Gonzo's Tea Room, London Street, Norwich

Apologies for the lack of posts recently, I'm starting a new job on Monday, so I have been busy handing over and getting prepared!

Gonzo's Team Room is a relative newcomer for food offerings in Norwich, with previous incarnations being more as a late night bar. I'd seen a picture of the burgers on Facebook and decided to pop there with a friend after work a few Friday's ago.

The unique decor is definitely a talking point - lots of wood, antique furniture, sofas and armchairs with a selection of cuddly toys (muppets, hence the name!) and low level lighting. We were early arrivals (around 5.30pm), so had no problems with getting a table in the petite venue.

First up, cocktails. My dinner companion for the evening went for a Blood Orange Collins, but I could not decide. I was asked what I liked to drink and the barman recommended a raspberry gin cocktail that he had been trying out that day and whipped one up for me.

Cocktails by candlelight

Happy Hour deals are available earlier in the evening - two for £10.

Gonzo's offer over 20 varieties of chicken wings including some interesting varieties, such as Wasabi Ninja, Canadian Maple & Bacon, Coca-Cola and Peanut Butter & Jelly. Between 3 and 6pm they are 25p a wing when you purchase a drink, which is a great price to sample them! I was tempted, but had already been warned about the portion size of the burgers! Next time for sure!

There is a huge burger selection. I already had my eye on one I had seen on their Facebook page - the Bry and Adams Burger (the owner is Canadian, I believe), £9.50 (I paid an extra £1 to have sweet potato fries. A beef burger with bacon and cheese with a french toast bun covered in maple syrup and topped with crispy bacon bits. 

Out came a rustic wooden board with the biggest bowl of sweet potato fries I have ever seen! Unfortunately my photos do not do it justice, particularly with the low lighting.

Bry and Adams burger with sweet potato fries, £10.50

Better picture courtesy of Gonzo's Facebook page

The burger was delicious. A decent beef burger with crisp bacon. Maple syrup and bacon is already a firm favourite of mine and I was not disappointed. The French toast top with the crispy bacon bits made it fairly difficult to eat - but I definitely managed! I was, however, completely defeated by the sweet potato fries! 

Close up

Thankfully my friend took a photo of the Mother Trucker burger, £9.50 - a large piece of Southern Fried Chicken topped with pulled pork and BBQ sauce with a huge portion of fries. It was also a hit (again, apologies about the photo lighting).

Mother Trucker, £9.50

Neither of us were able to finish our fries. The burgers were so huge and really tasty. Definitely some of the best quality ingredients of the many burger options available in Norwich. There were so many options on the menu that I definitely need a few more trips to sample some of the other options. There are also some menu options featuring Venison.

If the cold weather has caused you to hibernate until Spring, food can also be ordered from Deliveroo and Just Eat.

Food - 9/10

Service - 9/10 (great bar and waiting staff - friendly)

Atmosphere - 8/10 (fairly dark so slightly difficult to see the food!)

Value for Money - 8.5/10

Cosmo, London Street, Norwich

Rumours of Cosmo coming to Norwich had been doing the rounds for at least a year. After initial anticipation that this would be in the Riverside complex, the confirmed venue was London Street (the vacant spot left by Habitat).

Offering a casual dining buffet experience, Cosmo really has something for all tastes. Specialising predominantly in Pan Asian cuisine, other cuisines are available; with pizza, Indian Tandoori & curry, rotisserie chicken, Mexican, British roast & salad - see the website for more information

Rotisserie chicken

With all the hype around the venue, I was curious to give it a try and compare to other 'all you can eat' buffet experiences available locally. On a wet Monday evening, I met up with a friend to try it out. Both food lovers, we were struggling to decide which cuisines we wanted to try. Sensibly we'd booked a table - even on a Monday evening, there was a wait for a table.

We were taken upstairs to the restaurant and seated. You can order drinks from the waitress (we went for bottomless soft drinks), but help yourself to food.

