatoes, onions and green peppers.
My colleague said that the chicken was very tender and that it was a good light lunch option.
She added that there were big generous chunks of chicken and nicely blackened peppers – it was delicious.
The restaurant provides a selection of dishes that are suitable for either a light lunch or a large evening meal.
The interior is spacious and the atmosphere relaxed - the calm lighting making it ideal for escaping from your hectic office environment for an appetizing lunch.
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 4
Value for money 3
La Bodega |
WALKING into La Bodega on a drizzly Wednesday lunchtime, the cheerful Spanish restaurant seems a world away from the autumn rain outside.
Kitted out like an authentic Spanish taverna, the restaurant is bright and airy, with attractive Spanish tiles along the walls.
All this makes you think you could be in a sweet restaurant in a tiny Spanish village rather than Crawley High Street, which is a good start for any meal review.
La Bodega was already full of people when we arrived just after 1pm.
We were greeted by friendly waiters who seated us in one of the free tables in the downstairs area.
The menu is extensive, with a large tapas selection to choose from and a number of vegetarian options.
There are also large separate fish and meat menus, offering all sorts of steaks and a wide-ranging selection of delicious-sounding fish.
Although I was really tempted by some of the options on the fish menu, looking around us at what the other diners were eating, it had to be tapas.
My companion and I chose some olives to start with (£1.60) which were delicious.
I then chose two dishes from the tapas menu – Lomo a la parrilla (slices of pork fillets, potatoes and onions £5.95) and Berejenas com tomote (baked aborigines in tomato sauce – I think they meant ‘aubergines’ £5.60).
The great thing about tapas is you can chose a range of dishes for your meal, and order more dishes if you want a more substantial meal in the evening.
But two dishes each was more than enough for us and I was very pleased with the choices I had made.
The pork was tender and lovely and covered in a tasty sauce.
The aubergines came baked in a cheese and tomato sauce and the dish was delicious.
My dining partner opted for Tortilla (typical Spanish potato, onion omelette £4.60) and Champinones picantes (mushrooms in red wine garlic and chilli £4.40).
We also had a green salad to share (£3.40)
He said: “The tortilla is a staple of Spanish cooking but it was done well and was a nice-sized portion. The mushrooms were more unusual and were rich and tasty, but not noticeably spicy despite the name.
“It was one of the best tapas restaurants I have been to anywhere in the country.”
I would have to agree with my friend on that one. La Bodega is a first class restaurant, everything about it is authentic and cheerful and the food is absolutely fantastic.
At £30 for lunch for two people, including drinks, it’s obviously not the cheapest lunch time option, but it is definitely worth a visit. In fact I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Food 5
Atmosphere 5
Service 4
Value for money 3
Hillside |
BALANCED on the leafy edge of Crawley where the town becomes the country, the Hillside Inn is just close enough for office dwellers with a long lunch break to nip out for a dose of rural tranquillity.
Sadly, lowly reporters at Observer Towers are not entitled to a long lunch break, but in the interests of truthful and informative journalism we decided to go anyway. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices.
Inside the atmosphere closely reflects the pub’s position between old Crawley and new. The décor is tasteful and modern, but does not disguise the charm of the old building with its low ceilings and wooden beams. It is spacious and quiet.
The staff were friendly and polite and (as is usually the case in pubs) apologised to me for the lack of vegetarian options.
I went for breaded flat mushrooms with a creamy garlic dip to start (£3.95) while my carnivorous companion plumped for spicy chargrilled chicken skewers with mint and coriander yogurt, toasted sesame seeds, and pitta (£4.50). The starters came fast, and my colleague speedily wolfed his skewers, which he said were tasty, served in a generous portion, and nicely complemented by the yogurt dip. I was less excited by the mushrooms.
They were as tasty as most things are once they’ve been battered and deep fried (well tasty) but otherwise unremarkable – and at a rough cost of 79p per slice of mushroom (there were five of them) not exactly amazing value.
But things picked up a bit for me when the main courses arrived. I picked the roasted stuffed aubergine (not a hard decision – there was only one other veggie option) and was glad I did.
Unlike many veggie meals in meat-and-fish centric pubs this was well prepared, and didn’t seem like an afterthought. The only black marks against the dish were 1. the crispy new potatoes it was supposed to come with had run out (chips instead) and 2. the steamed veg it came with was a little bland and uninspiring.
My meat-eating friend bypassed a wide selection of pub classics, steaks, and fish dishes, to devour a beef, cheese and bacon burger with chips (£7.25). This was also rated tasty – although half-an-hour later he was moaning that it had been over-salted and he felt ‘as if he had salt seeping out of his pores’.
