Out For Dinner At The Boathouse In Farndon
Published On Thursday 4 Sep 2025 by Sticky Beak
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I’m not quite sure whether Kane Oliver is utterly bonkers yet, or whether he simply can’t get enough of the hospitality business! The Man and I have already visited one of his venues, The Lion by Olivers in Brinsley (and loved it), were about to visit another, The Boathouse at Farndon, and haven’t been to the other one yet, Oliver’s Pub and Kitchen in Eastwood.
The Boathouse is the latest acquisition by Kane and is in the dreamiest of locations, right beside the River Trent, close to Farndon Marina. There is plenty of parking on-site and next door, so grabbing a spot was easy-peasy. Walking over to the entrance, we passed one of the two outdoor seating areas; this one was cocooned by light-strewn palms and mature trees and looked floatily ethereal when we left in darkness. The other outdoor area is smack-dab next to the water, on a slightly raised decking area that is set out with parasol-shaded tables.
Inside, The Boathouse is one open-plan space, inter-connected by a small bar-lounge area, which is also where the facilities are located. We were warmly greeted and shown over to our table, then offered table water straightaway. As well as a fab selection of spirits, draught- and bottled- lagers and ciders, there’s also an extensive choice of wines – not stupidly priced, either. I had a glass of NZ Sauvignon Blanc and His Nibs had a pint of Beavertown’s Neck Oil, and we sipped away whilst perusing the menu.
Tapping into the trend of flexi-dining, the starters are in the’ Sharers and Tapas Plates’ section of the menu; I opted for the pan-seared King Scallops served over Cauliflower Purée, with a Fennel and Radish Salad (£9.80), and The Man chose his beloved Handmade Scotch Egg served with Crisp Leaves, Herb Oil, and Chunky Tomato Chutney (£8.95).
Whilst waiting for our starters, I had a gleg at my immediate surroundings, and The Man wandered off to have a gander at the other side of the venue. A gorgeously deep Marine Blue accented one wall near our table, and a stunning mural of a pond (complete with Flamingo; I loooove’ Mingo’s, by the way) was on the wall near to the entrance and bar. The show-stopper, though, was the blue boat that hung between two ceiling rafters and had floral garlands dangling from it. Upon his return, The Man said that the other dining space was ‘sleeker’, with wood flooring and panels, and a paler décor palate. Both areas had a wonderfully light, airy feel to them, as you’d expect from a waterside venue.
Soon enough, our lovely server was carefully placing our plates in front of us and checking we had everything we needed, before leaving us to tuck in. Both starters were superbly presented and nicely garnished, with lots of colour on each plate.
My King Scallops were a trio of tremendousness! Cooked perfectly, they were sweet and soft with the merest bit of resistance to the bite from the opalescent flesh. The thin stripes of char co-ordinated beautifully with the honey tone of the nutty tasting, rich Cauliflower Purée. Lightening up the dish was the crisp salad of finely sliced Fennel and Radish that were mingled within the peppery Rocket leaves.
There are those out there that are a bit dismissive/snobby about Scotch Eggs, and all I can say is that you don’t know what you’re missing! Friends of ours at Heanor’s Mustard do a completely corking one (never going to be beaten, in all honesty), and this one was also an absolute beauty. At the very centre was a tantalising, jammy yolk whose richness was sublime and its texture like liquid silk. A generous ‘jacket’ of butcher-quality Sausage-meat was deep in flavour and surrounded by a fried-to-crisp-perfection, golden layer of breadcrumbs. I’m not a gambling person, but I’d wager that the Tomato Chutney was either homemade or small-batch artisan produce; this chunky delight was bursting with taste and texture – the sort that wouldn’t know an artificial additive if it got slapped in the chops by one! In terms of flavour, you’re not going to get a better Chutney than this one, and its confidence matched the Scotch Egg phenomenally well. Like my salad, the peppery hint of Rocket sang true on the palate, alongside its milder cousins.
The Boathouse at Farndon has a tremendous selection of mains on offer, ranging from Pizzas, Steaks, Fresh Salads, and Classics such as Fish-n-Chips or Katsu Curry, to Chef’s Specials. My original plan was to have the Pulled Lamb Shoulder (£19.95), but that got side-lined when the Maître D’ informed me that the ‘catch of the day’ was Sea Bream with Seasonal Vegetables, Potatoes, and a White Wine Butter Sauce: sold! I ordered a Caesar Salad as a side (£5.95), and waited for His Nibs to decide what he was having. In the end, he also opted for one of Chef’s Specials – the Braised Blade of Beef with Champ Mash, Sautéed Vegetables, and Bordelaise sauce (£22.95).