There are so many dishes to chose from, all placed in sections to make it easier to navigate. There are also live cooking demonstrations - although we only saw Teppanyaki being cooked to order (there was a queue). 

Sushi

To the far end of the buffet was a starter section and we figured this was a good place to start!

In hindsight, we made a rookie error with the amount of starter options we chose. The Beijing spare ribs (right of the plate) were tasty, but lacking much meat, whilst the vegetable spring rolls (left) and prawn spring rolls (slightly hidden top right) were definitely less spring and more of the roll, with not much filling in either. I also tried the satay chicken (just below the prawn spring rolls) with sweet and sour sauce, as the satay sauce looked like cold porridge - really tasty chicken. The garlic mushrooms (top left) were tasty, but could have done with more garlic. The winners of the plate were the mini hash browns (middle of the plate) - a crunchy coating with soft potato insides and the cheese bites (bottom). Oh, the cheese bites! Crispy coating with a stringy cheese filling - we actually both ended up getting a few more of these because they were so tasty!

Selection of starters

Next up, I already had my eye on the Dim Sum options, which were definitely my favourite options of the evening. Chinese pork buns (top of the plate) - deliciously flavoured pork and beautifully steamed buns, prawn and pork dumplings (bottom) - squishy dumplings full of pork and prawn and cabbage wrapped pork dumplings (hidden in middle of plate) - similar to the pork and prawn dumplings but with added cabbage - very tasty. Alongside this, I also went for crispy duck wraps with hoi sin sauce (right) and a couple of prawn crackers (left). The duck was pretty tasty and the prawn crackers not at all soggy like you often find in a buffet.

Dim Sum & duck

After this, we were starting to feel pretty full. So in order to sample a few other options, I got a mixed plate (forgot to photograph, sorry!). Of note on the plate was the cheese and tomato pizza - really cheesy with a great thin crust pizza dough and some delicious Thai style pork.

 Already feeling full, we hesitantly went to check out the dessert options and the chocolate fountain caught my eye. Although, not an overly big fan of sweet foods, I am partial to melted chocolate!

Chocolate fountain

I went for a small bowl of chocolate with some marshmallows and a few sweets - the chocolate was good! Even better if there had been some real strawberries to dip in it!

Melted chocolate and marshmallows with a few sweets on the side

We also shared a plate and I got a piece of rocky road to try (too much marshmallow and not enough biscuit) and a piece of melon. I was told the mousse was good too. Also available were a selection of other cakes and desserts (the eton mess looked good) and ice cream.

Rocky road, chocolate mousse with a slice of melon and orange

The dinner buffet was £14 on a week night and a bottomless drink was £2.50. This is a good venue to cater for all, but you will leave full! Don't expect top quality dining, but for a casual meal as a group or if you are really hungry, it's a great place to try.

We were completely stuffed by this point. As we had our Norwich Cocktail Week wristbands, we went to Mr Postle's Apothecary for a cocktail (2 for 1 with our wristbands). Beautifully presented and delicious mojitos to wash down the food!

Mojitos at Mr Postle's Apothecary

Food - 7/10
Service - 7.5/10 (self service mostly)
Atmosphere - 7/10 
Value for Money - 8.5/10

Lust & Liquor, St Benedicts Street, Norwich

A whole wealth of new eateries are appearing around the Lanes area of Norwich.

With an impressive facade, with big shop-front windows and an inviting decor, Lust & Liquor stands out amongst them on St Benedicts Street.

Inspired by travels through the Americas, Lust & Liquor have an extensive BBQ menu and also a high quality cocktail list. For a casual Tuesday night out, it seemed like a logical place to head to. 

First up was the cocktail menu. Feeling in the mood for gin and partial to a sour, I decided on the Rose Tea Sour - gin infused with rose tea, with lemon juice and sugar (£7). Beautifully decorated with rose petals (not edible... I tried!), a lovely, slightly sour cocktail. 