On balance, I would recommend the Hillside for food, despite the criticisms here. The prices are justified by the atmosphere alone – and while there are some glitches with the food, it compares well with most pub grub available in town.
Food 3
Atmosphere 5
Service 4
Value for Money 2
Cuzini |
MY COLLEAGUES and I have been eagerly anticipating the opening of Cuzini for several months.
Every time one of us has strolled past the oriental restaurant on the Boulevard we have been looking forward to putting their menu to the test.
This week, on their second day of business we finally got the chance to try out what was on offer.
The restaurant itself is light, bright and modern. And despite being on the normally bustling Boulevard it felt miles away from the town centre, until an interested passer-by craned in to the window for a closer look at the mountain of food I had managed to pile on my plate.
The staff were all highly attentive and after a quick look over the menu neither of us could resist opting for the all you can eat authentic lunch buffet.
Armed with nicely warmed plates we set about sampling a variety of dishes which include Sri Lankan, South Indian, Chinese and Malaysian food.
All the foot was hot and tasty and the staff made sure the food trays were regularly filled. With none of the dishes labelled it was hard to know what to pick, so I took the most sensible option and went for a bit of everything.
This could have been a bit hit and miss but my strategy paid off as everything was really tasty and fresh. My plate was piled high with two varieties of rice, a tandoori style chicken dish, a lentil daal curry, spinach and poppadoms.
I even managed enough room for the Sri Lankan tropical salad which was packed full of Mangoes, Bananas, Peaches and nuts – a sweet but healthy option for dessert.
My colleague who managed a heroic second serving also praised the lunch buffet.
He said: “The food was succulent and obviously freshly prepared. I would definitely recommend it.”
The “all you can eat” buffet lunch is £6.50 per head and with food this good there is no danger you won’t get your money’s worth. There are several vegetarian options on the menu and a variety of curry dishes ranging from mild to hot.
The restaurant which serves only Halal meat also offers breakfast, a “quick snacks and dishes” menu and a full a la-carte service.
The restaurant is open form 8am until 3pm with the buffet lunch menu served between noon-3pm. The a la carte menu is served from 6-11pm and on Sunday a special Oriental Buffet is offered.
Food 4
Atmosphere 5
Service 4
Value for Money 5
Nandos |
Given that Nando’s are fast staging a Portuguese invasion of the country it was only a matter of time before they turned up in Crawley. The only question is - what took them so long?
But having enjoyed three courses of their generous portions there is no doubt that their presence is wholly welcomed. They have forged a unique image in terms of both food and décor with their Portuguese/ African theme.
At Nando’s you pay at the till before you eat, which means you are free to munch away without worrying about whether the bill will seriously dent your wallet once it is totted up.
Within moments of sitting down with two Observer colleagues four bowls appeared on the table - two full of spicy mixed olives, and another two filled with nuts.
The nuts were our introduction to Nando’s speciality- they are fast becoming renowned for their use of peri- peri spice, which comes with pretty much everything they serve. It certainly made the nuts a very moreish proposition.
This turned out to be more of a curse than a blessing as Matt and Claire were busy wolfing down the olives whilst making frequent grunts of approval, leaving me to ruin my appetite via the consumption of at least 40 nuts.
Nando’s cater for every palate, meaning that Matt - fearing for his delicate taste buds - could plump for the ‘lemon and herb’ level of spiciness, whilst I went for ‘medium’ and Claire braved the ‘hot’ option.
The main courses came promptly, although rather bizarrely Matt’s Double chicken breast burger and Claire’s chicken breast in pitta came served on the same plate.
Much as a fight for plate territory may have proved amusing they plumped for the more civilised option of grabbing an extra one.
Once they were free to tuck in both declared their meals to be very enjoyable. Matt was a fan of the ‘zesty’ peri-peri sauce and ‘succulent’ chicken, although he expressed disappointment that the chickens were not free range.
Claire was impressed by the doughiness of the pitta bread, and was pleased with her decision to ask for ‘hot’- certain that ‘extra hot’ would have proved a step too far.
My half chicken with chips and corn on the cob was just as I expected having visited several other Nando’s restaurants before - and that is just as I wanted it.
The peri-peri spice penetrates right to the centre of the chicken, avoiding the dreaded tasteless white mass which is often faced after digging beneath the outer layer of chicken dishes.
Matt went for cheesecake for dessert, while Claire and I chose crunchy lemon pudding.
Although Claire felt let down by the crunchy lemon pudding’s notable lack of crunchiness, she enjoyed it nonetheless, an endorsement I can second - it found just the right strength of lemon for the overworked taste buds, and did not add too much to my ready to burst stomach.
