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WEDNESDAY 30th | 8pm Written by Kristy - Gem & Aimée booked a surprise table for us all at Ostlers at Number 1 - it was for their tasting menu, and wow what a treat it was. The first thing to arrive was a freshly baked rosemary focaccia accompanied by three different flavours of butter - balsamic butter, shallot caper butter, and a confit garlic butter. We all agreed that our favourite was the shallot caper butter. The focaccia was lovely too. Next we were served seared scallop, wild mushroom & black truffle risotto with a herb oil. This was topped with caviar. The mushroom risotto was full of flavour and really tasty. The scallop was a nice addition and the caviar gave another texture which added to the dish nicely. Next up was textures of salmon - beetroot cured salmon, torched salmon, oak smoked salmon, pickled fennel, tonic gel, keta, sherbert lemon dressing. This was delicious again and the pickled fennel and tonic gel added such a variety of flavour to the dish. After the salmon was the Artichoke Velouté. Wow. This was full of flavour and probably one of the best I have tasted. Absolutely stunning - one of my favourites of the evening. Next was Wild game terrine, spiced pear and port chutney, radish shavings, frisee leaf. The chutney was so flavoursome and we really enjoyed this. The terrine had pistachios in which added a nice flavour with the meat. Then there was a pallet cleanser which was Champagne sorbet with melon & berry pearls. This was to die for. Really delicious & presented so beautifully. After the palette cleanser it was time for mains, starting with a Mediterranean pitithia with Provencal sauce. This was again a beautiful looking dish - and tasted as good as it looked. Then there was beef consomè, purple potato, herb crusted monkfish and samphire.. I had not tried monkfish before so this was new to me - not an extremely flavoursome fish but nice with the other flavours around. The samphire also added a lovely salty crunch to the dish. Dessert was next - white chocolate cremeux, espresso cream anglais, basil pearls, Honeycomb. This was also incredible. The basil pearls really added a different taste to the dish and the flavours all went so well together. Every dish was presented with such detail and they truly all looked so appetising. We all enjoyed every single course & I can’t wait to go back. The service was impeccable and Ostlers were even kind enough to give me a bottle of wine for my birthday - a really lovely touch and such an enjoyable evening.
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 The Paul Pry, WR1, Pub & Kitchen | Sunday 27th September | 2pm | We arrived at at the Paul Pry for 2pm and we signed in to the track & trace. We were greeted by smiley faces (well from what you can see with masks on) We had a quick look at the drink selection and were taken to our table. The pub is a super quirky sort of place, it’s split in two with a bar area & a small restaurant. The sun was shinning through the glass and the waitress asked for our drink order which we decided on two Camden Pale Ale (which is one of my favourites) The waitress came over and asked what we would like for Sunday lunch, she said the chef Alex suggested the selection of everything and if the chef is happy to recommend something then too right we’re going to trust him! So we went for that! The roasts that we could see on other tables looked absolutely incredible and we could hear everyone saying how amazing they are, the one couple even booked again for a couple of weeks time. We knew at this point we were in for a treat.
 LAST EAT OUT TO HELP OUT We HAD to go to the Olive Branch, It has always been one of my favourite places. I worked at the Olive Branch when I was younger and learnt so many new skills, it's a family run business and everyone looks after each other. We used to finish lunch service & all sit down to have lunch together like a family. I wish I could show you how small the kitchen is, you'd be so impressed with how the manage to make such delicious food out of such a small place. We arrived for our table and I instantly felt welcome, Adam the owner welcomed us, took our temperature, and smiley gentleman showed us to our table. All the menus were on your phone using a QR code, which was brilliant apart from my partner has a crap phone so his doesn't work, but if you went on their website it would come up anyway. We ordered the pollo