Rose Tea Sour, £7

Then onto food... I was torn with so many options! My dinner guest for the evening spotted the Big Boy burger (£14), double burger patties, bacon, brisket AND pulled pork (the menu online shows a slightly different variation). It sounded seriously good. But I was really in the mood for brisket and figured that Texan Style Beef Brisket Feasting plate (£13) would be bigger than the amount in the burger. We also ordered the Jumbo Wings (£4.50) to share. 

First out came the wings. We chose a BBQ sauce with them and they came with celery and a blue cheese dip. They were pretty average. Not a lot of meat and the BBQ sauce was more tomato based. 

Jumbo Chicken Wings, £4.50

Then out came the burger. And it was a beauty. Burger topped with cheese topped with a big chunk of brisket topped with another burger topped with cheese topped with bacon and pulled pork and accompanied by fries and coleslaw. Piled so high with filling, I was immediately jealous of my decision, but still held out hope. So big that it had to be split into two burgers, I was told that it was seriously good. 

Big Boy Burger, £14

Burger money shot...

All hope faded when my plate came out. A relatively small piece of brisket topped with BBQ sauce accompanied by corn on the cob, coleslaw and fries. I had epic food envy - it happens to the best of us. The brisket was tasty, but the BBQ sauce just wasn't quite right again. I like a smokey BBQ sauce, this was too tomato based. The coleslaw tasted homemade and was really good - creamy and slightly spiced. The fries were cooked well, but the corn on the cob was a little on the watery side and lacked flavour. 

Texan style beef brisket, £13

A slight disappointment. I've had better brisket at Dray Yard and Harbercue.

I'm not sure if I would try Lust & Liquor again - the drinks were delicious, but the food wasn't outstanding (although maybe if I'd had the burger, I would think differently...) There are so many places in Norwich offering this style of American cooking that competition is high. A nice venue if you want a few drinks and a casual bite to eat.

The food plus 3 drinks came to £54, so not an overly expensive evening.

Food - 7/10
Service - 8.5/10
Atmosphere - 7.5/10 
Value for Money - 7.5/10

Voodoo Daddy's Pizza @ The Plasterers, Cowgate, Norwich

Voodoo Daddy had been appearing all over my Facebook feed and after reading the great reviews, I knew I had to give it a try. On Friday night, me and two friends ventured down to The Plasterers for a catch up over a few drinks and pizza - a great start to a bank holiday weekend!

The Plasterers has been redecorated and is a really lovely pub for a few drinks, just outside the bustle of the city centre for a Friday night. The Plasterers is also home to Voodoo Daddy's Pizza, providing a takeaway service alongside in-pub dining.

The menu offers a great variety of pizzas, with some seriously impressive toppings. Gluten free bases are also available, as well as 4 veggie options. If you are a fan of a margherita, then Voodoo Daddy may not be the place for you, as every pizza is topped with delicious sounding options (smoked cola bacon, 24 hr pulled pork, homemade garlic meatballs and even macaroni cheese!).

With a pint of cider in hand, we started the unenviable task of choosing which pizzas to have and quickly realised that in order to sample as many as possible, we should share (like Joey, we do not like to share food), but it was essential on this occasion!

A sample of the  delicious menu

After much deliberation, we decided on One Night in Paris (£8.50), Voodoo Double Cheeseburger (£9.50) and Return of the Mac (£9.50) accompanied by 3 dips at 60p each (BBQ, Ranch & Garlic Mayo). After a short wait, we were brought 3 boards covered in pizza.

The pizzas!

One Night in Paris had lots of delicious garlic, big chunks of mushroom, chicken and a homemade pesto. In my opinion, this pizza was overthrown by the other two options, but one of my dining companions liked this one the best. The pesto was a little too creamy for my taste - I was expecting an oily pesto drizzle. However, a mushroom fan would love this option. 

