CULVERHOUSE CROSS
Raglans Restaurant new Spring Menu Raglans Restaurant at The Copthorne Hotel, likes to see itself as ‘Cardiff’s Best Kept Secret’, and I must admit, Culverhouse Cross wasn’t the first place I would have considered for dining out. That was until I tried Raglans. I am delighted to say that I wasn’t disappointed with the experience, and I think it’s time to let the secret out!
As my wife was in Malaysia on business I went with a good friend who, like me, hadn’t eaten at Raglans before, although both of us had been to a number of excellent conferences held at the hotel over the last few years. We received a very warm welcome from the friendly restaurant staff who helped us choose an excellent Chablis from the well stocked wine list. The Head Chef was away when we visited, but the Sous Chef did not disappoint! Raglans has an exciting and imaginative menu, and the starters and main courses were particularly good.
I started with a particularly good terrine of chicken, quail and guinea fowl, and followed this with a roasted Chepstow duck breast which was as good as any I’ve tasted and, in my opinion, was cooked to perfection. My friend had carpaccio of beef to start, which, judging by his reaction, was at least as good as my starter. This was followed with guinea fowl as his main course which was also an excellent dish. Raglans offers a good choice of desserts, but I think that a selection from the well stocked cheese board would be an excellent way to finish. To sum up, Raglans Restaurant is a comfortable, friendly yet formal dining experience. A good place to eat with family and friends, it has live piano music on Friday and Saturday evenings, but is also an excellent place for more formal business meetings. I would certainly recommend you give it a try, and I will definitely be returning. Mark Carey-Lang Raglans Restaurant The Copthorne Hotel Culverhouse Cross 029 2059 9100 www.millenniumhotels.co.uk
VALE HOTEL GOLF & SPA RESOR T
Vale Bar and Grill Restaurant We’ve been pleasantly surprised recently by the quality of food and service we’ve received whilst dining out at hotels. So, you can imagine our expectations were high when we visited the new Vale Bar and Grill restaurant at the Vale Hotel Golf and Spa Resort in Hensol. A quick stroll through the bar area took us into the restaurant which has just been added to the hotel’s facilities. The design was contemporary and the kitchen was open so that diners can watch the chefs at work (which I like). We were greeted by our waitress for the evening, Sarah, who also happened to be one of the chefs. When asked why she was waitressing, she replied that she liked a change and wanted to see what it was like on the other side of the grill. Her enthusiasm was infectious as Sarah talked us through the menu, emphasising how the hotel liked to source its produce locally. She even had a sound knowledge of the wine list and after asking what type of wine I usually chose, suggested a lovely deep rosé which was just how I like it.
We were offered a selection of freshly baked breads while pondering the menu. Sarah returned to take our orders. A baked, Welsh Pant-Ys-Gawn goats cheese was my choice while my partner opted for the grilled spiced king prawns. Both were hot, tasty and plentiful. No complaints there! On to the mains; fillet of Welsh Black beef for me and the seafood pie for my partner. We also chose hand cut chips and seasonal vegetables. The steak was as good as it gets - fat, juicy and cooked just to my liking of medium rare but more on the rare. The seafood pie was packed full of a variety of fish and the sauce was thick and creamy, all topped off with a mouth watering cheese crust. Another winner was the plentiful assortment of vegetables which were perfectly served al dente. We were now ready for our desserts of bread and butter pudding, which came with an egg cream and vanilla custard, laced with Penderyn whiskey and sticky date pudding, served with a rich warm, butterscotch sauce. Sarah asked if we were happy with our desserts as I had left a fair amount on my plate. All was well, I assured her, I was just a little full... pointing to my partner’s empty plate, which had no traces of pudding, yes, all was well. ❧ 37 ❧
Vale Bar and Grill Vale Hotel, Golf and Spa Resort Hensol Park, Hensol CF72 8JY 01443 667800