My apple pie was a little taste of heaven (From Echo)

My apple pie was a little taste of heaven

10:00pm Wednesday 2nd September 2009

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A SHORT drive out of Rochford town centre takes you to a quaint building surrounded by countryside.

I walked into the welcoming bar of the Royal Oak and through into an extension built to house a surprisingly spacious restaurant.

It has a traditional charm thanks to its deep red decor, high whitewashed ceiling, and blackened oak beams, making sure the Tudor style reigns.

However, on closer inspection we did notice the plaster was a bit chipped and the walls could do a with a lick of paint.

I browsed the specials menu, which is changed every week, and chose the Thai mussels to start.

The waitress initially brought the wrong dish, but could not have been more friendly or apologetic when the error was pointed out to her.

Despite the mix-up, the mussels still arrived promptly served with coriander and home-grown green chillis and came in a delicious buttery sauce.

My fellow diner sampled the soup of the day, which was mushroom, and proved be good.

The menu offers quite a hefty selection of fish options, along with the usual steaks, pastas and vegetarian fare.

I went for the fisherman’s pie which was packed full of cod, salmon, prawns and mussels. It was topped with creamed potato and cheese, and I enjoyed digging in to get to the delicious fish and seafood.

However, we found the fillet of trout was the better option as it was so well seasoned with garlic and chervil butter. It came accompanied by a generous helping of mange tout, cauliflower cheese and carrots.

I plumped for a home-made apple pie for dessert accompanied by Rossi’s ice cream.

The apple pie was a little taste of heaven with a light home-made pastry stuffed full of fruit.

My companion’s creme brulee, which was peach flavour that evening, had the best light and creamy texture you could hope for.

We found the Royal Oak a country pub with a real old-fashioned charm.

It is a place where you can sit outside on one of the picnic tables to while away the hours with a pint of real ale. But it is also worth straying inside to sample its extensive menu.

What we ate Mushroom soup £3.95;Thai mussels £6.95; Fisherman's pie £10.95; Fillet of trout £12.95; Peach creme brulee £4.75;Home-made apple pie £4.95

Our verdict, out of 5 Atmosphere 4, Food 4; Decor 3, Value 4, Service 5, Disabled access Yes.

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