A la mode at Norwood House Hotel

Star rating: * * *

I’ve been a Newport lass for more years than I care to own up to. And almost every week of those years I’ve driven past the Norwood House Hotel heading out to the A41 and and never once thought of going there.

It always looked like the kind of place you would take the grandparents because you could be assured of prawn cocktail or paté to start, meat with two veg followed by pie with custard. It had that kind of image – all chintz and no style.

By the beginning of this year, I spotted new chairs in the window. Stylish black and white furniture, and then a new sign went up. It announced: “A la mode, at Norwood House Hotel”.

Rubbish name. In fact, according to the literature inside the revamped hotel, the restaurant is “a la mode, finer dining” which is even worse.

What does it mean? And I know the literal translation… but it was pretentious enough to put me off until recently when I thought I’d give it a go as the car park was empty and our usual haunt, The Fox about 50 yards away, was packed.

The business done every day of the week at The Fox is a sign that this end of Newport is lacking in good eateries and signals that despite a credit crunch, those giving customers what they want will do well.

But on a chilly August midweek evening, a la mode was very quiet. And quiet restaurants with no buzz or atmosphere have an uphill struggle even before they hand out the menus.

The family business, which has new owners since October last year, has completely overhauled the look of the place. Well nearly, the “toilets” sign above the door needs changing because it gives an all too clear glimpse of the old out-dated restaurant.

But the rest of the decor has been done well. Soft leather seats in the bar (which could also do with updating as the pale wood stain again gives away the restaurant’s staid roots), white and black walls with luxurious flocked wallpaper and crisp white lines on tables surrounded by upholstered chairs, obviously chosen by someone with a good eye for detail.

The general impression when you first walk in is that someone has worked really hard, really put their heart and soul into turning this place around.

The barman, a younger member of the family now running the business, was genial and proud of the effort gone in to the refurbishment and, as he gave us the menu, I found myself hoping that what followed over the next couple of hours would live up to both our and his expectations.

A la mode is an a la carte restaurant, with a separate menu of specials from which diners can choose two or three courses (with mains all at £10) and can also mix and match from both – which left us with a wide choice – especially as I couldn’t see one dish on either menu that I wouldn’t have picked.

Head chef Tony Scott has stuck to the tried and tested for most of the menu – which means it has to be good. Experimental combinations are all very well but when you offer up scallops and pancetta or asparagus and parma ham, it better be good because the likelihood is that diners will have tried something similar somewhere else.

So, finally, on to the food. Mark went for the rustic terrine of chicken, duck and pork, wrapped in streaky bacon and served with a tangy fruit compote.

This arrived with two slices of toast and was exactly what it said on the tin.

A huge slab which was tasty, not dry, and was enhanced by the savoury and slightly spicy chutney which added an extra dimension to what technically is a move on from the pate which I suspect was originally served at this establishment,

The Thai fishcakes with chilli dipping sauce which arrived for me weren’t exactly what I expected.

Clearly created with care, I was surprised when the waitress announced their arrival as salmon fishcakes.

I think I expected crab which is the usual fish used to create spicy fishcakes.

They were more moulded timbales of slivers of fish which, had you tried to pick up and dip them, would have fallen apart.

However, necessity being the mother of invention, if you tipped the sauce on to the plate and added it to a forkful you got the required taste togetherness.

The fish was superb, the portion size not over-facing and the dipping sauce good enough to use a piece of bread roll to mop up with should you forget your table manners or be French.

I went for fish again for the main course. From the specials menu, the smoked haddock with poached egg (£10) is a famous combination, yet one which can be tough to perfect.

The haddock must be melt-in-the-mouth and the egg just runny enough to be cooked but not overdone. I was surprised when mine came with two poached eggs, which, if you forgive the pun, is slightly over-egging the dish.

I think the reason could be that the fillet of haddock wasn’t the largest ever served – but it was succulent and the eggs top notch.

But it would have been better if the skin had been removed from the fish before it made it on to the plate. Crispy skin on a grilled fish can be fantastic, soggy and grey isn’t.

The cabbage concoction on the side was fine but added nothing to the dish.

However, serving the haddock on steamed spinach would have perhaps been a better option than the lettuce which, of course, wilted under the heat and became yet another soggy mess spoiling a perfectly poached piece of haddock.

Mark’s medallions of beef, with a mushroom and shallot marmalade, (one of the most expensive items on the menu at £18.50), were melt-in-the-mouth with a really rich red wine and balsamic jus.

I suppose it didn’t matter that the circular nature of medallions had escaped the chef on this occasion, with the meat arriving as two or three pieces of beef of indiscriminate shape and size. But where presentation lost out, taste won us over.

The rosemary mash was a great idea, with Mark singing its praises. But for me, the woody nature of the herb meant that chewing on rosemary sprigs ruined the effect of combining a soft mash with an beautiful gravy which packed a taste punch.

The dessert list looked fantastic – with a toffee and banana pudding with vanilla custard and a caramelised apple creme brulee making it on to the table without much protest.

Mark expected something stickier from the toffee element of the pudding which it appeared was baked into the base of the sponge but the dish was finished off without argument.

And my creme brulee was a good example of an often attempted and often failed dessert, with the apples still having a touch of bite combing well with the silky smooth custard.

The meal was good, there are areas to improve with a lack of ambience perhaps relative to the lack of diners, but I doubt you’ll find a better three-course meal for £17 within a 30 mile radius.

A la mode is actually “finer dining”.

Not gastro-pub, not aiming for a Michelin-star, but somewhere in between. Hopefully this combination should prove a successful niche – but it might require a name change first.

MENU SAMPLE & MINI GUIDE

Starters: Mozzarella, mango and Serrano ham salad with a sweet chilli dressing (£5.25); red pepper and Parmesan tartlet with rocket, red onion and tomato pesto (£5.25); home-made soup of the day (£4.50)

Main courses: Pan fried breast of duck, with stir fry vegetables and a pineapple and ginger sauce (£14.95); herb crusted fillet of cod on pea and mint puree, with thyme roasted cherry tomatoes £13.95); rack of lamb with bubble & squeak, aubergine filled with Mediterranean vegetables and a redcurrant and rosemary jus (£14.95)

Desserts: Lemon posset with raspberry compote; warm Bakewell tart with custard; baked Alaska (Specials menu is £13.50 for two courses, £17 for three)

Atmosphere: We visited on a very quiet night so difficult to tell, but the background music was good

Service: A warm welcome and attentive staff. They are missing a trick not offering a wine list though.

Disabled facilities: Small step in front of the front door, but the rest is on one level. Tables not too packed in so chairs can easily be moved away from tables to create a wheelchair space

Contact: A la mode, Norwood House Hotel, Newport (01952) 825896