Taste Test
|  | | | | | | | | | | | | | SOUTHEND UNITED | | | | HEALTH | | | | | | | COMING UP IN YOUR ECHO | | |
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A laid back celebration
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| Royal Oak - wooden beams and large fireplace |
IT MIGHT not have the wall to wall restaurants that Westcliff has, but the Rochford district fares pretty well when it comes to satisfied stomachs.
There's the Bull in Hockley, the Cherry Tree in Stambridge, the pubs in Paglesham, and my latest discovery the Royal Oak in Great Stambridge.
My parents had eaten there before and thoroughly enjoyed it, so with my birthday looming and several hints dropped, we booked ourselves a table.
It's quite a journey to get to, but well worth it. We went early on a Tuesday night and had the pick of the restaurant. Attached to the pub, the restaurant, with its wooden beams and large fireplace, has a welcoming feel. This is added to further by the laid back and friendly staff.
As well as the choice from the extensive menu we were presented with two special boards, one for starters and one for mains.
Although the main that my dad ended up choosing - the fresh fillet of monkfish rubbed in red pesto and wrapped in parma ham, pan cooked and served with creamy chive sauce, was described in so much detail it ended up taking up the majority of one of the boards.
It did the trick though and got my dad's taste buds going. He wasn't disappointed either, judging by the fact that by the time he'd polished it off, there was probably no need for the kitchen staff to clean the plate. Mum's pan cooked calves liver with smoked bacon and horseradish mash and my risotto funghi also went down well, although I found the risotto a little cheesy for my personal taste.
Each generously portioned dish was beautifully presented and wouldn't have looked out of place in a top London restaurant.
The mains would have been more than enough to satisfy us, but at the same time the desserts sounded too tempting to pass up, plus it was my birthday.
So I opted for the last summer fruit pudding, sold to me very well by our waitress, mum had the apple and sultana crumble and dad opted for the bread and butter pudding. All of which rounded off a very enjoyable meal (and our waistlines)
Price wise the mains were a little costly, but for a special occassion and a laid back atmosphere I would certainly go back.
THE ROYAL OAK, STAMBRIDGE ROAD, GREAT STAMBRIDGE 01702 258259
Bread basket £2.25
Calves liver £11.95
Fillet of monkfish £12.95
Risotto funghi £7.95
Apple and sultana crumble £4.25
Bread and butter pudding £4.50
Summer fruit pudding £4.25
Total for three: £44.10
Our verdict:
Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Decor: 4/5
ends
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