Rating: **** Many things combine to make for a good night out - good food, good company and a good atmosphere.
But it was our waitress, Sarah, who turned good into a great night out, when our family enjoyed its early Christmas celebration evening at the Punchbowl at West Felton. More about Sarah later.
More than one person had mentioned that Punchbowl was worth a visit - and so it turned out to be.
Once a tiny village pub, the Punchbowl has been enlarged with a modern yet sympathetically designed extension, now the pub restaurant.
The original part of the pub was packed with we arrived - apparently a shooting party among those, like us, out for a meal.
We were more than happy to go straight to our table for 10 and catch up with the news from family members.
As we were running slightly late and there was another large party we were warned that it might take a while for our meals to arrive.
We certainly didn’t notice any hold-up. Perhaps it was because we were enjoying each other’s company, perhaps the staff just worked extra hard to keep all the tables happy.
The menu at the Punchbowl is simple, yet has a good variety to suit most tastes - steaks and grills for our menfolk, salmon for my mum and fish or scampi and chips for the teenagers.
Those who shared garlic bread for starters (£1.50) were delighted. Large slices of tasty French bread smothered in garlic butter. The pate was also said to be excellent, but hubbie was slightly disappointed with his mushrooms (£3.95) - anaemic the adjective he used.
He was much happier with his mixed grill: steak, a lamb chop, gammon, liver and thick tasty sausages, just some of the huge amount of meat on his plate (£10.95).
I went for a Thai curry (£7.95), and was certainly not prepared for what arrived.
Rather than a dish of meat sitting in the curry sauce there were three large fillets of chicken breast sitting on top of the rice, with the Thai sauce around the outside and nan bread on the side. The chicken was very tender and the curry sauce a good balance of taste and hotness. Having the meat in large pieces was a nice chance from the usual although, as I normally find, I would have loved a little more sauce.
Mum and I did not have chips with our meal, but three massive dishes arrived for the rest of the family.
They were piping hot and won top marks from everyone. Not a chip lover, I tucked in the gusto, they really were delicious.
The highlight of the meal for me though were the desserts. Too often I seem to be on my soapbox moaning about mediocre puddings, many of them frozen efforts and over-priced.
These were all home-made. I chose a chocolate mousse (£3.95) while mum went for creme brulee - both of which I imagined would arrive in little pots. However they were in fact home-made tarts, the mousse and creme brulee sitting within the shortest of pastry. Our compliments to the chef. The mousse was rich and tasty while, pinching some of mum’s brulee, I almost wish I’d chosen that. It was wonderfully rich with a lovely caramel crust on the top.
So the food was good, the company perfect and that special extra - a young waitress called Sarah who had us in fits of laughter as she tried to keep us in order on the night.
When she told teenager Andy off for using the wrong knife for his starter - moaning it just meant more washing up for her, his Dad Nigel sheepishly tried to hide the fact that he had done the same.
He failed and Sarah launched a ’schoolmarm’ attack on him.
It set the tone for the rest of the evening - Sarah-baiting. She gave as good as she got whether it was a telling off for a trip to the ladies between courses or praising us for our clean plates.
I am sure that she would not have been so outrageous had we not egged her on but she was a real breath of fresh air and much appreciated!
ADDRESS:
The Punchbowl, West Felton, near Oswestry
Tel: 01691 610201
MENU SAMPLE
Starters
Homemade fishcakesl (£4.95); Brie wedges (£4.25)
Main courses
Somerset chicken in a cider and apple sauce (£7.95); Whisky fillet, fillet steak on a parsnip and smoked bacon rosti served in a creamy whisky and whole grain mustard sauce; Leek and mushroom crumble (£7.45)
Desserts
Apple pie; chocolate fudge cake; creme brulee (all £3.95)
ATMOSPHERE
Traditional country pub atmosphere
SERVICE
Attentive even when busy and a gem of a waitress.
SMOKING POLICY
No smoking in restaurant
By Sue Austin
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