LIVE24SEVEN // Wining & Dining
OS T L E R S AT NUMB E R 1 - R E S TAURANT R E V I EW seriously good
Sat enviably next to the Racecourse and Swan Theatre, this restaurant is one you think ‘I must try’ whenever you walk past, I constantly hear great reports about the food and atmosphere so was delighted to review it.
Owners Ben Nelsey and Head Chef, Ricco opened Ostlers back in 2014, their ethos is the same today as it was then, ‘deliver the freshest possible food, using locally sourced produce to create dishes that would be at home in bistro’s, taverna's and restaurants around the world’. The service and atmosphere were also intrinsic to this, that relaxed and welcoming environment that you experience on your chilled holidays abroad, one that makes dining out with friends even more fun.
The tastefully decorated terrace was the perfect setting for pre-dinner drinks before moving inside for the main event and a menu that is eclectic and boasts tempting dishes from around the globe. The a la carte menu takes you on a journey of discovery, from the huge rack of ribs from Jamaica to the Malaysian stir fry right back to the best Herefordshire beef that you are likely to find anywhere! However, the team also take huge pride in their daily specials, there’s no need to look at the board though, Ben knows it off by heart and enthusiastically describes each dish which includes the freshest of fish
food
available for both starters and mains. The beauty of this restaurant is that they are very willing to tweak dishes to suit your taste, even down to the mini fish pie starter that Ricco was happy to prepare with your favourite alternative catch. It’s this level of effort to ensure your dining experience is the best it can be that sets it apart from other restaurants.
The biggest problem you’ll face here is deciding what to go for, a piece of advice would be wear blinkers, the dishes that arrive at nearby tables can sway you from your choice, another piece of advice would be to limit the delicious home baked bread you nibble on whilst making your choice.
Our starters arrived, the fresh fragrant flavours of the Asian pork salad made this a wickedly good choice, the warm tender pork came to life with the sticky dressing that enveloped the freshest leaves. One of our favourite dishes was the plumpest of scallops cooked to perfection and served with tasty chunks of pork belly and crunchy crackling, from the specials menu – it was special indeed! Also highly recommended was the crumbly goats cheese salad bringing a salty finish to crisp salad leaves and combined with the tasty beetroot and crunchy pine nuts, it was refreshing. Our final choice was the crab linguine, fresh brown and white crab stuck to the pasta with a tasty tomato and chilli sauce, a taste of Italy that really hit the spot.
A tasty raspberry sorbet cleansed the pallet for the main event, and the star of that show was the Oxtail and Herefordshire beef with dumplings, root vegetables, parsnip crisps and savoy cabbage. Delivered to the table in a steaming earthenware pot that looked big enough for two to share, the huge chunks of oxtail tasted like they’d been cooked in the thick sticky stock for hours. Meat fell off the bone and delivered an incredible depth of flavour whilst the stew of chunky root vegetables was a meal in its own rights. All that was missing was a thick piece of crusty bread to mop up every bit of the sauce that coated the dish - superb. This dish looked big until the Jamaican jerk pork ribs arrived. A welcome yet monstrous-sized portion of ribs coated in a thick jerk sauce and served with sweet potato fries, corn on the cob and pineapple ketchup, it was indulgently good. I usually worry about eating ribs - they can be messy, but I’d have got as dirty as needs be for this awesome dish. The meat fell from the bones and the sauce packed just the right amount of punch! Another piece of advice, book quickly – we’re told they are due to change to Asian ribs soon and believe me you don’t want to miss out on this experience.
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