SIX OF THE BEST
It’s been a strange year all round to say the least, hasn’t it? What with lockdowns, local restrictions and then the Tier system due to the Covid-19 pandemic, normal life has had to be put on hold. The hospitality sector has been hit harder than most, with many pubs and restaurants spending the majority of the year either shut or running at reduced capacity, with face masks, one way systems and social distancing the order of the day. Nevertheless, when allowed out, our food reviewer Becky Jones made the most of her freedom, and here’s some of her favourites from 2020
The Stag and Hounds was launched late in 2019 by award-winning chef Dom Clark, formerly head chef at The Barn at Moor Hall in Lancashire.
We decided to try out Sunday lunch at the dining pub, which aims to champion the best of the area’s food offerings.
The price was £21 for two courses, or £25 for three courses, which we opted for
We began with the sticky pigs’ cheek and the mackerel Waldorf, which were neatly presented and got the meal off to a tasty start.
For the main course, I had the 40-day dry-aged beef, and my husband chose the slow cooked pork belly.
Well, the mains were nothing short of stunning. The beef, served pink, was cooked to perfection from my point of view, and the rich flavour was incredible. Simon’s pork belly, which had been rubbed in a dry cure of salt and aromats and roasted overnight, was wonderfully tender.
My beef came with a Yorkshire pudding, which was large and tasty, and also contained a brilliant surprise!
It was filled with mashed potato and slow cooked pulled brisket and featherblade. This turned it from a great Yorkshire pudding into an excellent Yorkshire pudding.
The desserts were good, with the coffee parfait being particularly enjoyable.
■ We said: “This is a lovely country pub with a warm atmosphere, attentive, friendly staff and very good food, particularly the meat dishes.
“We were impressed by the majority of what we tried, we just wished there was a wider selection of desserts!
“It’s certainly a welcome addition to Leicestershire’s food scene and at three courses for £25, Sunday lunch here is reasonably light on the wallet as well as pleasing on the palate.”
CHLOE GOURMET
Leicester
Chloe Gourmet launched in February, serving up an array of authentic French patisserie, handmade by owner and talented pastry chef Assia Bettat (also known as Chloe due to the business name).
I visited one lunchtime, when you could enjoy a sandwich or salad plus a drink for £4.90.
I picked an Emmental and turkey baguette and a cappuccino.
This baguette is a bit of a twist on the French favourite of jambon et fromage, including “ham” made from turkey as this is a Halal eatery, with no pork products on the menu.
It tasted very good, from the bread – imported from France – which has a delightfully crunchy exterior, to the lovely creamy butter, and the meat and cheese filling, of which there was a generous amount.
The cappuccino was also excellent. Next up was the moment I’d been looking forward to – the chance to try one of the incredible-looking sweet treats.
I went for the Royal (one of the most expensive at £4.50, but also one of the largest!)
For a huge chocolate fan such as myself, this was a dream dessert.
The French classic comprises three layers – on the base, a chewy nut meringue sponge cake (dacquoise) then a layer of crunchy praline, and finally, a thick layer of rich chocolate mousse.
It’s a seriously indulgent and seriously delicious combination.
■ We said: “Chloe Gourmet is a wonderful new addition to Leicester, and is like nothing else in the city. The surroundings, service and food (particularly the cakes!) are superb.
“Price-wise, the lunch and breakfast deals offer good value.
“When it comes to the cakes, mine was one of the most expensive ones, but the majority are priced between £3 and £4, which I feel is fair given that they are handmade fresh each day.”
THE LOQUACIOUS BAKER
Burbage
Having heard good things about this independent eatery, I was keen to check it out, so headed over for an afternoon tea.
There were a number of afternoon teas available, from traditional at £14.95 per person to Prosecco afternoon tea at £22.95. There was also a kids’ afternoon tea for £9.95 each, including a drink.
I ordered a kids’ afternoon tea for my
son and the luxury afternoon tea for myself and my mum. This is £16.95 per person but seemed worth the extra £2 compared to the traditional afternoon tea, given the additional items it comes with. As well as finger sandwiches, cakes and scones you get with the traditional afternoon tea, you also get quiche, chocolate brownies and chocolate mousse. Plus, the drinks are refillable.
My son was delighted with the fact he had his own little afternoon tea selection, and it did look very good. Presented on a two-tier slate cake stand, there were jam, cheese and ham sandwiches, plus cucumber sticks with houmous, and three chocolate brownies.
Mum and I tucked into our finger sandwiches, of which there was 12 – a mixture of ham and mustard on white, coronation chicken on white and egg mayo on granary, all of which were tasty and fresh.
With buttery pastry and a filling of goat’s cheese, pepper and onion, the quiche was excellent too.
On the second tier were two huge scones, served with clotted cream and jars of homemade raspberry jam. The scones were lovely and fresh, and topped with the rich cream and clearly homemade raspberry jam – they tasted superb.
The chocolate mousse, presented in mini mugs and topped with a blackberry on each, was deliciously rich. I was getting rather full though, so I happily shared mine with my son.
