The Golden Star - Norwich

Christmas menu review

57 Colegate

Norwich

NR3 1DD

Christmas menu served throughout December

(Booking essential)

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A nightime inspection was a first for me, as was a Christmas dinner inspection. The Golden Star on Colegate was lit up nicely in the darkness when we arrived.

  

We'd been here before for breakfast in 2014, you can read the breakfast review here. It's certainly a really cosy and traditional pub so it seemed like a good place to enjoy a Christmas meal.

There's the main room out the front and this smaller room out the back where our table was reserved.

I promised my wife there would be Christmas crackers and breathed a huge sigh of relief when I spotted them on the table. She was struggling to understand why the two course Christmas menu cost £22.50 and the two course Sunday lunch cost £12.95, my only answer was that there would be Christmas crackers!

At least if the Christmas cracker jokes didn't entertain us there was a selection of board games nearby.

Our table was beside the window looking out onto Duke Street.

Ok, time to get the party started!

With Christmas hats on we checked out the contents of the crackers. I really struggled with the charade but quite enjoyed the challenge!

My wife was happy to go for two courses but I persuaded her to go for all three courses in the end. The Golden Star had thought about vegetarians and vegans too when planning their Christmas menu.

We're no wine connoisseurs so we ordered the cheapest bottle of white on the menu at £12.90. It seemed like a reasonable price to us and tasted ok so we were happy enough.

Starters

I chose the duck rillettes, potted confit duck leg served with toasted sourdough bread and plum chutney.

The tender and moist duck leg tasted so good I could have happily eaten it all straight out of the pot. There were other items on the plate though so I resisted the urge and set about combining the flavours.

Duck leg with plum chutney over toasted sourdough was a winning combination. The plum chutney was divine and the sharpness of it counteracted the richness of the duck. As starters go I was impressed, so far so good!

My wife's starter was wild mushroom and chestnut pate tart. 

 Mains

My main course was roast Norfolk turkey served with pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, roasted root vegetables and gravy. It was exactly as described on the menu but I felt a tad disappointed to be eating a Christmas dinner without stuffing or sprouts.

 There were two large slices of turkey which was moist and tender, the gravy was sublime.

Great pigs in blankets and nice large roast potatoes with crispy edges.

The cranberry sauce was excellent, plenty of it too.

The roasted vegetables consisted of carrot, swede and parsnip. All nice enough but I'd have liked to have seen far more veg on the plate.

My wife's main course was butternut squash and pistachio loaf served with roast potatoes, roasted root vegetables and gravy.

Dessert

We both had Christmas pudding for dessert, a vegan version was available for my wife. We both agreed it stole the show and was definitely the highlight of the meal. I didn't see any redcurrants as stated on the menu but the pudding was rich and delicious, coated in brandy butter which had us literally scraping the plate at the end. 

I love Christmas food and nothing quite beats a good Christmas dinner. On the way home from the city a few weeks back I spotted the Christmas menu outside The Golden Star, I decided it might be a nice thing to do with my wife. To be honest though she took some convincing as the price tag of a Christmas meal seemed to be almost double that of a Sunday lunch. In the end though sheer persuasion and the fact that The Golden Star were offering vegan options sealed the deal so we booked a table for two...

Upon entering - The Golden Star has a homely and traditional interior with heaps of character. It was nice and warm when we arrived and there was a hive of activity at the bar. There are two main rooms here, one at the front where the main bar is and another along the side with a smaller bar. We would be sitting in the side room which suited us as it seemed quite cosy in there. Our table was all set up with cutlery wrapped in a festive serviette, a candle giving a warm glow and a pair of Christmas crackers. An excellent place to enjoy a Christmas meal I felt. 9/10

Service - We received a warm welcome and was offered drinks before being shown to our table. All of our food choices had been pre-ordered so we enjoyed a few glasses of wine whilst waiting for the different courses to arrive. We were asked if everything was ok during the meal and again at the end so there was plenty of opportunity to raise any concerns. The staff seemed keen to please and the courses arrived at just the right time. 9/10

Type of roast - Ready served on the plate, no shared veg dilemmas here.

