Entertainments | Restaurant Reviews | Simpson's
When you hear nothing but praise for a restaurant, often the reality does not live up to the high expectations.
But all I had heard about Simpson’s was confirmed from the moment my partner and I walked through the door.
A recent refurbishment had proved successful, with a cool colours and lighting making guests feel welcome and relaxed, and a charming small modern pre-meal bar area had been created to allow guests to ponder the menu before being seated.
Staff made every effort with diners, without being intrusive, and the service was impeccable.
The standard of the food proved why two Simpson’s chefs were placed first and second in the Midlands Chef of the Year competition.
A complimentary course of cauliflower and truffle oil soup was well-received by all those dining, and was a great way to start the evening.
While my partner chose the grilled black pudding with crispy potatoes and a quail’s egg as a starter, I decided on the goat’s cheese risotto, whichproved to be delicious, and we started on a bottle of house red - South African Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot - priced at £13.50. For the main course, my partner ordered the beef rosette on a bed of spinach, with wild mushrooms, Madiera sauce, jacket potatoes and truffles, which he thoroughly enjoyed.
After much deliberation and helpful advice from staff, I chose the corn-fed chicken, fois gras flan with wild rice, root vegetables and peppercorn sauce, which was cooked to perfection.
A fairly substantial dessert menu offered a wide choice, so I chose the vanilla creme brulee with ice cream, after being tempted by the one brought to a woman on the next table.
And my partner plumped for the chocolate fondant with amoretto ice cream.
While the meal was wonderful, I could not help being put off by the setting of the restaurant. With such a wonderful menu, highly-trained staff and a beautifully-decorated venue, it was a shame to be looking straight out on to the main town centre road through Kenilworth.
People walking by on their way to or from the pub could not resist a peek in, and at one point, a driver parked a huge truck on the pavement, just a few feet away from our table.
This did not generally detract from our enjoyment of the meal, but it is not ideal.
All-in-all, we had a most enjoyable evening, lasting two-and-a-half hours from start to finish, and the three course meal for two with wine and coffee came to £94.30.
Calista Duffield
Our Rating 4/5