As with our starters, the presentation was spot-on: fresh Pea Shoots provided a light garnish and everything had been carefully arranged on the plates. The first thing that grabbed me was the crisp, seasoned skin on my Sea Bream; there’s nothing I hate more than soggy fish skin, so I was mightily relieved to discover that this was anything but. Chef had cooked the fish perfectly to preserve its sweetness and succulence, and I totally savoured every mouthful. Sliced Potatoes were blessed with soft centres, corralled by gossamer-fine, crisped skins. The White Wine and Butter sauce was exquisitely balanced, the richness of the butter tempered by the dryness of the wine, and a smattering of finely chopped Herbs lifted things brilliantly. A whole Carrot, halved lengthways was still gently firm to the bite and irresistibly sweet, contrasted superbly by the bright, grassy notes of Tenderstem Broccoli.
When cooked slowly, Beef Blade is such a joy to eat; it is tender, juicy and has a marvellous depth of flavour to it. His Nibs was certainly a fan of it here, that’s for sure! The tender shreds of beef melted in the mouth, and the smooth, creamy Mash was pimped really nicely with chopped Spring Onion to add a great ‘ping’ to the flavour profile. His Nibs had the same duo of vegetables as I had with my Sea Bream, and both were gorgeously al dente. The Bordelaise sauce was beyond superb, a mesmerising fusion of dry Red Wine, Bone Marrow and Shallots; this was dizzyingly addictive – honestly, this was just begging for some bread to dunk into it.
A side plate housed the Caesar salad and what a treat it was! The Romaine Lettuce was served both chopped and as whole baby leaves, and there was a generous amount of Parmesan shreds to enjoy. The tangy dressing was lightly drizzled over the entire dish, and Chef had made his own croutons from Ciabatta; they were supremely crunchy and still bore the fruity tang of the Olive Oil they’d been crisped in. This was a classic done well, and I remarked that I could happily have a salad for main on another visit if this was the standard of them.
Our servers, a pair of super-polite young ladies, had been checking on us very attentively, keen to ensure we were having the best time at The Boathouse. Nothing was too much trouble, and the smiles they had on their faces never faltered; and they were the same with every table in the restaurant, which was lovely and busy for a mid-week evening. Clearing our mains away, they smiled at the pair of spotlessly clean plates, and Chef came out to see what we’d thought of the food so far. It’s always great to talk to the people at the helm of the kitchen, and I have to say that he was a jolly nice chap.
There’s a good selection of puddings at The Boathouse at Farndon, and The Man and I vacillated between choices several times before finally deciding - not a terrible dilemma to have, eh? I have long been a fan of these campfire nibbles, S’mores, so when I spotted this classic treat (adopted by us Brits from the States) interpreted as a Chocolate Cheesecake (£7.95) I thought I’d give it a try. I had been sorely tempted by the Clementine Tart with Raspberry Sorbet, though. His Nibs had been torn between the Boathouse Toffee Stack Sundae (£9,95) and his favourite, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and it was his trusty stalwart that won out.
Normally I’m not a massive Chocoholic, as you all know, but I am so bloody happy that I went for this little stunner – OMG!! The biscuit base was buttery and crumbly, and the Marshmallow top was gloriously sticky and gooey, charred to golden perfection. It was the impossibly rich, ganache-like body, though, that was the scene-stealer; this served Oscar winning energy! Actually, no, this was more like Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour feels; seriously lethal food card vibes. The arty Chocolate Curl and fresh fruit were excellent but, in truth, they felt like a third-wheel in the date between me and this pud.
His Nibs had also made a blindingly smart choice by going for the Sticky Toffee Pudding. The Date-laden sponge was moist and fragrant, soft and comforting, with a pleasing texture to it that lingered in the mouth. Having chosen to have creamy Custard with this pudding instead of Ice Cream, the luxury factor was at maximum and he was grinning like a loon. A beautiful lake of indulgent Toffee Sauce had The Man’s senses in a proper pickle: they didn’t know which way to turn! Chef needs to bottle this sauce and sell it separately, it’s that good.
We concluded our meal with a couple of black coffees, served with Biscoff biccies. Even the coffee is blooming fab at The Boathouse; often taken for granted, a good rich-roast bean can provide the perfect end to an evening out, and that was exactly the case here.
Hot Wings more than happily given to Kane Oliver and his fantastic team at The Boathouse at Farndon! It may be a little longer journey, mile-wise (though in reality it doesn’t take particularly long to get there) but, trust me, it is more than worth the effort.
To book a table call 01636 551217 or visit www.boathousefarndon.co.uk and hit the ‘book your table’ button. Open every day 10am-10pm.
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