The Good Food Guide is always my first resource to consult when I’m looking for good eats in an area that I don’t know well. It’s what led us to Audela on our last trip to this part of coastal Northumberland. And it was the first place we booked for this latest trip. We came on a Sunday, when they offer a different menu from other days of the week – one majoring on traditional roasts.
But, before we get to the roasts, there’s starters to consider. There’s only three on this fixed price menu. So, a twice baked leek and local cheese soufflé. Light and tasty. The other starter was an exceptionally well made Parmesan flavoured risotto. You’d be hard pushed to find one as good as this in most Italian restaurants. And it comes topped with long braised venison haunch. Either of these elements would be lovely in their own right but together, they were one of the best things I’ve put in my mouth this year.
For mains, we both ordered the roast beef. There was chicken and pork also on offer, as well as a couple of dishes to suit those who are not omnivores. It’s a generous serving of meat and comes with spuds, roast and mashed, and an excellent crispy Yorkshire pudding. But it was the variety of vegetable accompaniments that set this apart from most Sunday roasts. There’s carrots, parsnips, turnip, mashed swede, roast red onion, red cabbage and white cabbage. All of them perfectly cooked and, in itself, that takes some skill in the kitchen. And let’s not forget the really good gravy and horseradish sauce. Pretty much the Sunday roast from which legends are made.
Only one of us wanted dessert. Advertised as treacle tart, but it wasn’t. It was, however, a light as a feather treacle sponge, served warm and with a blob of ice cream on the side. Yes, I’d rather have had a traditional treacle tart but that’s a bit of a quibble. We finished with good espresso and house made chocolate.
Service from the two front of house staff was first rate – friendly, engaging and entirely on the ball. They seemed to actually be enjoying their job – and that’s not always a given in restaurants these days.
