I was invited to the opening of The Warren Pub in Wokingham to celebrate their refurbishment and fresh look with 3 of my guests.
Only 20 minutes away from where we live, we arrived to live music and an extremely warm welcome. The wonderful staff explained they wanted us to try as much of their new menu to give them feedback. Myself, my boyfriend Jack, our housemate Charlotte and her boyfriend Max accepted this challenge willingly. Even though we had to roll ourselves back to the car after our meal.
The atmosphere was so relaxed but still formal, we were welcomed in and told to make ourselves at home and get a drink, where we cosied up by the fire with a G+T. After a few drinks, the staff took our order whilst we nattered by the fire and then moved us to our dinner table when our food was ready.
Whilst appreciating the wide variety of gins available, we were brought a selection of canapés – goats cheese and caramelised onion, beetroot hummus, homemade falafel and smoked salmon.
Myself and Charlotte shared the baked Camembert (which was divine, I don’t think it’s possible to go wrong with molten cheese), and the boys had pate and seafood starters. The menu itself had so much variety, with a fantastic Vegan and Vegetarian section which meant that my veggie friend Charlotte, wasn’t just limited to either soup, pasta or cheese. The homemade falafel was her favourite.
Following my chicken and nduja main meal, I was in a happy food coma, washed down with Don Perignon. I don’t want to just list what we all ate that night here, so I’ve made a list of the meals we had and would recommend, so check them out below.
The Warren has been beautifully refurbished, with separate bar and dining areas. My favourite corner was in the comfy armchair next to the toasty fire. Perfect for this time of year. You can really tell how proud the staff are of their pub and the ambience really reflects their welcoming and relaxed attitude to customers. The service was impeccable and we were really made to feel as if nothing was too much trouble, we enjoyed chatting to the owners about their new menu and happily took recommendations from them which we all agreed were delicious.
The Warren is taking bookings for the festive period with a special Christmas menu – if you’re local to Berkshire, it’s definitely worth a visit – just make sure you try the Camembert!
What I ate:
BOX-BAKED CAMEMBERT
topped with omega seed sprinkle, cherry & thyme dip and warm dough sticks (v)
BUTTERMILK SOUTHERN-FRIED CHICKEN
stuffed with ‘nduja sausage, with sweet potato fries, apple salad and lemon aioli
WARM BELGIAN CHOCOLATE BROWNIE
Charlotte’s meal (Veggie):
MEZZE PLATTER
roasted lentil falafels, beetroot hummus with omega seed sprinkle, miso sesame glazed aubergine, Lebanese-style dip, spiralised carrot salad, coconut tzatziki and flatbread (ve)
BATTERED HALLOUMI
with twice-cooked chunky chips, minted pea purée and tartare sauce (v)
BRITISH CHEESE BOARD
Jack’s meal:
LOBSTER & KING PRAWN POT
in Devon crab crème fraiche with toasted ciabatta bread
KING PRAWN, CRAB & CHORIZO LINGUINI
with white wine, tomatoes, garlic & chilli
Classic Mac & Cheese (v)
ICE CREAM & HOME-BAKED TRIPLE CHOCOLATE COOKIE
Choose three scoops from Bourbon vanilla, double chocolate, praline or strawberry (v)
Max’s meal:
DUCK LIVER & PORT PARFAIT
with gooseberry & Prosecco flavour compote and toasted ciabatta bread
Tasters were superb, the singer was on top form. Food wise, the pork belly was delicious but needs more emphasis on the pork, as opposed to the potato. Peanut bomb was literally the bomb. Service was so friendly, and I had a wonderful night.
ROASTED PORK BELLY & SEARED SCALLOPS
with potato dauphinoise, butternut squash purée, green beans, toasted almonds, crackling and red wine jus
MELTING CHOCOLATE & PEANUT BOMB
filled with sticky toffee pudding and peanut butter cream. Served with Bourbon vanilla ice cream & hot salted caramel sauce (v)
*Disclaimer: I was invited to sample the menu at their Press night and our experience was complimentary in order for me to review the Warren on my blog, all opinions are my own and cannot be bought. You can read more on this on my disclaimer page*