Matt was also relieved to be greeted by a relatively small helping of cheesecake, and declared it to be very tasty indeed.
Ultimately the only major problem with eating at Nando’s is the post-dinner comedown - the satisfied lethargy of a well filled stomach made the steps back up to the Observer offices a mean proposition.
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 4
Value for Money 5
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Shin Mai |
CHINESE restaurants are pretty much two a penny in any town, so to open up a new one, you have to be pretty confident you are good.
And the owners of Shin Mai, the glossy new restaurant located in the High Street next to Lusso and Cubana, have got it right on the button.
I have eaten at a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, New York, so I like to think I have some knowledge in separating the good from the bad.
And Shin Mai is good – no, it’s very good.
Some Chinese restaurants you walk into are so over decorated you want to shoot the next peacock you see, but Shin Mai was very subtle and classily decked out.
You are welcomed with mostly white walls with the odd black-framed picture and you feel you are in a top establishment.
Not that it will happen every night, but we were also treated to a brilliant dragon dance where the beast travelled round the restaurant to visit every table.
Although the little kid on the table next to us did not look best pleased!
After the festivities had ended, we got down to the food and our table of eight had a set menu for four (which costs £25, other set menus start from £16.90).
We started with steam scallops which, with the chilli and lemongrass sauce, were very tasty before we wolfed down the Shin Mai mixed hor d’oeuvres.
All the usual suspects were there – prawn toast, satay chicken, seaweed, pork spare ribs – but although it was nothing new, one diner said it was the best prawn toast they had ever tasted and other diners were making very complimentary noises as they ate the spare ribs.
Then we came to my favourite, the aromatic crispy duck. Again, this is something all the diners had eaten before, but this one was particularly tasty, with the plum sauce putting a smile on everyone’s face.
For most people, the starters were a meal in themselves, but we still had the sizzling fillet steak, the spicy Szechuan prawns, Shin Mai chicken, pak choi and egg fried rice to go!
The prawns were very tasty but not having a great tolerance for anything too spicy, I could not eat too many, but the plate was cleared very quickly, so they must have been good.
The chicken was also every succulent and tasty, but for me and a couple of the other diners, the highlight was the beef.
In other Chinese restaurants I have frequented, the beef dishes normally come with very fine slices of quick frying steak and although tasty, are never fulfilling. But this was proper steak. And it was very tender and ridiculously tasty. I could not recommend this dish highly enough.
Unfortunately, after foolishly eating a Sunday roast earlier in the day, there was not room for dessert although the varied selection was tempting.
Shin Mai also calls itself a seafood specialist and I saw no great evidence of this until I saw the tank of live lobsters. I will definitely be going back to test those out.
And on another point, everyone commented on how nice the toilets were. Always a good sign for a restaurant.
Food 4
Atmosphere 5
Service 5
Value for Money 4
Ask |
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ASK is located in an old timber building at the top of Crawley High Street and offers a pleasant setting for diners.
My colleague and I were pleasantly surprised by the bright and airy interior of the restaurant with its ample seating in a variety of different rooms.
The interior is modern and simply furnished yet still managed to remain in keeping with the old building.
The restaurant was pretty quiet when we arrived but the other diners appeared to be enjoying their meals.
The menu offers a wide selection of salads, pasta and pizza with a good variety of dishes for vegetarian diners.
There is also the option of making up your own pizza topping if you cannot find a combination that suits you.
The dishes are reasonably priced with starters costing between £2 and £4 and main courses costing between £5 and £8.
I chose the Crostini al Taleggio e Funghi – a warm trio of mushrooms served on a melted taleggio cheese crostini with rocket.
This was delicious and just the right size for a starter and still left plenty of room for my main course.
My colleague chose the ASK Insalata which was baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, avocado, mushrooms, grana padana and croutons.
Claire said: “There was a generous serving and the ingredients were tasty and fresh.
“The salad was quite filling but a good size for a starter.”
For our main courses I opted for Formaggio di Capra – grilled goats cheese, balsamic caramelized onions on ciabatta bread with a mixed leaf salad tossed in a honey and mustard dressing.
This salad was huge and the ingredients fresh - it was quite a challenge to finish but very tasty.
Claire chose Ravioli Burro e Pesce – ravioli stuffed with crayfish, crab, smoked salmon and mascarpone cheese, tossed in white wine sauce and rocket.
She said: “It was very tasty and a good size portion ideal for lunch but could have done with being slightly less oily.”
All in all the meal was most enjoyable and the staff were friendly and attentive – there was a good selection of dishes whether you wanted a light lunch or a large evening meal.
The service was very quick – helpful for those looking for a quick bite to eat on their lunch hour.