One Night in Paris, £8.50

Next up was the Voodoo Double Cheeseburger, featuring a blue cheese and tomato base with a double helping of garlic meatballs, bacon, onion, gherkins, jalapeños and a covering of american mustard. All the flavours of a cheeseburger on a pizza base is always going to be a winner for me and I would definitely have this one again. The homemade meatballs were amazing and pickly gherkins were a great touch, but the jalapeños were a little overpowering - if you aren't a fan of spice, I would ask for them to be removed.

Voodoo Double Cheeseburger, £9.50

Last up, but in no way least was the Return of the Mac. A pizza with macaroni cheese topping definitely had to be tried! Accompanied by pulled pork, 3 cheeses, jalapeños and smoked ketchup. The pizza / pasta combination was great and the pulled pork was really tasty and tender. However, this was slightly overpowered again by the jalapeños. Voodoo Daddy loves to add some spice to the pizzas, but this was a little much for me. Again, I would definitely have this pizza again, removing the jalapeños.

Return of the Mac, £9.50

The choice available is amazing; with a range of meat options, 4 veggie options (1 being Vegan friendly) and a few super hot pizzas for those wanting a challenge(!). There really is something for everyone and I will definitely be getting pizzas from here in future.

Food - 8.5/10 (0.5 lost for the jalapeños)
Service - 8/10 (order at the bar)
Atmosphere - 9/10 
Value for Money - 8/10

J.D. Young Hotel, Market Place, Harleston

A friend of mine has recently moved to Harleston and whilst visiting, we took a trip to J.D. Youngs for some food.

J.D. Youngs is a hotel and has been host to Sir Alfred Munnings and has a bar and separate restaurant area alongside 11 rooms.

I was expecting standard 'pub grub' and was suitably surprised by the decor. The restaurant area was equipped for a higher class of dining, with all tables dressed for the evening complete with cloth napkins (quite a rarity!). 

As we were eating early the restaurant was empty and we were sat in some armchairs and given some menus to peruse. J.D. Youngs operates a bar and restaurant menu, with the bar menu featuring British classics you would expect in a put (steak burger, steak and ale pie, lasagne, scampi etc), whilst the main menu featured more refined choices, such as pork belly and rabbit ballantine.

We were advised that every Monday is a 'Manic Monday' with 25% off all food on the menu. A definite bonus for us! J.D. Youngs also serve 'Wicked Wednesday', with the cheaper meal available for £2 with the purchase of 2 meals.

The two menus and a special board were slightly overwhelming, so I quickly decided that the bar menu was the choice for me. Part of this was one of my weaknesses present on the menu... Slow Roasted BBQ Spare Ribs, £14.95.

Slow Roasted BBQ Ribs, £14.95

I was definitely not disappointed! This was a mountain of food - over a rack and a half of tender, juicy ribs served with wedges,  giant onion rings, a pot of coleslaw, a huge side salad and a gravy jug full of BBQ sauce.

The picture really doesn't do the food justice - this was not your average dinner plate - more of a serving plate size! I am proud to say I did a really good job of this and ate almost everything, apart from 1 onion ring and a bit of the coleslaw. 

It was delicious and I was really impressed with the quality for the price. The wedges were home-made with a crispy exterior and soft, fluffy potato filling. The coleslaw also seemed to be home-made and was the right mix of creamy dressing and vegetable crunch. The jug of BBQ sauce was a nice touch and meant I could drench the ribs and wedges!

My friend ordered JD's Slowly Braised Beef & Ale Puff Pastry Pie, £12.95. Out came a dish full of beef with a big puff of pastry, a mountain of chips, dish of peas and jug of gravy.

JD's Slowly Braised Beef & Ale Puff Pastry Pie, £12.95

Both meals were well presented and the staff were friendly and courteous. 