valencia, which I have fond memories of, I remember it tasting amazing from years ago and it did not disappoint! It was absolutely beautiful. We also ordered some tapas, as you can't go to The Olive Branch and not have some! We had the Trio Fungi another firm favourite, The bruschetta which is always beautiful, calamari which is lightly dusted and something new Gambas fritti, they were also lovely. We enjoyed absolutely everything, and we couldn't fault the food at all. Thank you so much for the fabulous food & hospitality. It will remain my favourite restaurant in Worcester, but if you think you can beat them, drop us a message and I will add you to the list of places we need to visit! It was national burger day yesterday, and obviously we needed to have a burger! . We decided to go @burgershop_worc, I’d seen they we’re doing classic and falafel burger for £5! . We ordered two classics, one without ketchup as it’s not my fave. One falafel burger & some hot fries. . The classic was so so tasty, I was impressed with how much flavour it had in it. The falafel also didn’t let us down on flavour. I really enjoyed it! The chips were also tasty we enjoyed the pickled celery as it was like having vinegar on your chips with an added crunch. . The only let down was that @thearchrivals wasn’t open for a cheeky pint! EAT OUT TO HELP OUT Well what a fantastic evening we had at the boot. Gem booked a table and invited us along, we had looked at it before and talked about going, so we decided why not!? We arrived for our table at 8.30pm. They asked if we were okay with them not wearing masks which was lovely, and we were given a table right by a window, it was a little breezy however they did offer to close it but we declined it. It was really busy but all the staff were working really hard and they were still attentive. The menus were given to us & we all had a soft drink to start as we knew we would be ordering the steak deal. We all decided to order the 12oz Rump cooked on a stone - on a tuesday if you order 2 x 12oz steaks you can have a bottle of malbec for free. The steaks arrived and OH MY GOSH, it felt like heaven! The chips were crunchy & the steak was sizzling away. Our wine came with the steak and we couldn't wait to tuck in! We liked that you could taste all the sauces, and enjoyed the theatre of cooking your own steak at the table. They only thing I would say is if you like you steak anything more than Rare, its best to chop it up straight away as the stones do cool down fairly quickly (it may be as the window was open) It wasn't a problem for us as I eat mine blue and the rest of the party eat theirs rare. We were so full so we didn't have any pudding. The whole meal was delicious & I would definitely go back. The pub is a lovely country pub with a fantastic feel to it & the company made it even better. Highly Recommended. We decided to book in for the £10 for 3 courses on Monday 24th as we wanted to support as many independents as possible. Conveniently the oak is literally 2 mins from my house and it’s #dogfriendly which is great as it means we don’t have to leave fudge. We arrived and were shown to our table, the music was just starting to play and it was lovely and relaxed. They have been busy redecorating during lockdown. We had ordered the pate & the fish cakes for starter, the pate was nice & the fish cakes were tasty. . Then the mains came, mussels one of my faves, the sauce was delicious, I wished I had some bread to soak it all up. James had the pork and said it was tasty, the beetroot mash was lovely too. Onto puddings, the lemon tart was nice & so was the pineapple cheesecake. We really enjoyed the music, and it was a very pleasant evening, the only thing that let it down was things were bought in rather than homemade. Other than that we enjoyed ourselves.O L D O A K @ drakes broughton, Worcestershire . . We decided to book in for the £10 for 3 courses on Monday 24th as we wanted to support as many independents as possible. . . Conveniently the oak is literally 2 mins from my house and it’s #dogfriendly which is great as it means we don’t have to leave fudge. . We arrived and were shown to our table, the music was just starting to play and it was lovely and relaxed. They have been busy redecorating during lockdown. . We had ordered the pate & the fish cakes for starter, the pate was nice & the fish cakes were tasty. . Then the mains came, mussels one of my faves, the sauce was delicious, I