Choices available - Four starter, five main and four dessert.

Cracker contents - A hat, small gifts (a tape measure and card trick) and a joke which also featured trivia and a guessing game. It kept us entertained for a while! 7/10

Contents - 

Starter: Potted confit duck leg served with toasted sourdough bread and plum chutney.

Main: Roast Norfolk turkey served with pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, roasted root vegetables (carrot, swede and parsnip) and gravy.

Dessert: Christmas pudding with brandy butter. 

A decent combination of ingredients but some stuffing would have been nice and the Christmas pudding didn't appear to include redcurrants as stated on the menu. 7/10

Vegetable portions - Nice to see them served on the plate but not really enough and a bigger selection would have been nice. For me a few sprouts make a Christmas dinner. 4/10

Presentation - Each course was presented well and the main and dessert were both piping hot. The lambs lettuce (or it could have been watercress) worked well on the starter but seemed slightly out of place on the mains. 8/10

The food - 

Starter: Tender duck served with a stunning plum chutney, I thoroughly enjoyed this over the warm toasted sourdough, a great starter! 

Main: The Norfolk turkey served here wasn't too dry and covered in cranberry sauce was a real joy to eat. The pigs in blankets were pretty nice and the roast potatoes large and crispy on the outside. The roasted root vegetables were cut into small chunks, they tasted ok but the veg side of things was a bit disappointing to be honest.

Dessert: Desserts are usually my least favourite course but on this occasion the Christmas pudding covered in brandy butter was my highlight of the entire meal. I don't recall ever eating such a rich and delicious Christmas pudding as this one and the brandy butter melted over it beautifully. 

So an impressive starter, a slightly limited main course that lacked a few of my favourite Christmas dinner items and a surprise victory with the dessert. 8/10

Gravy and sauces - The gravy was spot on, a good consistency and really rich in flavour. The cranberry sauce was excellent too and there was plenty of it which was a bonus. 9/10

Veggie/vegan option - 

Starter: Wild mushroom and chestnut pate tart.

Main: Butternut squash and pistachio loaf served with roast potatoes, roasted root vegetables and gravy.

Dessert: Christmas pudding (Vegan)

Words from the wife - 

As has been mentioned by the inspector I couldn't understand why we were paying double just because a Sunday roast was labelled 'Christmas Dinner' but as I was promised some pretty exciting crackers and 'there will be wine glasses too' (!!??!!) I threw caution to the wind and signed up for our office party. The cats couldn't come which was a bit of a blow but I'm sure they had great fun photocopying their fluffy behinds whilst we were out. 

Anyway enough of that nonsense... The crackers were great, loved the crackers. A tape measure and playing cards. Not bad. The inspector wore his hat with aplomb, this is how much he was trying to prove it was not a rip off to pay double for pub food in December.

The tart which was not a tart but a pie as far as I could see was cold but gets a point for having mushrooms in, not sure if it was meant to be cold. The main course was good, too small compared to a usual pub roast dinner though. Lush roasties and veg. A wider variety would've been usual but they were done well. The vegan option was a of tube of orange sludge with little flavour.. am I selling it? Not sure if there were actually pistachio's in it but there seemed no sign as far as taste was concerned. Perhaps it was just too refined for me. I wouldn't go here again for vegan fayre when there are so many better options in Norwich but if you have a small appetite it could be for you.

The saving grace was the Christmas Pud which was scrumptious. And as I can't usually fit desert in due to the main being too filling at least the fact the other courses left such a gaping hole was a good thing in the end! 