We were pretty full after our main courses, but then we saw something irresistible on the menu... Alburgh ice cream. Alburgh ice cream is locally made in Norfolk and the honeycomb ice cream is a firm favourite of mine (considering I am definitely more of a savoury fan).

The serving at J.D. Youngs is 4 scoops for £5.95 - which is definitely a bigger portion than the average 2 - 3 scoops. We asked if we could have 2 scoops each instead after almost being defeated by the mains and the waitress was happy to oblige. Out came 2 big scoops in an iced sundae dish with 2 white chocolate wafer sticks.

Alburgh's honeycomb ice cream, £5.95 for 4 scoops

This ice cream is pretty amazing - flavoured with honeycomb as well as large, crunchy chunks of honeycomb.

With the discount, the meal for two alongside a soft drink each came to just over £30 - very reasonable for the amount of food we had!

I was really impressed with J.D. Youngs, definitely not what I expected. On my next visit to Harleston, I will be sure the visit again!


Food - 9/10
Service - 9/10
Atmosphere - 8/10 (mainly because we ate early and were the only people in the restaurant for most of the meal)
Value for Money - 9/10 (particularly with Monday Madness!)

42 King Street, Norwich

After a bit of a break, I am back with a treat!

I went out for some food to 42 King Street on Friday and had some delicious tapas. The plan was to go to B'Nou, but it was fully booked - so definitely a place I need to try soon!

Situated just off Prince of Wales Road in the city centre, this cute and cosy eatery has around 6 tables, so it gets booked up very quickly. 

The menu is located on a blackboard and changes regularly to fit with the seasons. Main dishes cost around £8 and the waitress suggested 5 dishes between 2 people.

With so many great dishes on the menu, it was tough to pick what to have! 

First out came the smoked duck salad with orange segments and candied walnuts (£8). Delicious slices of tender smokey duck with a lovely dressed salad, orange segments and candied orange peel. I'm not normally a fan of fruit with salad, but the orange complimented the duck perfectly. I didn't see any candied walnuts though. A lovely light dish to start.

Smoked duck salad, £8

Next came out the pork belly with sautéed veg and a wholegrain and cider sauce (£10). As with the duck, this was cooked to perfection. A slightly small, but thick piece of pork with a lovely crispy skin. Served with green beans, carrots and shallots with a helping of thick cider sauce with a hint of mustard. This was devoured rapidly!

Pork belly, £10

Next up was another new new thing for me - swordfish (£9). Sweet meaty fish with a fresh courgette salad and tangy tomato couscous.

Swordfish, £9

I am always keen to try new dishes and when I saw samphire was on the menu, I knew I had to have it! The samphire was served with a lobster butter (£5). A slightly salty, aromatic green vegetable which was complimented beautifully by the lobster butter. Another slightly small portion for the price.

Samphire with lobster butter, £9

Last, but definitely not least was the braised rib of beef with herb mash and onion jus (£8.50). Tender, fall off the bone beef with a deliciously herby creamy mash. With such a small looking kitchen and only one chef appearing to be serving, all dishes were beautifully cooked.

Braised rib of beef, £8.50

This is definitely a place to share food - the dishes are good size for 2 or more people and the more people there, the more you can try from the menu! Slightly expensive, but the food was amazing. This is a great location for a special occasion, with a great atmosphere and friendly staff. Also, serves a great range of cocktails.

Food - 9/10
Service - 8.5/10
Atmosphere - 9/10
Value for Money - 6/10

East Twenty Six, Exchange Street, Norwich

Apologies for being so slack with posts! 

I've got a few posts ready to write, so expect an overdose of delicious food posts to make up for it!

I went out to celebrate a friend's birthday. The location was East Twenty Six, a modern tapas restaurant with a beautiful glass front. 

View from our table

The Binham Blue wantons, £3.50 were incredible, soft, salty cheese deep fried in a crispy parcel. Binham Blue is a soft, blue veined cheese and a nice touch that it is locally produced in Norfolk. Unfortunately we were so hungry that we demolished most of them before I could take a photo!

