Rosie O´Grady´s 4

I previously reviewed the restaurant at Rosie O´Grady´s just over a year ago but the kitchen has recently been taken over by the infamous Scottish Annie (ex Fagins´ fame) and she has been cooking up a storm, creating wholesome British fare at extremely reasonable prices. The menu has changed ever so slightly and Annie has added a few of her own ideas.

The bar itself, as we all know, opens its doors from 7.00 p.m. until the wee hours of the morning and is now open on Sunday afternoons as well as Wednesday evenings. The bar is ever so professionally run by Adel, who is ably assisted by Lynne and they both provide a lot of fun and laughter throughout the evening. The resident musician is Joe (an Irishman from Dublin) who plays guitar from 9.30 p.m. until midnight.

I visited there last night for a casual supper which we ate at the bar rather than in the restaurant itself but there were a number of diners in the restaurant partaking of a more formal meal. Although I was doing a review I wasn´t particularly hungry enough for a starter or dessert but I talked myself into having the Cheesy Garlic Bread which was probably a mistake as it was the largest piece of garlic bread (like half a whole baguette) absolutely oozing with a thick layer of melted cheese – very, very moorish.

I had a steak head on last night so I ordered the Peppered Fillet Steak and my dining companion, Bobby, had the O´Grady´s Beef Stew. Annie had mentioned to me that a lot of her customers complained that her main courses were too big and they never had room for dessert and when our dishes arrived I had to admit they were right! Although I had Bobby´s share of vegetables on my plate as well as my own, both dishes were very generous.

The Beef Stew had an lovely rich gravy with an extremely large amount of meat and my steak was done to perfection (medium rare). The vegetables (carrots, broccoli and cabbage) were all fresh rather than frozen and both dishes were served with a choice of jacket potato, chips or mashed potatoes (if Annie has any made up).

Unfortunately, a couple who ordered the Traditional Fish and Chips had taken the last of the mash. Their fish in batter looked excellent as well as their gut-busting Chocolate Éclair (smothered in chocolate sauce) and Banana Split which they managed afterwards. I was desperate for a dessert but for once my eyes were bigger than my stomach (shock horror probe!). I also spied the Chocolate Fudge Cake coming from the kitchen which looked divine. All the desserts are served with cream or ice-cream.

The menu contains Nibbles & Lights for snacks or starters (such as Corn on the Cob, Potato Skins, Steamed Mussels and Onion Bhajis), a choice of salads, 12 main dishes (including Braised Lamb Cutlets, Gammon Steak or Pork Chops) and some vegetarian options of Vegetable Curry, Chilli Bean Mix, Onion Bhaji Pitta or Pasta Bake. All of the dishes are extremely good value and you could dine here more than adequately on a budget.

Although Annie has never headed up a kitchen solely before, she is doing an extremely good job and producing excellent cuisine. She is assisted in the kitchen by Laurie, Joe´s wife.