Value for money: The three course meal cost £25 per person. It was a great meal but afterwards I could understand my wife's initial concern over price. It seemed really expensive compared to going for a Sunday roast yet apart from a Christmas cracker everything seemed pretty much the same to us except the main was a bit smaller. Many places are charging a similar price though and I can only imagine it's because it's a Christmas menu there's a premium to pay. The total cost of the meal including the bottle of wine came to £62.90 and although we left feeling adequately full up I could have eaten much more. This did have an advantage in the end though as not feeling totally stuffed we went onto gigs at The Birdcage and Waterfront afterwards. 4/10

Overall - A warm welcome and cosy environment to enjoy a Christmas meal and it certainly felt Christmassy inside. The food tasted great and each course arrived at just the right time allowing a pause between courses. The starter and dessert were the highlights for me and although the main was enjoyable it didn't quite feel like Christmas dinner without stuffing or sprouts, that's just my personal preference though. The only thing I didn't quite understand was the price when compared to the Sunday lunch menu. I think next time I'd go along for a two course Sunday lunch saving £10 and hope that turkey was on the menu. 7/10

Temple Bar - Norwich

2 Unthank Road

Norwich

NR2 2RA

Sunday roast served from midday till 5pm

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Temple Bar is said by many to serve Norwich's best Sunday Roast, my wife and I decided to go and check it out for ourselves.

 

The main room was pretty packed but we managed to find a table in the smaller room, it had been decorated since our last visit and was looking much better.

 

Both rooms have a bar where you can place your order.

 

The Sunday roast menu looked impressive and offered a good vegetarian option too. 

 

My wife ordered a cup of tea, I decided a nice pint of Guinness was needed though.

 

After an unexpected and incredibly frustrating wait of 70 minutes the food finally arrived at the table. 

 

Presentation was superb but enjoying a meal when you're feeling annoyed isn't much fun.

 

A good selection of seasonal veg and a disappointing cauliflower cheese.

 

Extra gravy arrives in a small jug and a selection of sauces are offered. The gravy here was excellent!

The turkey was really juicy and delicious, the roast potatoes tasted great but were undercooked.

 

A roast dinner with some great flavours going on but some elements of it were quite disappointing.

For so long now my wife and I have wanted to try the Sunday roast at Temple Bar. On the occasions we'd attempted it in the past though there has been no empty tables so we've ended up going somewhere else, clearly a very popular place! We'd been here for breakfast back in 2015, you can read that review here. Anyway, we'd walked into the city to do some shopping and my wife suggested going somewhere for lunch, I didn't need much persuading! We almost went into The Sir Garnet but resisted the urge as I'd already reviewed their Sunday roast last year. Instead we decided to once more attempt to get a table at Temple Bar and as luck would have it there was an empty table in the small room where the pool table is located...

Upon entering - I generally avoid pubs playing sports on big screens but was prepared to make an exception here as so many people had told me they serve the best Sunday Roast in Norwich. Three things pleasantly surprised me as we walked in, there was an empty table for us to sit at, the TV was muted and the place had been decorated since my last visit and looked so much better. There was a menu on the bar offering an impressive selection of Sunday roast options as well as desserts. We placed our order, paid and collected our drinks at the bar and sat down. The food, cutlery and sauces were all brought to the table much later. There's also the main room which I can't really comment on as I've never spent any time in it, the smaller room we were sat in seemed like a fairly nice place to eat in though. 5/10

Service - We placed our order at the bar at 1.36pm, I wouldn't usually remember such a detail but the photos for the review keep a record of the time. The lady behind the bar seemed really friendly, she took our order, we paid and then sat down with our drinks. We enjoyed our drinks and chatted but after 50 minutes thought it a bit strange that no cutlery had arrived at the table. After 55 minutes my wife went to find out why the food hadn't arrived yet, by this point we were starting to feel quite annoyed. We were told the food was on its way and should be with us in 5 to 10 minutes. After 15 minutes we decided to cut our losses and enquire about a refund, at this point the food was finally arriving. Everything was on the table at 2.46, 70 minutes after we'd ordered it. Ok, so sometimes places do get really busy but surely it's better to warn customers of any potential delays when taking their order or at least apologise for the delay. Keeping customers informed and offering an apology does go a long way, sadly it wasn't the case here though. 2/10

Type of roast - Ready served with shared vegetables.

