Reviews
The Oak - Perfect blend of old and new
Chester Evening Leader, July 2008
CHOOSING presents for Fathers' Day is always difficult. The plan had been to order a pair of Whitby kippers for Melissa's dad, Terry.
However, I somehow managed to break the online order form, so we had to change plan.
That's when we decided to go for an old favourite - a meal out. We'd been recommended The Oak in Glyn Ceiriog, so we decided to give it a try. It turned out to be a very good decision.
The Oak has recently been refurbished and is light and airy inside, without losing the charm of the old building. It also made a very good first impression when I spotted that it was serving Black Sheep Ale on draft. It's one of my favourite pints and was almost worth the trip alone.
We sat in the bar while we decided what to order. The menu offered a decent variety of dishes and it was good to see plenty of locally sourced produce on the menu. After making our choices, we went through to the dining area, which continued the old-with-a-modern-twist theme of the bar.
While Terry picked a bottle of wine, we waited for our starters. My choice, the Welsh Cheddar pate, was unusual for me, particularly when black pudding was also available. However, the pate was excellent and I'd recommend it to any cheese lovers out there. Melissa was pleased with her soup, while Dot and Terry both enjoyed their starters. The presentation of the food was also very impressive. We did have to ask for more bread as there wasn't any included with the black pudding dish, but the friendly staff were happy to oblige.
The mains were of a similar standard. Pork is sometimes a risky dish as it can be dry if overcooked. However, the meat was fine and the creamy bacon and leek sauce delicious. It's often the details that make a meal memorable and The Oak deserves credit for the standard of its bowl of seasonal vegetables served with the main; everything was fresh-tasting and served piping hot.
All of us cleared our plates, which speaks volumes for the quality of the food, and I can also vouch for the standard of the handmade chips - they were simply excellent.
To be honest, we didn't need dessert but I agreed to share the bread and butter pudding with Melissa, while Dot and Terry agreed to share a creme brulee. I'm not really a dessert person, but I was very impressed with the bread and butter pudding - deliciously moist and served with a toffee sauce and ice cream. Indeed it was so good, I would even consider sacrificing the starter for it next time.
Overall then, I was very impressed with The Oak. Prices were reasonable and the service throughout our meal was efficient but not fussy. If you fancy trying somewhere new, I'd definitely recommend taking a trip down the Glyn Valley. And it certainly beat ordering a pair of kippers for Fathers' Day.
Our menu choice:
Starters
1x Home-made soup with fresh baked bread £3.95
2x Local black pudding with smoked bacon and Caerphilly cheese £4.75 each
1x Welsh Cheddar cheese pate with apple chutney £4.75
Mains
1x Thai vegetable curry with rice £8.95
1x Loin of pork with creamed leek and bacon sauce £9.95
1x 10oz chargrilled rib-eye of Welsh Black beef with pink peppercorn sauce with handmade chips £14.95
1x 8oz chargrilled sirloin of Welsh Black beef with creamed garlic mushrooms, onions, cherry tomatoes and handmade chips £13.95
Dessert
1x Creme brulee £4.95
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