Latest Restaurant Review (Norwood House)
Norwood House is a chic and cosy eatery located in the charming countryside setting of Chetwynd Aston on the outskirts of Newport.
Hosted by Anita, the restaurant has recently re-opened after the owners took a short break to concentrate on private functions. Being able to offer exclusivity, and catering for upto 140 guests, Norwood House is an excellent venue for weddings and special occasion celebrations. Having dined at the restaurant in the past I was keen to return as soon as I heard about the relaunch, as the standard of the food has always been excellent and once again I wasn’t disappointed.
On arrival we ordered drinks to enjoy in the pleasant bar area while we perused the menu. I was happy to see that the ever popular Champagne Menu is back, offering incredible value without compromising on choice or quality; it’s available from Thursday to Saturday from 6pm till 9pm and for just £20 per person includes 2 courses and a glass of bubbles or for £24.95 you can upgrade to three courses.
To start my husband ordered the Thai crab cake and I went for the garlic mushrooms, after enjoying a few sips of our very nice chilled champagne our food arrived hot and attractively presented. The crab cake had a golden crispy crumb coating and inside was light and fluffy crab and potato filling, Aaron commented that the flavour of the crab cake was mildly spicy with a delicious savoury Thai flavour, it was accompanied by a flavoursome tomato basil jam and fresh mixed salad leaves.
My garlic mushroom starter was served in a rather cute miniature frying pan, it consisted of a medley of mushrooms cooked in a rich and creamy garlic sauce, topped with a crunchy golden pesto crumble, it was very tasty and moorish and made for a great start to the meal, the crumble topping added a crunchy texture which worked well with the richness of the mushrooms.
For our main courses we ordered the 8oz fillet steak with peppercorn sauce and the lamb fillet. The fillet steak was cooked exactly to Aaron’s preference and was very tender, it came served with a generous portion of perfectly crisp yet fluffy hand cut chips and a side of fresh seasonal veg.
My lamb fillet dish consisted of several generous slices of melt in the mouth lamb fillet, cooked until still slightly pink served on a bed of fondant potatoes, with celeriac purée and a red wine jus, we were both very satisfied with our choices of main course and both thoroughly enjoyed every bite.
The dessert menu has a mouthwatering array of tempting treats, so needless to say we both went for the full 3 course offer! Aaron ordered the Tutti Fruiti Cheesecake and I opted for the intriguing Textures of Pear. The Cheescake was a really fun and vibrant dish, the cheesecake tasted just like lemon sherbet and was served with a scoop of bright blue bubble gum ice cream! The overall effect was very reminiscent of an old-fashioned sweetie shop, it was fun and tasty and it raised a smile too!
My textures of pear dessert arrived beautifully presented and as the name might suggest it did indeed cover a plethora of pear textures, including poached pear, pear parisien, pear purée and pear glacé. The poached pear was perfectly soft and refreshing in contrast with the pear glacé which gave an intense hit of sweetness and a crunchy texture, this was a cleverly thought out and well presented dish which I thoroughly enjoyed, it was a lovely light ending to the meal.
During our visit I was delighted to discover that the restaurant is also open for Sunday lunch between 12 noon and 4pm, the Sunday lunch menu starts from £14.50 for two courses and £17.95 for four courses including coffee and a home-made mint truffle, which is great value for a quality meal. The Sunday lunch menu has something to please everyone, with traditional roasts, fish and vegetarian options available.
Norwood House really is a hidden gem and a must visit destination for foodies, the cuisine is top quality, the atmosphere is cosy and intimate and with the fabulous champagne menu it offers incredible value too. For a fine dining experience without the fine dining price tag you really must put Norwood House on your to do list this autumn!
Reviewed by Charlie & Aaron Scott