The top tier looked the most impressive thanks to the amazing cupcakes – one strawberry and white chocolate flavour, topped with a Jammie Dodger, and one lemon meringue flavour, topped with a lemon slice and a mini meringue, plus two chocolate brownies.
We decided we were too full to do them justice at that time, so had them boxed up to take home. After a couple of hours, we were ready to indulge again – and wow, they really did taste as good as they looked.
■ We said: “If you want to treat someone – or yourself – to afternoon tea, then I would highly recommend The Loquacious Baker.
“It’s a gorgeous little coffee shop, with a welcoming atmosphere and outstanding service. Our waitress, Anne-Marie, was friendly (making a special effort to talk to my little boy, which I always appreciate when we eat out) and efficient, checking on a number of occasions that we’d got everything we wanted, and refilling our drinks.”
THE TAP AND RUN Upper Broughton
We visited The Tap and Run in August, to try the Twenty20 three course meal which was available for just £10 as part of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
It offered a choice of three starters, four mains and three desserts.
To begin with, I chose the cauliflower and Parmesan soup of the day, and my husband Simon decided on the crispy chicken wings with garlic, pepper and masala wine.
My soup was spot on – thick in texture and creamy and rich in taste, with the cauliflower and Parmesan forming an excellent pairing.
Simon’s starter looked particularly colourful and offered a good combination of flavours, but the wings weren’t as crispy as we expected them to be.
My bowl of wild mushroom pappardelle with truffle, Parmesan and spinach was huge. It was also beautiful.
Simon was delighted with his beef brisket pie, and I agreed with him that it was one of the best pies we’ve had in a while.
For dessert, Simon had the lemon custard tart and I chose the chocolate fudge pie.
My pie was rich and intense in flavour, and worked well with the lovely orange mascarpone.
Simon’s lemon tart was refreshing and was accompanied by clotted cream and blueberries.
■ We said: “The Tap and Run is a lovely venue with very proficient and friendly staff, and the measures taken to make the venue Covid-safe made us feel totally relaxed about being out for a meal.
“The food we had was of a high standard and at £10 for three courses, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”
ORTON’S BRASSERIE
Leicester
The launch of Orton’s Brasserie in the city’s cultural quarter was delayed due to the coronavirus lockdown, but, in August, it was able to open – and we were eager to give it a try.
The Grade II listed building had already impressed us in its former guise as the Queen Victoria Arts Club, but we felt there was now a funkier style and a more welcoming atmosphere to the place, which made us warm to it as soon as we walked in.
We dined from the a la carte menu, choosing to go for a main course and dessert.
Lured by the 12-hour slow-cooked pork belly, I quickly chose the belly and beets while Simon liked the sound of the brasserie’s take on fish and chips.
The food was soon on our table, looking beautiful. The attention to detail demonstrated by everything from the delicate drops of purée to the carefully stacked chips was delightful.
Not only was the food pleasing to the eye, it was also incredibly pleasing to the palate.
The pork belly was tender, succulent and flavoursome, and Orton’s fish and chips proved to be a superb take on the traditional English takeaway meal, having been given a Leicester twist by incorporating Indian flavours. Our desserts were beautifully presented just as the mains had been, and their taste was equally impressive.
The chocolate fondant was rich and decadent and the “Oops I Dropped My Tart” was a fun way to enjoy the flavours and textures of a lemon tart, just not in the usual format.
■ We said: “We had a wonderful evening, with excellent food and drink and excellent service in stunning surroundings with a warm atmosphere.
“Hats off to the chefs, who created joy-inducing plates of perfection offering delicious combinations of flavours and textures which ensured every mouthful was exciting.
“The cost was £42.80 for the food alone (£61.50 including the three alcoholic drinks) which, for such an impressive meal, we felt offered good value for money.”
GIGGLING SQUID
Leicester
Thai restaurant chain Giggling Squid opened a restaurant in St Martin’s Square in February. I was wowed by the look of the restaurant when we were invited in for a sneak peek, but I was keen to find out if the meals were just as impressive.
Together with my family, I decided to visit for a Sunday lunch with a difference, where we tried a wide variety of dishes from the menu.
This included the ‘tapas sets’ Two Giggling Squids (£11.95) which included chicken massaman curry, salt and pepper squid, Thai chicken wings and jasmine rice, and One Giggling Squid (£10.95) which comprised sleeping honey duck, wholesome cashew stir fry, Thai spring rolls and jasmine rice.
The children’s menu offered a selection of eight dishes under the rather sweet title of ‘little tapas for little people’, from which they could choose two small plates for £5.95.
Both being big fans of noodles, my boys each opted for a plate of pad Thai noodles – one with prawns, one with chicken, plus one plate of spring rolls and one bowl of chicken massaman curry. A portion of plain or sticky rice (we ordered sticky rice) was also included.
Everything was delicious, from the mild and creamy chicken massaman curry to the best-selling salt and pepper squid. The desserts tasted very good too.
We said: “We were very impressed with our lunch at Giggling Squid.
“The surroundings are lovely, the service was excellent, and the wonderful tapas was beautifully presented, colourful and full of flavour.
“Desserts were good – especially my chocolate pudding – but the tapas dishes are definitely the standout items here.”