Meats available - Beef, pork, turkey, lamb and gammon.

Contents - Turkey, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, leeks, red cabbage jam, parsnip, beans and gravy. 9/10

Vegetable portions - The seasonal vegetables were served in a separate bowl, a fairly reasonable amount between two people. The cauliflower cheese was a pair of florets cut in half, I couldn't help thinking that a person ordering on their own may well get the same portion though. On the plate were a few roast potatoes, some red cabbage and a couple of strips of parsnip. 5/10

Presentation - The presentation of this roast was quite impressive, on the main plate the meat lay across the roast potatoes and a large Yorkshire pudding sat proudly to the side. The seasonal vegetable selection looked really fresh and the gravy presentation on the plate looked great with a carrot and butternut smear. 8/10

The food - The turkey was really moist and delicious, perfect with the cranberry sauce. I'd specifically chosen turkey today to make up for not getting it on Christmas Day and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The Yorkshire pudding was excellent with a nice crispy edge and softer towards the centre. All of the vegetables looked really nice but the broccoli and cauliflower were very undercooked. My wife's favourite ever dish is cauliflower cheese and here it disappointed, we couldn't taste the cheese and the florets were crunchy. The main disappointment though was the roast potatoes, they tasted really good but were way too firm and not crispy enough on the outside. A few aspects of this roast were excellent but sadly it was a bit let down by undercooked roast potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower. 6/10

Gravy and sauces - The gravy was spot on, really rich with a slightly thick consistency. There was gravy already on the plate and extra arrived in a small jug. A selection of sauces were offered, we chose cranberry sauce and ketchup (nice on roast potatoes) 8/10

Vegetarian option - Vegetables, pulses and occasional nuts and fruits baked in a loaf with a carrot fondant and vegetable gravy.

Value for money - The Sunday Roast costs £10.95. A 70 minute wait with no apology or explanation for a slightly disappointing meal didn't feel like money spent wisely at all. 2/10

Overall - Certainly the most frustrating eating out experience of 2016, if we'd have been informed of an hour+ wait on food we'd have simply gone somewhere else. The lack of apology or any updates on when the food might arrive I found really shocking, a well informed customer is always a much happier one. Eating when frustrated and angry isn't a great experience at all but I still managed to appreciate some real strong points with this roast dinner, sadly the undercooked items were a disappointment. 5.5/10

 

The Earlham Arms - Norwich

41 Earlham Road
Norwich
NR2 3AD

Sunday roast served from 12pm till 8pm

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Free wifi and dog friendly

In November 2014 I visited The Earlham Arms in Norwich for the first time and enjoyed a great breakfast, you can read about that here.

This was the reason for our visit, I'd heard good things about their Sunday roast.

It was fully booked but we were offered a place at the bar tables.

There didn't appear to be a Sunday roast menu anywhere so we asked what was available. Place your order and pay at the bar, the food is brought over when it's ready.

Salt and pepper is already on the table, cutlery wrapped in a napkin is brought over.

I went for my usual Sunday lunch tipple, a pint of Guinness.

Once the food arrives sauces are offered, we choose ketchup and apple sauce.

I chose roast pork and my wife went for nut roast.

I was delighted to see such a huge slab of pork!

I love crackling and this sight I will always remember, what a beautiful moment.

The thick slab of pork tasted amazing.

The Yorkshire pudding soaked up the rich tasty gravy nicely.

The large roast potatoes were delicious with a nice crispy edge.

A root veg selection consisting of swede, parsnips and carrots.

I nice big heap of kale.

My wife really enjoyed her nut roast but couldn't finish both wedges. I was more than happy to help her out though and thoroughly enjoyed it, certainly the best nut roast I've ever eaten.

