The Wavendon
Arms has received some rave reviews over the last 12 months so
with the introduction of their new summer menu, we decided to
pay them another visit after enjoying ourselves so much last
year.
If anyone
reading this harbours aspirations of one day owning their own
pub or restaurant and needs to refurbish it, you simply have to
visit The Wavendon Arms. This is how it should look. Beautifully
decorated throughout, we sat in one of the inviting booths which
are ideal for intimate dining. So, with such wonderful
surroundings, we started to wonder – would the quality of food
match the decor?
 Food
We opted for a
bottle of Collina Di Estate, Sicily, Shiraz. This was a
particularly tannin wine which you could not really drink
without food. It took me a while to get used to it, but actually
proved an ideal accompaniment with our choice of food.
Hot bread and
balsamic vinegar was brought to our table but we told ourselves
we would touch very little because we had decided to start with
the Box baked camembert, onion jam and bread £8.45. We had a
slight problem because the bread was so warm and fresh that we
couldn’t resist trying some and probably ate more than we should
have. The camembert soon followed. The onion jam was placed on
top of the cheese which I found slightly disappointing. Firstly,
you have to move this to one side, and secondly, for two people,
there probably should have been more of it, so we duly asked for
an additional helping. The camembert was well prepared – nice
and gooey and not too runny. The bread was ever so slightly
toasted and with a pleasant but not overpowering jam, we enjoyed
this starter.
For mains I
opted for the 10oz Ribeye steak with piri piri butter, crispy
onions and frites £14.95 (medium). This was a lovely piece of
meat, lightly seasoned with the butter that had melted into the
steak. However, with ‘frites’ on the menu I was expecting French
fries or something similar. There was nothing special about
these chips and I didn’t eat too many, preferring to concentrate
on my steak.
In contrast to
my main course, my partner’s choice from the specials of Rump of
lamb and whole grain mustard mash and balsamic onions and mint
jus £14.25 was incredibly well received. This was yet another
quality piece of meat and the accompanying mash was a delight.
There
is a good selection of desserts including stickies and ports and
chocolate Martini. My partner opted for the Espresso Martini –
Grey Goose Vodka, Tia Maria and a shot of fresh espresso, shaken
but never stirred £5.95. This is a pleasant and light way to
finish the evening – a coffee shot with a bit of a kick. In
comparison, my choice (as a bit of a chocoholic) was the Double
chocolate marquis with whipped cream and chocolate sauce £4.95.
It was credibly rich and I found it impossible to finish.
Service
The staff are
efficient with lots of energy and there were smiles aplenty as
the team went about their work. We never once felt rushed. We
looked around the restaurant and were amazed that pretty much
everyone who was there when we arrived - was still there as we
finished our meal. The Wavendon Arms is without a doubt a
restaurant that once you are there, you do not want to leave.
This is in-keeping with many Italian restaurants where your
eating experience will last for most of the evening and this is
where the team are learning their trade. We found out that many
of the staff had been to Italy to learn more about food and
service. The company clearly believe the Italian way is the best
way, and that will also explain why there are a number of pizzas
on the menu. I actually mentioned the chips, and I am pleased to
say that the team are hoping to be able to do something about
this.
Atmosphere
The restaurant
was packed with not a spare table in sight. With plenty of small
groups and couples, there was a cool buzz about the place. We
were incredibly relaxed throughout our stay
In conclusion,
the majority of the food was first class (with minor exceptions
– most noticeably my chips!). This is an experience you are
highly likely to want to take in time and time again. |
