Eat My Words: We review the Tawny Owl, Fernwood

I spent the day dreaming about comfort food, so imagine my disappointment when this meal didn’t quite cut it.

The Tawny Owl in Fernwood seems like a great pub - there were plenty of options on the menu, the service was great and so was the atmosphere.

The disappointment was that the main dish that I was craving the whole day — fish and chips — didn’t meet my expectations of crunch and texture, but flavour-wise, I would recommend it.

When I first entered the pub I was excited to see that there was table service, so I was received with a smile and a friendly request of what I would like to order. It was nice to not have to head to the bar to place my order.

Considering it was shortly after 5pm, the pub was fairly full, with couples and families having meals. You could tell it was their local pub because everyone seemed to know each other which was really nice to see and be part of.

I decided to treat myself to some starters as I was curious about some of the options. I ordered the garlic-breaded mushrooms and the barbecue cauliflower wings.

It didn’t take long for the food to arrive which was a bonus and when it did it was the perfect amount for a starter - one would have been more than enough but I was feeling greedy!

A piece of advice is that if the food is clearly hot, wait for a few minutes rather than rushing to try everything and burn your tongue.

I first tried the breaded mushrooms and let me tell you, they were great. The outside was crispy and the inside had a mushroom and the flavours couldn’t lie, there was the garlic, the mushroom and the breadcrumbs.

Next, it was the cauliflower wings, which I would vote as my favourite out of the two starters. When you first look at it, doesn’t look like cauliflower or wings, but once you bite it you know it is there.

The mayo drizzled on top made it look pretty and added some extra sauce to the starter as otherwise it might have been a bit dry, so it was a good addition. When it comes to flavour, I would expect barbecue to taste a bit more burnt (in a good way), but these ones were low-key spicy and that was what gave the cauliflower wings the extra points.

I believe that if I had an even bigger plate of cauliflower wings, I could’ve just eaten it all because they were addictive, from the flavour and spicy aftertaste to the crunch when biting into one after the other.

I was pleasantly satisfied with both starters but then the main meal arrived and it was a very good portion. It included the fish and a lemon slice, the chips, the mushy peas and a pot of tartare sauce.

Starting with the positives, I quite enjoyed the chips, they were warm, had flavour and there was plenty of them, which is never a bad thing. I am not often a fan of tartare sauce, however, the one at the Tawny Owl was very nice so I just kept dipping my chips in. It changed my mind about the sauce.

The two things I like the most about fish and chips — mushy peas and crunchy fish batter — however, left me feeling disappointed. The fish didn’t have enough batter - maybe I should have just asked for a bag of scraps but I have tried a lot of fish and chips and the fish always offers more than this one did.

The quality of the fish was good and so was the flavour of it, especially after adding some lemon juice, but the texture for me says a lot. I thinka tiny little bit more batter, to me, would have made all the difference.

The mushy peas were quite dry as well. They had the flavour, I could recognise them as mushy peas, but if I threw a spoon of them to the ceiling I’m pretty sure they would’ve stayed there!

Overall, it was a very nice meal and I would go back to the pub, but I perhaps wouldn’t order the fish and chips again. However, they have quite a big menu so there are plenty of options for my next visit.

The pub’s decoration was something I really appreciated when I entered and sat down, it was pretty and not overwhelming.

The colours chosen were relaxing and the background music in the pub contributed massively to making it the perfect spot to go with a loved one, family, friends and even alone.

Despite having a good number of people, the pub was tidy and clean and above all, it smelled clean and fresh which can be hard for a place where drinks and food are being served all day long.

The waitresses were incredibly friendly, always asking me if I needed anything else, cheeking on the food, and always with a smile on their faces. The service was quick too.

Out of five:

Food: The was portions were the perfect size and despite my rant about the fish, overall the food was good, it had flavour and it was well presented. ***

Drink: I didn’t venture myself on the drinks menu, but they had an extensive selection of drinks, which in my opinion is always great because it pleases all tastes. *****

Decor: The pub was well-decorated, with perfect lighting and it just felt very homely, which can be quite comforting, especially when going for a meal by yourself. *****

Staff: The staff was very attentive and friendly, I felt cared for and the service was rather quick, which is beneficial if in a rush or hungry. *****

Price: The overall meal cost £22.47 and it included a 20% discount that the pub was doing throughout January. Overall it was typical pub prices, however, if it was now I wouldn’t have paid £14.99 for the fish and chips. ***

Have you had a great meal? Share your own Eat My Words reviews or tell us where to try by emailing: news@newarkadvertiser.co.uk