wished I had some bread to soak it all up. James had the pork and said it was tasty, the beetroot mash was lovely too. . Onto puddings, the lemon tart was nice & so was the pineapple cheesecake. . We really enjoyed the music, and it was a very pleasant evening, the only thing that let it down was things were bought in rather than homemade. Other than that we enjoyed ourselves. EAT OUT TO HELP OUT We finally managed to get to the Paul Pry & even better all 3 of us made it. After a cancellation we finally got a table, and we were so excited. We arrived for a table at 8pm and couldn't wait to see what was on the menu. The reviews have been so good, and lets just say they weren't wrong. We ordered the Tacos to share & the Courgette fritters Mint & Goats Cheese for starters. Let's start with the Taco's. They were fun, every mouthful was absolutely delicious. They came with Brisket, Lime Wedges, Grilled Pineapple, Sweetcorn Salsa and Homemade Tacos (I think). We loved every mouthful of them. The Courgette fritter was also tasty. For mains we chose Steak Frites, Open Lasagne & Mushroom, Cheese & Spinach Vol Au Vent. Sadly the Chicken Pie had Sold Out. We started with the Steak, Chips, Bearnaise Sauce & Watercress. OH MY GOSH. Every mouthful was bliss. The Steak was cooked beautifully, seasoned well and moist. The chips were homemade, crunchy and beautiful too. Even the tomato was incredible, blushed/confit rather than grilled. THE BEARNAISE stole the show.. WOW, it really was phenomenal. We were given extra and we ate all of it, it was seriously incredible, the tarragon really shone through too. We tried the Vegetarian next the vol au vent was lovely, pastry crisp & the potatoes served were more like a potato salad which was different, for us they could have been cooked a little longer but we still ate them all. The Lasagne was delicious too, not too much pasta. The Garlic bread though.. YUM! Really Garlicky just how it should be! We loved every mouthful! Time for Puds - We ordered the Strawberry Cheesecake, Warm Chocolate Pudding & Raspberry and Almond Tart. We started with the warm chocolate pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream - It was gooey and had some mixed nuts in the middle, which I enjoyed but the girls aren't really fan of nuts. Ice Cream was delicious. The Raspberry & Almond Tart, Yum. I wish we could have appreciated this more but we were soo full! The Ice Cream was Raspberry Ripple (which Is my all time favourite) It took me straight back to my childhood. The Cheesecake was also lovely, it could have been a little more set but it was tasty & light. I think the strawberries were poached which was lovely too. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole meal and if I could get a space again I think we all would go back within a heartbeat. I'm so excited to go for Sunday Lunch, even more so now! 3 courses with the EOTHO scheme were £15, which was excellent value. Typing this has made my mouth water and now all I can think about it the bearnaise sauce - Please could I have your recipe I would love to make it!  EAT OUT TO HELP OUT We decided to walk to the plough and harrow as I had been sent a free bottle of prosecco for my anniversary. We sat on a table outside as we had the dog, the waitress was friendly and inside seemed fairly busy. We ordered two maltsmiths while we had a look at the menu. We decided on some picky bits, so ordered garlic mushrooms, garlic bread (on sourdough), onion rings & fish and chips to share and our course the bottle of prosecco. The food arrived, but no onion rings, they did come back with some, not sure if the waitress had forgotten or the kitchen hadn't made them. The Sourdough garlic bread was lovely, and so was the mushrooms on toast. The fish was crispy and golden and the chips were also tasty, however the mushy peas had a skin on the top of them, so we didn't eat those. The onion rings were homemade so you cannot go wrong. The prosecco was also really nice, normally I'm not really a fan, but we had no problem polishing off the bottle! All in all, it was a pleasant evening, especially when it's a small walk from home. The bill was around £23 with some discount and a free bottle of prosecco. EAT OUT HELP OUT SCHEME. Table for 3 - 8.00pm This was our first foodies outing, I'd always wanted to go to the brook & since we had all seen the kiev then we all wanted to, so when the eat out scheme came about we decided it was a must on the