It was Sunday morning and my wife suddenly mentioned going for a roast dinner somewhere, I was well up for it! We were torn between trying The Reindeer on Dereham Road or The Earlham Arms on Earlham Road, we decided to try the Earlham Arms first as we'd had a great breakfast their before...

Upon entering - The Earlham Arms has a large dining room as well as plenty of tables around the bar. There are also some bar tables with stools to sit at when they are fully booked, this is where we sat and it seemed like a good enough spot. There are menus on the table but there didn't appear to be a Sunday roast menu, if you ask at the bar they will tell you what is available. Place your order and pay at the bar, everything is brought over when it's ready. There's salt and pepper already on the table, sauces and cutlery are brought over before the food arrives. Free wifi is available and if you want to bring your dog along then no problem, it's dog friendly. A blackboard saying what's available and how much the Sunday roast costs would have been nice It was certainly  a great place to spend some time enjoying a pint or two and a nice roast dinner. 8/10

Service - There seemed to be plenty of staff about efficiently serving the full pub, everyone we spoke to seemed helpful and friendly too. When we first arrived we didn't think we would have a chance of eating here today as all the tables were booked. We were offered a place at the one of the bar tables though which we were happy to sit at. We were told to order at the bar when we were ready and also told what roasts were available. Once we'd placed our order and paid we sat down, the drinks arrived first shortly followed by cutlery and napkins. Despite it being really busy the food arrived about half an hour after ordering which was quite impressive, we were offered sauces which arrived in small pots. Our plates were cleared at the end and we left happy customers. 8/10

Type of roast - Ready served 

Meats available - Beef and pork 

Contents - Roast pork and crackling, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, kale, parsnips, swede, carrots and gravy. 7/10

Vegetable portions - I was delighted that everything arrives already served on the plate here. Three huge roast potatoes, a big heap of kale and a trio of root veg consisting of carrots, parsnips and swede. 7/10

Presentation - The food arrived on a nice big plate, the veg sat together on one side of the plate, in the centre the potatoes and across the other side the Yorkshire pudding. The thing that really caught my eye though was the giant slab of roast pork coated in crackling that lay across the top. It all looked really impressive and I had a feeling that I was about to eat something really special. 9/10

The food - The thick slab of roast pork was amazing, I felt like I was in hog roast heaven. The juicy meat fell apart with ease as I cut through it and it tasted superb. The thick crackling that coated the meat was equally as stunning. I had difficulty slicing through the crackling so ate it in quite large lumps, the conversation was limited between my wife and I as I chewed away on it but what a delicious moment it was. I've eaten roast pork many times before but eating roast pork at The Earlham Arms takes it to a new level! The make or break item of any roast dinner is a decent roast potato and the chef here had nailed it nicely. Really big and tasty roast potatoes with a soft fluffy centre and golden crispy edge, perfect. The Yorkshire pudding was a nice size with a fairly good texture, softer at the bottom and crunchy at the top. I really like kale so was delighted with the generous serving given here, really fresh and nicely cooked. The mix of root veg was delicious and complimented the rest of the meal nicely, carrots, swede and parsnips. I'm a big fan of parsnips, they're always welcome on my roast dinner anytime. This was a really enjoyable roast and one I will always remember because of that stunning chunk of pork. 9/10

Gravy and sauces - The gravy was dark, rich and delicious, it was already on the plate and it lasted until the last piece of pork swiped across the plate. I asked for some apple sauce which arrived in a pot, good stuff from what I remember. 8/10

Veggie option - Nut roast, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, kale, parsnips, swede, carrots and gravy. £9.95 

Value for money - An incredible roast dinner for just under £10, a price I was very happy to pay! 9/10

Overall - The chunky slabs of delicious pork served here was something I will fondly remember for a long time! The nut roast was the best I've ever tasted and the beef looked amazing too. A thoroughly enjoyable Sunday roast served in a nice environment with friendly and efficient staff.  The free wifi worked well and it was really nice to see dogs in the pub too. 8/10