Binham Blue Wantons (mostly eaten!), £3.50

The waitress recommended that we each have 2 or 3 dishes. So after sharing the wantons as an appetiser, we each ordered 2 dishes and a few portions of chips to share.

I had lime, chilli and ginger potted crab (I forgot the price, sorry!) The lime, chilli and ginger complemented the crab beautifully. However, the star for me was the tempura battered avocado, soft and creamy avocado with a deliciously crunchy batter.

Lime, chilli and ginger potted crab, price unknown

We are all big fans of macaroni cheese, so when we saw the house smoked haddock with macaroni cheese, £6.50, on the menu, we were all tempted! The smoke haddock added a lovely fishy addition to the creamy, cheesy pasta. 

House smoked haddock macaroni cheese, £6.50

We all shared a few portions of chips. Golden, crispy skin with a soft centre.

2 dishes with a few sharing sides and glasses of wine came to around £20 each. The atmosphere is perfect for a group gathering and if you can, sit upstairs to enjoy the view.

The portions are a lot bigger than regular tapas dishes, so I would definitely recommend sharing dishes with one or 2 other people so you can sample more of their delicious food!

Food - 8.5/10
Service - 8.5/10
Atmosphere - 9/10
Value for Money - 7.5/10

Favourite Norwich lunch spots - part 1

Norwich has some great spots for lunch. Here are some of my favourite (and great value) options:-
Shiki, Tombland

This Japanese restaurant in Tombland is situated close to the Cathedral and has a great value lunch menu with noodles, soup, curry & sushi on offer. The Bento boxes (£10) are a great option to try a few dishes too (I've yet to sample one - mission for 2015!).

Beef Yaki Soba, £5.95

Flaming Galah, Ber Street

Sample of seres of delicious Aussie pies at Flaming Galah, with classics such as garlic chicken and mushroom, beef and onion and beef and stout pies alongside more unsual offerings like spicy Panang curry, chicken satay, seafood chowder and goats cheese. Upgrade for £1 to get the Bonza Deal (mash potato, mushy peas and gravy). 

The Aussie Deluxe, £4.95 when purchased as a Bonza Deal

Pizza Express, St Benedict's Street / Bethel Street

The Leggera Superfood Salad is such a great choice for a healthier lunch. Without chicken, this is under 300 calories and is super filling. A mix of leaves, cucumber, roasted butternut squash, beetroot, mozzarella, avocado, pine kernels, lentils with balsamic syrup and fresh basil. 

A beautiful view of St Peter Mancroft Church on Hay Hill can be seen from Pizza Express at the Forum.

Mambo Jambos, Lower Goat Lane

Mambo Jambos is a bit of a Norwich institution and a popular place to go for group meals out. Specialising in Mexican and South American flavours and super-size portions, you will never leave hungry! Unfortunately forgotten by many for lunch, definitely worth a visit for one of the Mexican offerings or a delicious Hoagie for under £8 (Sticky Pig with BBQ pork, onion rings and cheese is my winner!) 

Sticky Pig Hoagie, £7.95

Where are your favourite places for lunch? I am always after inspiration!

Bullitt Burger @ The Fat Cat & Canary, Thorpe Road, Norwich

I have been hearing good things about Bullitt Burger for a while. Starting life as a guerrilla dining experience, Bullitt now has its own set-up in The Fat Cat & Canary pub.

The pub itself is one of three Fat Cat pubs in the city, known for stocking a great selection of real ales. The Fat Cat & Canary is their newest offering and keeps with the traditional pub decor and was my location for a casual Friday night catch up with friends. 

A burger and some cherry beer (Liefmans Kriek) were definitely in order after a busy week.

The gold menu brought a choice of 8 burger options, alongside a range of sides and other food options (ribs, chicken, steak). The burger options offered the some classic options alongside a few more unusual topping choices.