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 4
Value for Money 4
WALKING into a Frankie & Bennies New York-style restaurant is a bit like walking onto a movie set.
This is what you would think a 1950s Big Apple bistro would be like, or at least, how you’d want it to be.
When we arrived at the American/Italian restaurant on Friday evening it was the popular chain’s first opening – which meant it was very busy and chock-a-block with nervous and eager-to-please waiters.
The atmosphere of F&B’s is as you’d expect with lots of clatter and chatter from the kitchens and the zip and hum of service staff.
Snapshots of Brooklyn life cover the wall, which, combined with the jukebox music and booth seating give the impression of a ‘Little Italy’ in Crawley’s Leisure Park.
The only thing that slightly gave the game away was a giant squirrel-cum-rat-dog handing out balloons to youngsters.
Settling into our seats we scanned the menu. There were few surprises, a lot of classics from pizzas to pastas and grilled steaks for the committed carnivore.
Ed and Jenny both plumped for the tomato and mozzarella salad and pronounced it a ‘happy marriage’. Andrew opted for a prawn cocktail with a twist, a crayfish salad – consisting of crayfish tails, iceberg lettuce, peppers and celery all tossed in Thousand Island dressing.
He said: “There were plenty of crayfish, the salad was crisp and the sauce was a revelation.”
Stacia was also happy with her Classic Potato Skins loaded with cheese and chives.
After careful consideration I went for Mushroom Alfredo. My button mushrooms came baked in a rich cheese sauce and were delicious, although maybe too heavy for a starter.
Jenny and Stacia stuck with the vegetarian option for their main course of aubergine parmigana.
Jenny said: “It was a bit too cheesy and vegetables of the day turned out to be just cauliflower, but I’ve never had anything like it before and it was generally good.”
Ed’s main course consisted of a chargrilled chicken breast topped with bacon, monteray jack cheese and lots of BBQ sauce.
Both Andrew and I decided to get down and dirty with hulking steaks.
Andrew chose an 8oz sirloin chargrilled steak topped off with five large prawn tails.
He said: “It was good, cooked just right and there wasn’t much fat on it. It was very decent the prawns were lovely.”
My 8oz strip sirloin was also good, and cooked nicely, although I would have preferred a little more pink for medium rare. I also would have liked a steak knife (which I did request) but small glitches must be forgiven on opening night.
With prices for main courses ranging from £8 to £14, F&B’s is a good price for a relaxed night out or just quick eats before hitting the town.
Food 4
Atmosphere 4
Service 4
Value for Money 4
Happy Meeting |
IT was with rumbling stomachs that five colleagues and I went down to Happy Meeting for an early lunch last week.
Chinese food isn’t everyone’s preferred choice for lunchtime, but we all felt hungry enough to do it justice, and it turned out that the restaurant was surprisingly busy.
I have been to Happy Meeting once before, and thought the food and atmosphere was fantastic, so I had high hopes for this lunch.
And I wasn’t disappointed.
From the outset, the staff were friendly and courteous, guiding us to a seat in the large first-floor restaurant.
For those who haven’t been before, Happy Meeting is tucked away at the end of the Boulevard. As you enter, you are taken through an anonymous-looking entrance and up stairs to a huge dining area on the first floor.
Although the views of the council building opposite aren’t that great, the decoration is tasteful and authentic enough for this not to matter.
The menu is huge and full of variety. It is particularly good for vegetarian options.
In fact, I’ve never seen vegetarian food quite like it.
Two colleagues opted for the vegetarian set menu (around £15 per person) which had impressive mixed hors d’oeuvres to start with.
Normally vegetarians are lumbered with spring rolls, but this set meal offered mock-Peking Spare Ribs, mock-chicken satay, and mock-sesame prawn toast, all made out of bean curd and vegetables.
One contented colleague said: “They were very tasty and made a really nice change for a vegetarian.”
Meanwhile, over on the carnivorous side of the table, we ordered another set menu (£18 per person).
We had a very generous plate of satay chicken, spare ribs, prawn toast, spring rolls and seaweed to start with.
After eating all that, we were all feeling a little full, but then our second courses arrived, and we bravely ate on.
Next up was crispy aromatic duck, which was delicious and once again, a generous portion.
The vegetarians also had their own version of this, which was described as “delicious”.
Our mammoth lunch finished with sizzling chilli beef, king prawn and mixed stir fry, while the veggies had sweet and sour mock-pork, mock-chicken and stir-fried vegetables.
The food at Happy Meeting is excellent and often refreshingly different.
The staff are attentive and friendly and the general atmosphere is a world away from the busy road outside.
