Eat My Words: We reviewed the new Boathouse restaurant in Farndon
On a beautiful summer’s night, are there many better places to enjoy a delicious meal than a sunny spot by the river?
Last week, it was announced that the former Farndon Ferry was re-opening as the newly rebranded Boathouse at Farndon, so I just had to go and see what the new-look restaurant had to offer.
As luck would have it, a table was available outside on the new decking, with an amazing view of the river.
Our waiter came to take our drinks order — a Pinto Grigio blush and an Inches cider — while we relaxed in the beautiful setting and perused the menus.
There was so much choice the poor waitress had to come back to us twice as we both struggled to make a decision. I very nearly opted for the Catch of the Day, which was a choice of salmon or sea bream, and also ummed and ahhed at the Corn-Fed Chicken Supreme, fish and chips, or Chicken Katsu. Adam was equally torn between the many steak options and the lasagne, eventually going for the latter with a side of chunk chip.
I finally was too tempted by the stone bake pizza oven and went for the barbeque chicken pizza, and considering how busy the restaurant was by this time, our mains came out in super quick time.
My pizza was absolutely lovely, with just the right amount of toppings and the base was also the perfect thickness — if bases are too thick, it can make the pizza overly filling, and too thin means everything slides off and makes a huge mess. Mine was spot on, and was so tasty.
Adam’s lasagne was also fantastic, so I’m told, and was perfectly sized in its own individual pot and was nice and light option for such a warm evening.
The chunk chips were sheer perfection as well, nice and crispy on the outside and light and fluffy inside. Nom nom.
My only regret is that we were both too full to go for a dessert, and next time we visit we both agreed we would eat lighter to be able to enjoy more of the menu.
As the new Boathouse only re-opened on Monday, the staff were still getting to grips with some of the technological side of things when we came to pay the bill, which is absolutely to be expected, and they couldn’t have been more attentive.
Overall, Kane and the whole team behind Boathouse should be proud of how their first few days have gone. The food was fantastic, service from the staff very friendly and polite, and the whole place felt so smart and fresh, it was a wonderful experience from start to finish.
Out of five:
Food: There was so much choice of food we were spoilt for choice, and it came out piping hot and was absolutely delicious. *****
Drinks: If you are able to get a taxi to and from the Boathouse, or go with a designated driver, then I recommend you do so as there is such a wide variety of alcoholic drinks including spirits, wines, and even a sizeable cocktail menu. For the non-drinkers, there’s also a fantastic mocktails menu which is always a sign of a venue that values their drinks. *****
Decor: You could pick the whole of the Boathouse up and place it in a number of stunning seaside or riverside venues and it would fit right in, the decor was so classy and felt very much like we’d stepped into the English Riviera. *****
Staff: The staff were very friendly and attentive, and even though the Boathouse had only been open for less than two days, things were very smooth sailing, pun not intended. *****
Price: Considering the stunning location on the banks of the river and the quality of the food, I was expecting the prices to be more expensive than they were. £43 for two mains and two drinks was very reasonable. *****
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