The Nacho Libre (£8) was my choice for the evening, a beef patty topped with Chorizo, Bullitt Cheese and Nachos.

Burgers can be ordered from the counter (cash only currently) and you can pay at order or at the end of your meal.

You are able to eat on any of the tables in the pub area or in the Bullitt room with 3 benches and some great wall art. We took a seat on one of the long wooden benches whilst we waited for our order. Considering there were 6 of us, plus another table of 4 diners and only 1 person cooking the food with waitress support, the service was speedy.

Out came a beast of a burger. Burger eating etiquette is a funny thing, particularly when the burger comes with a mass of toppings; do you cut into bitesize chunks with a knife and fork, cut in half or go for the whole burger and risk making a mess? 

The Nacho Libre did not look like the sort of burger that would appreciate being cut up, so I squished it together and went for a bite.

You can always taste the quality of the meat in a burger and Bullitt did not disappoint. All burgers are 100% local, natural, free range beef chuck steak and this gave a really meaty patty.

I felt that the chorizo was a little overpowered by the nachos in the burger and I was a little disappointed that the nachos were cold. I imagined the nachos being topped by the cheese and place under a grill. However, the nachos added a great crunch to the burger and were a great addition to the burger.

Nacho Libre, £8

I also had my first taste of poutine (Bullitt Cheese Poutine, £4.50) and these really were the star of the night. Poutine is a Canadian dish of french fries topped with with a gravy-like sauce and cheese curds. Bullitt's version brings in Bullitt cheese. Do not mistake Poutine for chips, cheese and gravy - these babies have a lot more class.

Bullitt Cheese Poutine, £4.50

Perfectly cooked wedge-like fries with a rich, gravy sauce (really thick and meaty) and cheese; I was in heaven!

I also got a photo of the Carnivore with streaky bacon and Bullitt Cheese.

Carnivore, £8

At the end of our meal, out came another pot of fries. Mr Bullitt had some spare Fries and we gladly took them off his hands, covering them in the range of sauces available (try the Rose Harissa Mayo...!) Really great service.

Like Harbercue, Bullitt is a pop-up option, so currently only takes cash for payment. Around £10 for burger and fries (more is you go for the Poutine) is pretty good value for good quality produce.

We were advised to return for a steak - these had been hung for 40 days and were coated with a special glaze. Definitely worth a return visit with a side of Poutine and a few cherry beers!

Food - 8.5/10
Service - 9/10
Atmosphere - 8.5/10
Value for Money - 8/10

The Marsh Harrier, Ipswich Road, Norwich

Sorry for the absence - it's been a busy few weeks settling back into work and life after a week away!

A week-night catch up with my lovely Dad was in order and we decided to try The Marsh Harrier for some food and a few drinks. The Marsh Harrier is part of The Vintage Inns chain of pubs with venues throughout the UK. It seems to be popular for after-work meals and currently has a week-night set menu - with 2 courses for £11.95, with some tasty looking options on the menu.

The pub itself definitely has a 'vintage' feel, wooden beams and exposed brick with nude coloured walls and cream touches. A mismatched feel, with a variety of table shapes and sizes makes it feel less like a chain.

With 3 choices of starter, I copied by Dad and we went for the Potted Oak Smoked Chicken Liver Pate, which came with an onion marmalade and crusty bread. I was slightly concerned that this would come out like regular mass produced pate, slippery and no texture. However, I was gladly mistaken. The pate was delicious; slightly smokey with a coarse texture. My only minor complaint would be that the bread portion was a bit stingy. This is often the case when you order pate - you get oodles of delicious pate, but not enough bread to spread it on. This either causes you to be left with a large amount of pate or that you have so much piled on your bread that it is a struggle to eat! (I definitely fall into the second category!)

The branded paper was a nice touch to the plate.