Food (out of 5): 5
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
Value for money: 3
Obby verdict: 16 out of 20
Langshott Manor |
FISH and chips, bangers and mash, strawberries and cream and bacon and eggs. These are foods we all love and go together very well on a plate.
But have you ever imagined crab and chocolate with a sweetcorn sorbet on the same dish?
No? Well if you feel like being adventurous it may well be worth your while heading to Langshott Manor – a hidden gem in a beautiful setting.
The Mulberry Restaurant at the Manor is under the rule of new head chef David Lennox and he is working his magic in the kitchen, concocting dishes that you could never imagine.
This is not the kind of place you just pop down to for a quick snack.
Just like the bizarre crab delight mentioned above, the dishes are a bit of an acquired taste and the words ‘poncy’ and ‘pretentious’ were bandied about by a couple of the diners.
After a glass of champagne in the rather quaint but sauna-like Champagne Bar, my dining partner and I had the five-course taster menu which started off with water melon gazpacho. Although not a hit with my dining partner, I found the dish refreshing and the ideal way to start a posh meal.
This was followed by parmesan Crème Caramel. Now I am not a cheese fan, although I do like a sprinkling of parmesan on a bolognese.
This was initially very tasty but then the cheese aftertaste hit me and I had to gulp down a bit of Sauvignon Blanc to clear the palette!
I was assured by other diners this was very tasty but I certainly would not have it again. What ever happened to the nice crème caramel my mum used to get from Safeway?
The next dish was my favourite of the evening. The cornish crab and mint salad with chocolate and a sweetcorn sorbet was an absolute delight. There were so many flavours and tastes in one spoon it was like there was a party in my mouth! You would never have thought this would work, but it really does.
My dining partner was very apprehensive, not being a crab fan, but she really liked it and surprised herself by gulping the whole lot down.
Now, my experience of duck is a quarter of the crispy aromatic kind I get from the Chinese – a bit of cucumber, spring onion, hoi sin sauce and a pancake – lovely stuff. Start throwing half a plum and feta cheese at it then I am not so sure.
But the roast Gressingham duck that followed the crab was absolutely succulent, though the feta cheese that lingered on the side of it was not a hit for me and ruined that dish.
But then came my dining partner’s highlight of the evening – the pudding. Her eyes lit up as the coconut and passion fruit rice pudding was placed in front of her.
This was a light and refreshing dessert which really did finish the meal off well.
But as you find with ‘poncy’ and ‘pretentious’ food, they come in small portions and you are never quite satisfied (obviously this was a taster menu and they were smaller portions that usual). Give me steak and chips anytime!
But under David Lennox, Langshott Manor is hoping to receive a prestigious Michelin star and if wacky and original dishes are the way to get one, I am sure Langshott Manor’s value will be going up pretty soon.
But just don’t expect it to be cheap – the evening meals range from £30 a head to £40 depending on what menu you have but lunches are very reasonable at £15.
Just make sure you know what you are going to get – there are no chicken and chips in a basket here.
Food (out of 5): 4
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
Value for money: 4
Obby verdict: 16 out of 20
The Old Punch Bowl |
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THE Old Punch Bowl is to be found on Crawley high street just one feeble stone’s throw from the Observer offices.
As such it is not only great for our reporters when exercising their woefully underused lazy streaks, but more importantly easy access for anyone visiting the town centre.
Housed in a quaint Tudor-looking building the Punch Bowl brings to mind a slightly oversized country cottage.
The interior is very cosily arranged, with numerous comfortable seating areas, one of which is designated non-smoking, interspersed with the dining tables.
The prices are fairly standard and seem great value for money when you taste the food.
The Chicken and Bacon Melt for £6.65 can be personally recommended. You can never go far wrong with cheddar cheese and crispy bacon, and the Punch Bowl certainly doesn’t.
The only negative regarding the chicken and bacon melt was that it failed on all fundamental levels to look as singularly impressive and hunger-busting as the Beef and Yorkshire wrap.
Two colleagues made this wise choice, and the grass certainly looked bright green on their side of our outside table.
They thoroughly enjoyed their large helping of crispy Yorkshire pudding wrapped around a topside of roast beef with horseradish mayonnaise. At only £4.15 it certainly represented value for money.
The other dish consumed round our table was a plain old Margarita pizza for a reasonable £4.95, which was also well enjoyed.
A new menu will be starting in the pub on September 17, and if current form is maintained any new additions would be well worth trying.
Thai Green curry is one new dish which has been promised.
Had we not had a busy news day to get back to we could have made use of the ample entertainment facilities on offer.
All the classic pub game staples are represented, from pool and table football through to pinball.