list, Kristy & I ordered our drinks and waited for our friend Gem Km to turn up. Gem arrived and ordered her drink, we then studied the menu to see what we fancied. We decided on Nacho's served with beef brisket, Smooth Duck Pate & Duck Bao Buns (we asked for an extra bao bun as we shared), Followed by Pork Belly & Octopus, Chicken Katsu Burger and a real curve ball of Cauli Cheese Strudel. The kiev sadly wasn't on the menu. The staff were all polite and nothing was too much trouble, they had had a few no shows which really frustrates me as every business is working so hard, even if you can't make it just a quick phone call makes all the difference. Our starters arrived and they definitely had the wow factor, they were plated beautifully, we couldn't wait to tuck in. The nachos were light and crisp & homemade! We felt the toppings could be a little more spread out as we struggled to get some of the nachos apart, (minor issue and if we didn't share i'm sure it would have been fine) They were really tasty, and we'd definitely be back for some more. The duck and bao buns were delicious, the duck fell apart and & the hoisin was stunning too. The bao buns were very airy & just how they should be. We all really enjoyed this as a whole. The pate was so smooth, the chutney sweet and the focaccia was divine. We enjoyed all 3 starters and I think our favourites were all different, it just proves how different everyone's taste buds are. We were cleared away and then the mains arrived. The smell coming from the pork made my mouth water, again the dishes were presented beautifully. We started with the pork, it literally fell apart, and sauce to go with it was sensational. Everyone was a little apprehensive about the octopus but it was quite meaty and tasty but not our cup of tea. The grilled pak choi was gorgeous too. The Cauli Cheese Strudel was nice, the cauli steak was defo the best bit of that dish though, cooked perfectly with essence of tarragon and the creamed leeks were delicious too. The Katsu Burger was tasty, the bun was light and fluffy. the chicken was crisp. We did say it needed a bit of katsu sauce over the top of the chicken even if it came in a pot to pour yourself. The hidden slaw was lovely more of a coronation flavour but we really liked it. The chips were crispy and fluffy in the middle and the new potatoes were amazing. I personally really enjoyed the carrots too they were full of flavour. We had a fabulous evening and we will definitely be back for the sourdough fish and chips! The whole meal was presented beautifully and its one on the list we are glad we've visited. I cannot remember the full bill but we paid around £19 each for 3 starters, 3 mains & 1 cider, 1 beer & a diet coke with the EOTHO discount.  EAT OUT HELP OUT SCHEME Ounce Bar & Grill - Tything Worcester. My partner decided to treat us to some gorgeous steak! He'd booked the table for the 8.15pm on Tuesday night. We arrived and parked right outside which was a complete bonus, and they had cordoned off the front door to stop any walk ins which I thought was a good idea. He had booked a table in the garden as we prefer to eat outside when we can. The garden was small but spacious, we enjoyed watching the sun fade in the warm air. The waiter was polite and kept his distance. We ordered our drinks and he brought the menu. We decided to have the 'butchers cut' 14oz steak which came with chunky chips, salad garnish with grated parmesan on it and a cooked tomato. I would normally turn my nose up at a cooked tomato but it was delicious! We also ordered Peppercorn and Cognac sauce and the Blue Cheese Crumble to accompany our steak. The food arrived promptly and as soon as I could see it my mouth was watering. The steak was juicy and tasty, the salad was lovely too and the chips crunchy. The peppercorn and Cognac sauce was beautiful packed full of flavour and I polished all of mine off! The crumble to me slightly lacked with flavour compared to everything else, but I absolutely love blue cheese, so wanted it to be almost overpowering which I didn't feel it was. However it was a minor detail and I did mention to the waiter and he said he would pass it on. The bill came to £29.80 including the £20 EOTHO discount which included 2 x pints of Prava, 2 x 14oz steaks, 2 x peppercorn sauce, 2 x blue cheese crumble. The whole night was wonderful and if you haven't been you are missing out, especially on a Tuesday/ Wednesday with the £1 an ounce. |