Potted Oak Smoked Chicken Liver Pate, part of £11.95 2 course deal

The other options for Starter were Prawn Cocktail (always a classic!) or Baked Cornish Brie and Onion Marmalade Brulee (I was seriously tempted!)

There were some seriously great classic choices for main; steaks (rump and gammon), battered fish, fishcakes, burgers (beef and Feta and Broad Bean) and chicken.

I tried my hardest to go for something different - the Feta and Broad Bean Burger was seriously tempting, as it seemed such a unusual menu option, but I faltered when I read the description for the British Beef Burger, which came with cheddar and bacon... I'm sorry, I tried to blog about something different, but my love of a beef burger won on this occasion...!

British Beef Burger, £11.95 as part of two course deal

 I was not dissappointed. Although this looks fairly small in the photo, the burger patty was big and meaty, with slightly crispy bacon and melted cheese on top. I was asked if I wanted to upgrade by regular chips to 'thick cut chips' and declined. When my meal came out these were already some seriously thick chips and I was intrigued to see what any 'thick' chips would come out like! A little pot of tomato salsa accompanied.

Daddy NF was tempted by the burger, but went for the Gammon Steak. this came with a big wedge of pineapple, a lovely fried egg with a runny yolk, lots of chips and some slightly wrinkled peas. Daddy NF was very jealous of my meal when it came out, as the gammon steak was slightly on the small side (you can barely see it under the egg and pineapple in the photo). Luckily for him, the burger defeated me, so he got lots of my my chips.

A nice touch was that after bringing out our food, the waiter brought out a wooden tray full of pots of sauces and we were able to help ourselves from the varied selection.

Grilled Gammon Steak, £11.95 as part of the 2 course deal

Full of burger and wine, I'm not really sure how I was tempted into a dessert, but at only £2.00 when purchased as part of the deal, it seemed like a great idea!

I figured the Raspberry Creme Brûlée would be a light option and definitely not a regular choice for me (I was trying to make up for the burger!). This was really tasty and definitely a lighter choice of dessert. Cracking through the crisp caramelised sugar topping to a rich thick vanilla custard. I wondered where the raspberry section of the brûlée was, until I reached the bottom of the pot, where there was a layer of fresh raspberries. A really tasty light dessert.

Raspberry Creme Brûlée, £2.00 when purchased on top of the 2 course deal

Daddy NF made me jealous and opted for one of my winter favourites; crumble. This was a seasonal fruit crumble and looked very tasty - coming with ice cream AND custard (a winning combination in my opinion!) I believe the crumble had raspberries in it, but I've completely forgotten what else! The branded paper was brought out again (the Chef was also definitely a fan of a herb garnish!). 

Seasonal Fruit Crumble,  £2.00 when purchased on top of the 2 course deal

Feeling extremely full, we moved to the other side of the pub for a drink. This side has a relaxed vibe - with cutlery in pots, a large fireplace and a whole wall of shabby chic style mirrors - great for a relaxed Sunday meal.

The Marsh Harrier also has an extensive regular menu for lunch and dinner (including a light bites section), a Sunday menu and a Wednesday 'Pie Day' menu. We actually dined on a Wednesday and asked to see the pie menu. However, most of the options differed from the menu or were not available at all. I'm not sure if this was a one off thing or part of some larger misprinting for the menu.

Although The Marsh Harrier does have a slight chain pub feel through the classic pub options, the food is good and there are definitely some unusual options to sample fromt he menu (Creme Brûlée, Feta & Broad Bean Burger, Salt Beef Hash, Wild Boar and Chorizo Burger). The 2 course menu has some great options for the price too.

A great venue for a casual meal and I imagine on a cold day, this would be a great option for a Sunday roast next to the fire. It always seems busy (even at 6.30 on a Wednesday evening, a lot of the tables were filled).

Food - 8/10
Service - 8/10
Atmosphere - 7.5/10
Value for Money - 9/10 (based on the two course menu, although Daddy NF treated me...!)