Spooners Restaurant

***This restaurant changed hands in early 2010 and no longer trades as Spooners Restaurant***

Do you fancy a change from the usual restaurant menus? Ever thought of tantalising your taste buds with a Russian twist and getting away from the hustle of the Hub of MK? Then Spooners, in Woburn Sands is definitely worth a try. Established since 1984 and now under new management, Ray and Liudmila Ripnar are continuing with the Spooners tradition but are adding a Russian flavour. The restaurant offers a cosy, intimate dining experience.

We visited on a Wednesday evening, and were warmly welcomed by our host (Liudmila) who seated us downstairs in an area that comfortably holds up to 16 people with further 38 covers upstairs which is the main restaurant. You are not overwhelmed or bombarded by Russian influences but your eye does wander over subtle references throughout the evening. 

The tables are decorated with tea lights and a vase with a bright flower, creating a cosy ambience which helps you feel relaxed and at ease.  You are seated at tables which are widely spaced apart, giving you privacy, and plenty of room to move around. We found the restaurant to be quiet with only a few other diners but if you are considering visiting at a weekend, it is strongly recommended that you book.

We enjoyed an unusual appetizer which reminded us of tapas – a small crispbread with a tomato relish dressing. This certainly gets the taste buds flowing and was followed by a garlic bread which was very moorish and absolutely delicious!

We read through the menu which consisted of approximately six or seven choices for both the starters and mains.  As my guest was a vegetarian she opted for the Vegetarian Soup with cream and I chose the Russian Hunters Salad.  We do not normally order three courses, but for you the reader we had no choice and we were slightly apprehensive about the quantity of the starters and whether we would be able finish the whole three courses.

We need not have worried as both the starters were light and refreshing.  The Russian Hunters Salad is a venison salad and not something that I had tried before.  I was however, pleasantly surprised and this something that I would definitely order again. This was a tasty dish whilst the soup was creamy, light and appetizing.

We had a little wait for our main courses but everything is cooked fresh to order and it was worth the wait. During this time a small party had arrived to celebrate a birthday. Spooners decorated the table for them, which we felt was a nice, personal touch.

My guest chose on recommendation the Special Fish of the Day – Plaice, stuffed with prawns and asparagus and I ordered Chicken Breast Stuffed with mozzarella and mushroom served with basil and cherry tomato sauce.  We also had potatoes (one large roasted potato each) and vegetables served separately.  There was just the right amount of vegetables for us to share and everything was cooked to perfection. The food looked very appetizing and did not disappoint. My guest enjoyed her fish. With just a few prawns and a spear of asparagus, it proved a wonderful combination.

Moving to dessert, I chose ‘Swan Lake’ which left me thinking “Wow!” This is a meringue served in the shape of a swan, with blue jelly, strawberries and passion fruit. It looked so pretty, I didn’t want to eat it! However I did manage and once again this was another delicious course.

My guest, a resident chocoholic who would normally always opt for the chocolate choice of pudding, instead got into the swing of the traditional Russian theme and opted for something a little different – a Russian cheesecake. This is not your typical cheesecake as the host explained – there is no crumble, cooked upside down and served warm with a sour cream and raspberries. Unfortunately although ordered with best intentions of being adventurous this did not suit my guest’s taste buds and she couldn’t help but wonder what the chocolate fondue would have been like.

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