restaurant reviews

Forum Home

Reviews

The Queens Head in Troutbeck

Review of the Q...

Review of the Queen's Head in Troutbeck by Cecilia Campbell

CeciliaC

39 posts

Joined
10/6/2005

Review of the Queen's Head in Troutbeck by Cecilia Campbell
Posted: 18 Mar 06 11:59 AM Modified By CeciliaC on 10/6/2008 4:08:11 PM)

Queen's Head Hotel, tel 015394 32174.
Most recent visit: Lunch on Oct 3, 2008

We went back to the Queens Head for lunch on Friday Oct 3 2008. Some horrible tassles had been added to the four poster bar, along with some equally OTT silk cushions on the lovely old wooden benches. The food is still good. My sister had thai mussles which were delicious, as was Mum's pork terrine. I ordered crayfish, avocado and sunblush tomato cocktail, which arrived without any avocado. After I queried this, and the plate was taken out, it came back with some meagre shavings of hard avocado - disappointing as I am such an avocado lover and this was one of the reasons I had ordered the dish. On another note, the staff were very friendly and helpful, and put up with little 2-year old Luke hanging around next to our table.

My complaint is really with the prices - for a lunch you are expected to pay about 5-8 pounds for a starter and well into the teens for a main course. A vegetarian tart tatin is 13.95. A pint of Fosters is 3.35. Not impressing for a pub lunch, albeit a good one.

Rating: total 20

Great atmosphere 4
Home cooked fresh food 5
Plenty of flavour 4
Good value for money 3
Service with a smile 4

*************************************
Lunch on March 2, 2008

This is arguably one of the cosiest pubs in the Lakes. The bar is an old four poster bed, and there are a couple of log fires and plenty of atmosphere generally. The food is about the best you'll get served in a pub around here. There is an a la carte menu served all day which usually make use of local produce. The dishes cover a broad range, with several different fish dishes, all kinds of meat and vegetarian options as well. The menu is quite extensive and it's not easy to choose; the combinations all sound tempting. The food is traditional with a twist, and everything is freshly cooked – the sauces are marvellous. The pub has a loyal clientele, and on a Sunday you'll do well to turn up around noon to get a good table.

On our most recent visit (Mother's Day 2008) I had an absolutely wonderful Parfait of Chicken Livers with Toasted Home Made Brioche, Truffled Leaves and Apricot & Vanilla Chutney – the flavours were perfect together. Not having the biggest appetite in the world, I followed it with another starter, Home Cured Salmon with Celeriac Remoulade, Crisp Richard Woodall Pancetta and Chive Oil. The home cured salmon was as nice as they come, but I don't know why it was accompanied with a greasy remoulade rather than something tangy to cut through the greasyness of the salmon. You couldn't really taste the salmon for the Celeriac and whatever sauce it was in. Martin had Confit of Duck Leg served with Fondant Potatoes and Plum Sauce, which he was really happy with. He foolishly ordered home made breads as a starter (to give Luke something to munch on), which consisted of about six huge slices of very similar breads – too much bulk, not enough interest.

Rating: total 22

Great atmosphere 5
Home cooked fresh food 5
Plenty of flavour 4
Good value for money 4
Service with a smile 4