There also several television screens of varying sizes.
Such is their layout that you would need to make a special effort to end up without a decent view of one.
All in all for both atmosphere and food the Old Punch Bowl really is pretty hard to fault.
Food (out of 5): 5
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
Value for money: 4
Obby verdict: 17 out of 20
The Black Swan |
WITH our stomachs grumbling and lunchtime looming large my colleague and I headed for the Black Swan in Pease Pottage to see what they had on offer.
We were pleasantly surprised to find a tasty mix of dishes from Steak and Tanglefoot Pie to Lemon Scented Mackerel.
To add to our difficult choice alongside the packed menu we found a specials board full of exciting dishes and a blackboard offering light bites including filled jacket potatoes, sandwiches, baguettes and tasty Ploughman’s options.
To start, I eventually plumped for the Farmhouse Pate, £3.79. A generous serving of tasty Pork Pate duly arrived with a special red onion and cranberry compote which was the perfect rich and sweet companion.
My colleague ordered the Roast Vegetable and Goat’s Cheese Tart, £3.99, a good size portion which turned up on a bed of really nice salad.
She said: “It had lovely roast vegetables and caramelised onions with a big chunk of melted cheese on top. It was really tasty.”
For the main course I chose the Wilted Spinach, Mushroom and Brie Tart, £7.45.
A crisp pastry case stuffed with sweet onions, mushroom, peppers and spinach arrived topped with melting slivers of brie with balsamic vinegar.
The tasty tart came with a generous portion of waxy new potatoes and a side salad, more than enough to satisfy even the hungriest diner.
My colleague opted for the Sussex Smokey, £8.45, for her main course. The local dish is a blend of white and smoked fish with spinach and tomato in a creamy cheese sauce, topped with a cheese crumble.
She said: “It was really tasty with lots of big pieces of fish, a crispy cheese top and nice chunky chips. I was really pleased with my choice.”
The service was quick and pleasant and the Pease Pottage pub made the perfect lunchtime escape.
Food (out of 5): 5
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
Value for money: 3
Obby verdict: 16 out of 20
Il Sorriso |
IT seems no matter what night of the week you visit Horley’s tasty Italian restaurant Il Sorriso – it will always be busy.
And that was the case one Wednesday evening when my partner and I decided to swing by for a quick bite to eat.
We were greeted by a harassed but friendly waiter who showed us to our table by the window. Inside there was a real mixture of older couples, young couples and mixed parties all soaking up the bustling atmosphere.
It was a warm evening so there were a few diners relaxing on the tables just outside.
This is typical of the popular Horley restaurant, tucked neatly away on Consort Way East, adjacent to Collingwood Batchellor, always busy and always good quality grub.
We reviewed the menu and I selected the classic mozzarella tricolore and my dining companion opted for the garlic mushrooms.
I really enjoyed my salad and was impressed at the freshness of all the ingredients and the delicate pesto sauce which brought all the flavours together. A perfect light starter to the meal. My partner devoured his mushrooms and raved at the tastiness of his dish.
While waiting for our mains we continued to sup on our bottle of Pinot Grigio Blush – on promotion at the restaurant – finding it going down a little bit too easy!
As we casually glanced around the restaurant, we noticed how many other diners had been wooed by the delicate pink wine, seeing it adorning tables throughout the room.
We also caught sight of a man tossing around pizza dough in a dedicated area of the restaurant as the rear. We realised he had been throwing the same dough since we had arrived – how we chuckled to ourselves in our merry state.
Now, nearly two-thirds through our Blush, we were greeted with our main courses – mine pasta stuffed with wild mushrooms and ricotta and my partner’s was penne arrabiata.
My pasta was covered with a thick and richly flavoured tomato and cheese sauce and oozing with an earthy mushroom filling. It was delicious.
My partner said of his arrabiata how balanced the dish was, with just the right amount of spice and tomato sauce.
Pleased with our selections so far we pushed the boat out and ordered dessert. I plumped for lemon drizzle ice cream – which certainly revitalised my taste buds and my partner selected the profiteroles which he really enjoyed.
Overall we were satisfied with our meals (particularly the wine!) but would just point out that this is not the place if you’re after a candle-lit dinner for two. It can be a bit noisy at times although it’s perfect for parties and get-togethers.
With Il Sorriso, you can dough no wrong
Food (out of 5): 4
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
Value for money: 4
Obby verdict: 16 out of 20
Taj Mahal |
LUNCH is a hard meal to get right. You want something quick, but not too heavy and definitely something which isn’t a limp sandwich in front of a computer.
