Latest Review stuart, 1 March 2012
Situated in the centre of the picturesque village of Whitchurch, located north of Cardiff city centre the Village Kitchen and Bar offers a homely yet contemporary feel to all who visit and is the perfect spot for a quick coffee with friends, a lunch time date or celebratory dinner.
On arrival at the restaurant we were warmly greeted by the friendly and welcoming front of house who led us to a lovely table located at the rear of the restaurant. As we took our seats in very comfortable cream and brown tub chairs, we were handed our menu’s. The menu itself offers a wide variety of high quality bistro-style dishes, providing a good selection of both meat, fish and vegetarian dishes and is catered for all tastes and dietary requirements.
As I browsed the menu further I glanced around the restaurant, taking in its beautiful, elegant décor and ambient lighting. The pale cream and delicate mushroom brown colour combination created a chique yet warm and informal atmosphere. After carefully contemplating what delicious delicacies to choose, I eventually ordered the prawn and crayfish cocktail for starters. This came beautifully presented with a fresh, vibrant salad and rustic brown bread. The prawns were a lovely pale pink colour and there flesh was juicy and moist, this complimented the richness of the Marie Rose sauce perfectly. The Marie Rose sauce, was thick and creamy and had a real depth of flavour. The accompanying salad was very fresh and crisp, which added a lovely lightness to the first course. Finally, the rustic brown bread and butter completed the starter perfectly.
My husband chose the warmed peppered goat’s cheese accompanied by salad and fruit salsa. The warmed goat’s cheese was creamy, tangy and gooey in the middle which provided the perfect contrast to the slightly hot pepperiness flavour. The fruit salsa was full of flavour and had a gorgeous chunky texture, which cut the richness of the goat’s cheese and made it an altogether delightful dish.
As a lover of all meat I opted for the traditional rump steak for my main course, this was served with a hot pepper sauce, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and a home-made onion relish. A side dish of chip potatoes was also brought out along with the steak. The steak itself was well-cooked, beautifully caramelised on the outside and deliciously succulent, tender and juicy on the inside. You could tell the meat had been well rested as the tasty juices ran all the way through the steak. The hot pepper sauce was silky smooth and had small flecks of peppercorn throughout, which gave the dish a slight bite. The grilled tomatoes and mushrooms were both scrumptious, the natural sweetness of the tomatoes being enhanced from the heat of the grill and the mushrooms were soft and buttery. This together with the sweet chunky onion relish provided a tongue tingling taste explosion. The chip potatoes were fantastic, golden and crunchy on the outside and perfectly light, fluffy and floury in the centre. A classic combination done to an exquisitely high standard.
My husband had the grilled sea bass fillets, served with a Mediterranean style salad consisting of rocket, feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. To accompany the dish the waiter recommended a delicious fruit Sauvignon Blanc which was the perfect accompaniment to the light, fresh sea bass. The sea bass was melt in the mouth and had a beautiful flaky texture. The flesh of the bass was beautifully white and the taste was earthy and nutty, this in combination with the fresh peppery rocket, the salty, crumbly feta cheese and the sweet, squidgy tomatoes was a renowned success. The colour combination of vivid green, ruby red and white made the main course very appealing to the eye. All in all a very light, refreshing dish perfect for a beautiful spring evening.
After a leisurely time, my husband and I were then presented with four spectacular looking desserts on a large white plate. I selected another classic British dessert, the much loved Strawberry Trifle. The dessert was surprisingly light and refreshing, the custard was deliciously rich and creamy and was a beautiful golden colour. The jelly was set perfectly with a slight wobbly to it and had a burst of strawberry flavour and the finger sponge cakes slightly sodden in sherry made it a slightly boozy yet delectable dessert. Also the textures of the cool, velvety custard combined with the wobbly jelly and soft sponge fingers was delicious.
My husband chose the Strawberry and white Chocolate Cheesecake served with dark chocolate sprinkles and fresh Strawberries. The dessert was presented to a very high standard and the Cheesecake had a lovely sweet, crumbly biscuit base which was topped with a fluffy strawberry rippled soft cheese filling. The mixture of white chocolate and tangy soft cheese enhanced the natural sweet strawberry flavour and meant the dessert wasn’t too sweet or sickly. A lovely way to end the meal.
Our dining experience at the Village Kitchen and Bar was superb, the staff were polite, friendly and very welcoming and the food was enchanting, one place we would definitely revisit! So if you are looking for a relaxed, cosy, out- of town restaurant serving spectacular food then The Village Kitchen and Bar is the perfect place to visit.
