http://www.angelandharlequinbistro.co.ukIt’d been a couple of weeks since we’d last been out for a Sunday roast, what with one thing and another, so after a hard days’ graft in the garden and home at Mummy’s, His Nibs and I were absolutely in the market for some hearty food. Jumping in the trusty jalopy we all trundled up to Spinkhill (just off J30 of M1), heading for The Angel and its ‘Angel and Harlequin’ Bistro.
There is a smallish car park onsite, and on-road parking as well – which we ended up using, and walking back to the venue. Thanks to there being a party of 50 folks in the room upstairs, the joint was jumping, as they say, but we didn’t have to wait long for our table. It’s a small old world, really, and this was driven home when I saw a familiar face behind the bar: Mark and I originally crossed paths at Centerparcs Sherwood, then later at Alfreton Leisure Centre… and here he was, in his current guise as friendly bar-keep!
Drinks firmly in hand, we made our way over to our table and gave the menus our undivided attention. I knew straight away that I was having the Sunday roast (single meat £17, double up for £3 more); Mummy Bird eventually joined me, though she had vacillated between that, the Fillet Steak Pizza (£18) and the Teriyaki Beef Short Rib (£22). You certainly aren’t short on choice at The Angel and Harlequin Bistro, that’s for sure. The Man opted to have the Truffle and Mushroom-stuffed Chicken Breast with Dauphinoise Potatoes, Smoked Bacon and Pea Fricassee and Chicken Sauce (£20). I also added an extra side of Dauphinoise to go with the roasts for £3; no need to order Cauliflower Cheese, as that comes as standard… which should be the case everywhere, in my opinion.
Not gonna lie, the food took a bit longer than is ideal to arrive, probably due to the afore-mentioned christening party – it didn’t help that I was absolutely Hank Marvin, either #hangry! When our meals did arrive though, they were blooming banging. Both Mummy and I had three large slices of beef that just melted in the mouth, as well as tasting totally beaut. Chef’s roasties might not have crunchy outers, but they have the most sublime, oven done ‘jacket spud’ flavour and that mesmerising squishiness to their inners – nom nom, and then even more nom! The yorkie puds were the stuff of dreams: large, impossibly light in texture, and with a gorgeous taste to them. Mummy Bird made possibly the best Yorkies in the universe, back in the day, and she acknowledged how good these minxes were – praise indeed.
The vegetables all came in separate little cast-iron pots: a medley of Roasted Roots, finely shredded Cabbage and Baby Leeks, the ubiquitous Cauliflower Cheese (in a ruddy stonking sauce) and a huge slab of Dauphinoise Potato that quickly got divvied up between us; oh, and an extra jug of herbed gravy that we later used to dunk His Nibs’ roasties in that he’d left! Without exception, all the veggies were cooked perfectly to retain a bit of crunch. Our lovely server had asked if we wanted sauces and came back with Horseradish in dinky metal bowls.
His Nibs was a very happy chap when he clapped eyes on his stuffed Chicken breast meal, and rightly so; it looked, smelled (and tasted, apparently!) spot-on. At first glance, this dish might have seemed a bit pricey but given the size of the chicken breast, I can say that it was actually value for money. The poultry was wonderfully juicy and creamy in the mouth, and the sauce, although delicious, wasn’t needed to provide any moisture. After taking his first mouthful of the Dauphinoise, The Man Bird agreed whole-heartedly with Mummy and I that it was indeed very moreish.
When our server came to check back that we were enjoying our food, she was greeted with enthusiastic nods of the head and smiles, and she was happy to be taking back empty plates and bowls to the kitchen. A short interlude gave us time to digest our mains, and we all said that we were going to order pudding, and coffees.
I love a homemade fruit crumble, so plumped for the Mixed Berry and Apple one at The Angel; served with vanilla custard, this comes in at £7 when taken as a second course on the Sunday menu (likewise, Mummy’s Cherry Bakewell Tart with Old School Custard). The Man chose his beloved Sticky Toffee Pudding, served here with Rum-n-Raisin Ice Cream.
The crumble topping on my choice was a delightful golden brown and had a gorgeous ‘toasty’ hint to it that contrasted brilliantly with the vibrant fruits’ underneath it. I was pleased to discover that the berries and apple hadn’t been overly sweetened either; I know some people like sweeter things, but I prefer to taste that zing on my tongue. With Mummy’s pudding, a delightfully Almondy sponge had Cherries suspended within it and was topped with a whole Blackberry and Raspberry, making her remark how beautiful it looked. We both liked the fact that the custard came in a separate pot; you can either larrup the whole lot on in one go (me!) or add some as and when you want to (Mummy)…and it was proper thick, creamy custard, too.
There was a disconcerting silence across the table as His Nibs busied himself with demolishing the slab of Toffee Pudding that he’d been served; no-one can accuse him of not giving a task his full concentration! When I did manage to get conversation out of him, he divulged that the Sticky Toffee Pudding (STP) was a fine example of its type: indulgently rich, with a nice texture that was satisfying but not claggy and plenty of Toffee sauce to savour. It isn’t often you see this pud served with Rum-n-Raisin Ice Cream, but maybe it should be more common-place; The Man commented on how great this partnership was and, given the amount of STP’s he’s had, he should know!
Black coffees – and a Latte for Mummy – brought our meal to a close, and what a lovely experience we’d had. Now that my tummy was full, the memory of ‘hangriness’ had faded and I appreciated the enormity of the task that this team had pulled off – dealing with a very large group, as well as serving the ‘ordinary’ diners (and there was a fair few of us!) is no easy task, but they did incredibly well. Ok, so we had to wait 10 minutes more than we’d usually expect (and it would’ve been useful to have been told this on arrival), but in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t matter.
Hot Wings given to this Spinkhill restaurant. To book a table call 01246 432315, and for more details about current offers visit the website www.angelandharlequinbistro.co.uk. The Angel and Harlequin Bistro is open Tuesday-Thursday 11am-8pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-9pm and Sunday 11am-6pm. You can nip in for coffee and cake, brunch, lunch or even Afternoon Tea (pre-bookable), as well as evening dinner.