Curry isn’t usually my first idea of a good working meal – conjuring up images of brick-heavy kormas and white hot vindaloos – all washed down with a couple of warm pints. But as I found out, the Taj Mahal is a world away from your stereotypical Indian restaurant.
First, the High Street eatery doesn’t look like most curry houses I’ve been to. Newly decorated throughout, the emphasis is on natural light, mirrors and even boasts a water feature cascading down one of the interior walls.
As we ordered our drinks, Rajpah Singh, manager at the Taj Mahal, explained the thinking behind the new lunchtime menu. He said: “We know there’s a lunch market in Crawley. We asked some customers and they said that Indian food is too heavy.
“We have been working for a while and have come up with a number of fusion dishes which are much lighter and more suited to lunch times.”
After a quick read of the menu, we decided to kick-off with some shared starters, Chatpate Aloo (£2.50) and Vegetable and Chicken Samosas (£2.50). The Chatpate Aloo was a real treat – the mashed potato patties were gently spiced and served with a gentle chickpea curry. The samosas were also good, crisp and golden, without a drop of grease.
It seems Indian cuisine is experiencing a real revolution at the moment and is moving away from the stigma of post-pub fare. Modern Indian food is now more similar to a European style, using simple, fresh flavours, which look great on the plate and are generally quite healthy.
Pulses and cereals also seem to be popping up more in fish dishes and I couldn’t help but notice the tang of olive oil in some of our starter dishes – rather than heavier, greasy oils.
For my mains I decided to go for one of the new fusion dishes, a Bombay Frankie Roll (£5). Consisting of a tortilla wrap stuffed with chicken tikka, salad onions and a delicate mint sauce, it was refreshing and light as a feather.
Two of my companions plumped for the intriguing Taj Express Platter (£7.95) that included a selection of Tandoori kebabs, sliced lamb tikka and seared prawns. It looked and smelled great; a fact confirmed by my co-eater who said: “It was really good, the spices were all really subtle and the prawn with carom seeds was excellent.”
Another colleague opted for another new fusion dish, the Malabar Seafood (£5.50). Giant prawns arrived, suffused in coconut, mustard seeds and wrapped up in rice noodles. She said: “It was great, really fresh ingredients – it was something I would definitely recommend.”
There was even an option available to our vegetarian diner, who chose a lunch-size curry from the a la carte menu. He happily enthused: “It was all really well cooked and very tasty.”
It would appear the lunchtime conundrum has been well and truly solved.
Food (out of 5): 4
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 5
Value for money: 4
Obby verdict: 17 out of 20
Flight Tavern |
IT was hot in Charlwood when we drove through last Wednesday, scanning the horizon for the Flight Tavern.
It was even hotter when we drove back down the same road ten minutes later, having been given different directions by a well-meaning man at a local garage.
After sweating half our lunch break away, we were hoping for a real treat – a restful break away from the daily humdrum. We were to be disappointed.
The pub’s sizeable garden was heaving when we finally pulled up at 1pm, jammed full of Gatwick staff making the most of the blazing heat – but still within touching distance of the airport and the low-flying planes screaming overhead.
The outside of the pub, situated on Charlwood Road in Lowfield Heath, is pleasant enough – decked out in the style of an old fashioned country boozer complete with wooden boarding and lead-lined windows.
The interior of the Flight Tavern keeps the old world feeling going with lots of old wood, pub knick-knacks and shadowy darkness, which came as a blessed relief from the retina-burning light outside.
But then the problems started and, unfortunately, they didn’t really stop.
We plumped for a shared starter, a mixed platter of chicken wings, onion rings and breaded mushrooms for £7.95.
After being tempted by an unusual-sounding ostrich steak, I decided to play it safe with bangers and mash, after all, no-one can get that wrong…
My other companions, swept away by the Mediterranean sun, opted for seafood paella and vegetable pasta. After twenty minutes a waiter arrived with our main courses having forgotten our starters. Turning down an unusual offer of having our starters after, or with our main meal (we were refunded with apologies), we hungrily tucked in to our food.
I was immediately glad I had shied away from the ostrich.
My sausages had been cooked unevenly and, although they seemed to have a reasonable pork content, I couldn’t help singing in my head ‘When will I see you again.’ The mash, which was drowned in a pool of onion gravy, contained big lumps of what seemed to be raw potato and was inedible.
My companions didn’t fare much better.
The pasta suffered the opposite fate of my lumpy mash and was ‘totally overcooked’.
But the sauce, which smothered sizable chunks of mushroom and broccoli, was given a thumbs up.
The paella was a big disappointment for my other co-eater. She said: “It was greasy, microwave rice with a sad lack of sea-food.”
After twenty-minutes she only discovered one fingernail-sized prawn in a giant mound of brightly coloured rice.
