Food marries high quality with real value for money
THE TASTE TEAM CHECKS OUT CASTELL MYNACH IN GROESFAEN...
I’M not generally a huge fan of chains, particularly when it comes to pubs.
I’d rather they felt quirky, individualistic, and idiosyncratic – places you can revisit endlessly but notice something new each time.
The advantage that chains do have, though, is an element of consistency – and when I saw the Castell Mynach had been given a refurb and a new menu by Vintage Inns I decided it was time to give it a try.
I’ve enjoyed their offerings in other parts of Wales and England and wasn’t surprised to see the interior matching some of the other venues I’ve visited.
Alongside a bar area with some seating there’s a pleasantly higgledypiggledy restaurant area, with an open fireplace, and plenty of classic leather furniture in deep oxblood colours.
So far, so relaxed.
The menu, too, has plenty to set you at ease – not least Wednesday’s “pie nights”, with five pies on offer, as well as an attractive two courses and a bottle of wine sharing deal for £22 per person after 5pm on a Friday and available all day on Saturdays.
We visited on a Sunday afternoon where, as well as the traditional roasts, plenty of the standard menu was available including fish and chips (£12.25 with mushy peas and tartare sauce), spiced squash coconut curry with red peppers and black beans in a Jerk seasoning, topped with roasted chilli and served with turmeric rice (£11.50), steaks (from £19.50) and burgers (from £10.50).
The staff were friendly and attentive – even when I managed to embarrass myself by inadvertently knocking over and smashing a glass of water – and, judging by their jocular informality with many of the patrons, it seemed there were plenty of regulars in.
I started with scallops and chorizo roasted in garlic butter and served with warm rustic bread (£7.95) and was impressed with the buttery and smooth scallops which glided apart under the fork and melted in the mouth.
My wife’s duo of pate (£5.95) – a coarse pork and Madeira pâté and duck liver parfait, served with Bramley apple butter, baby gherkins and rustic bread – was exquisite.
After this, unfortunately, proceedings slowed somewhat as several nearby tables changed over for a slew of 2pm bookings and things never quite caught up.
That’s no slight on the staff, who were faultlessly well-meaning and chatty, but we faced a long wait for our starters to be cleared and for our mains to arrive.
Our toddler, though, was getting hungrier and hungrier and I was relieved when her meal – chosen from a thorough children’s menu – arrived.
The menu for children is a “build your own” set-up for £5.75 offering a choice of main dishes (including pasta and tomato sauce with garlic bread, battered cod fillet, a vegetable skewer, and sausages with gravy) which then come with a vegetable option (one of salad, baked beans, peas or a “vegetable stick”) and an extra side of either chips, garlic bread, baby potatoes, sticky rices, sweet potato fries or mash.
We opted for the herby, tomatorich lasagne – which was served in a piping hot dish, requiring us to decant it to a side plate – along with the crispy, lip-smacking sweet potato chips.
The “vegetable stick” wasn’t quite what we’d anticipated – while we’d expected something along the lines of a breaded vegetable finger it was, in fact, a generous bowl of sticks of carrot, red pepper and courgette which were good for munching (even if not high on the list of priorities for our diner, who preferred to wolf down the lasagne).
I opted for the roast sirloin of beef (£12.25) and the two succulent slabs of sumptuous well done meat with light peppery notes were the standout element of the dish.
The (generous) four roast potatoes were pudgy and ruffled yet fluffy on the inside and were livened up somewhat with the gentle onion tones of the gravy.
The carrots, apparently cooked in honey and thyme, were more workmanlike than knockout, like the kale and cabbage, with the honeyed parsnips the most impressive of the remaining accompaniments.
My wife’s chicken and mushroom pie (£11.25) was exceptionally executed with a velvety and delicious texture to the creamy mushroom and leek sauce which had a delightful astringency thanks to the addition of chardonnay.
There was another lengthy holdup in getting our desserts with the particular frustration of waiting 20 minutes only to be told the rich chocolate tart I’d ordered “wouldn’t be ready in time”.
As a consequence my wife – who had opted for the hot drink and mini pudding option (£5.25) had pretty much drained her mocha before her lukewarm apple and blackberry crumble arrived.
Nevertheless the dish, which was sweet and tasty but a little more arty than a homecooked and indulgently baked and caramelised crumble, was a good size for a “mini” dessert and came with custard on the side.
I enjoyed the piping hot and luxuriously fudgey Belgian chocolate brownie with ice cream (£5.95) while our daughter wasted no time putting away two scoops of ice cream (£1).
While we weren’t in a rush – and indeed the slow pace arguably made a nice change from a normally frantic life – the fact three courses took more than two hours perhaps reflected an abundance of choice on the menu putting a little bit of strain on the kitchen.
Despite that the service was unfailingly good and the food – especially the centrepieces of the dishes – married high quality with value for money making this a place we’ll definitely visit again.
■ The Castell Mynach, Llantrisant Road, Groesfaen, CF72 8NH. Call 01443 237395