We decided to skip desserts for obvious reasons and left disappointed.
To be fair, many people seemed to be enjoying their food. Perhaps we were just unlucky with our choices.
Food (out of 5): 1
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
Value for money: 1
Obby verdict: 10 out of 20
A PERFECT combination of a stunning country house location, fine food, and reasonable prices is on offer at the Alexander House Hotel’s new brasserie.
The 15th century house in Turners Hill has added the informal and contemporary Reflections Brasserie offering an alternative to the more formal A La Carte menu.
Sitting snugly in between the main house and the new Utopia Spa, the Brasserie allows diners to indulge in the luxury available at Alexander House without having to worry about breaking the bank.
The new eating area is decked out in an ultra modern design with bold flower prints on the wall and leather backed sofas.
The atmosphere in the Brasserie is very laid back and the table mats and other accessories have a kind of Oriental feel to them.
The menu is simple, only one page of dishes to choose from, but the mouth-watering descriptions reassure you that the limited dishes will be deliciously cooked.
There are light bites that are offered in either ‘ample’ or ‘generous’ portions, classic meals and international dishes to choose from.
After hardly any deliberation at all my co-diner announced he would have the scallops (£7) for starters followed by fillet steak (£19) for mains. In the end I plumped for tomato, mozzarella and avocado (£7) for starters followed by sea bass with risotto and seafood ragout (£18).
My starter was exceptionally good. The hass avocado and balsamic dressing offset the creamy mozzarella very well and the beef tomatoes were delicious.
My friend’s three plump scallops also received rave reviews.
But it was his fillet steak complete with hand-cut chips, portobello mushroom and tomato that was the best dish of the night. The steak was cooked exactly to order and bursting with prime beef flavour. He said: “The steak was amazing. It melted in the mouth and was complimented nicely by the giant portobello mushroom.” On the down side he said the chips tasted like ready salted crisps.
Although only two small pieces of seabass my meal was very filling. The risotto was quite creamy and the added seafood ragout made this a light and flavoursome dinner.
With room left for dessert we perused the menu which consisted of pear and ginger cheesecake, banoffee pie and panna cotta. In the end we both opted for ice-cream, one scoop of strawberry cheesecake and two-scoops of mint choc chip for my hungry friend.
Reflections Brasserie is a funky way to dine at the beautiful Alexander House Hotel and well worth a visit.
Food: 4
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4
Value For Money: 4
Obby verdict: 17 out of 20
Heathy Farm |
IGNORING warnings from less hardened reporter, Matt Gaw, before we left the office about not eating outside for fear of wasps, my companion and I decided to sit outside in Heathy Farm’s large garden.
Despite being just off the busy Balcombe Road, the garden is leafy and pleasant with a large children’s playground.
We ordered our food at the bar from friendly and courteous staff and took our seat on a table outside.
But it wasn’t long before a wasp was persistently sniffing around my pineapple juice.
Cursing Matt Gaw’s foresight, we didn’t have long to wait before our food came along to distract us.
It’s always a little worrying when your food comes straight after you order it, but we were pleasantly surprised by our large, appetising plates.
My vegetarian colleague opted for a butternut squash pie, with mash and mixed vegetables on the side (£6.75).
It looked fantastic and tasted even better, with large chunks of butternut squash and peppers.
My companion was equally enamoured with his choice, saying: “The pastry was light, it had a lovely crispy potato top and the pie had a nice rich tomato flavour.
“The whole meal was surprisingly light and I didn’t feel sleepy in the afternoon, which was good.
“The food was much better than I expected.”
I chose the halibut with honey and mustard sauce (£11.95) from the specials board.
My plate arrived with a good sized portion of halibut, new potatoes and a selection of vegetables.
The honey and mustard sauce was light and tasty. It was a bonus having the sauce in a jug on the side, because chefs often can’t resist the temptation to drench their meals in sauces.
By this point the wasp was becoming a real nuisance, dive-bombing both of our meals at regular intervals.
It was lucky it avoided a squashing, but my greedy companion was too preoccupied with the pudding menu to attempt much of a swatting.
In the end we chose a chocolate mousse cake (£3.95) to share, which was about as chocolatey as it could possibly be.
Chocolate mousse, with a chocolate topping, covered in chocolate sauce with a chocolate straw on top for good measure.
It was a pretty good mousse, but sharing is probably the best way forward as that much chocolate could be surely be poisonous (or at least seriously artery-clogging).
All-in-all, Heathy Farm is a great place to retreat for lunch and comes highly recommended.
Food: 4
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 4
Value For Money: 4
Obby verdict: 15 out of 20
