Lifestyle Review: The Town House Inn

Rebecca Webster and Lucy Berkeley sample the food at the new gastropub in Leamington Spa

Renovated in November, this trendy, charismatic pub falls in the new brand of hybrid bistro pub providing both an intimate experience of live music and a great pulled pint alongside a fine-dining food experience. It is easy to have reservations about this new fusion in British cuisine culture, but I think we can both agree that the Townhouse succeeded in impressing.

What we ate:

Starters:

Charcuterie Plate to share – selection of fine cured meats sourced locally and further afield, to include comfit of Chorizo sausage, Parma ham & peppered Salami, baby gherkins, Red onion marmalade and Focaccia bread.

Marinated King Prawns sautéed in garlic, coriander and chili butter, served with caramelised lemon and mixed leaves.

Mains:

Pan-fried T-bone pork steak, apple charlotte and red wine reduction, served with mash.

8oz English Rib-eye steak, with garlic and herb butter served with chunky hand-cut chips, a field cap mushroom, and roasted tomato.

What Rebecca thought:

Locally sourced and entirely organic, we endeavoured to order a mixture of food from an array of Mediterranean meats, breads and seafood and to the more traditional options of the British menu: steak and pork. The limited menu not only made it mildly easier to choose from the many appetising dishes, but more importantly it proved that less is often more. With the death of many beloved British pubs, most are forced to survive through the fusion experience and in the process the pub ethos is lost in favour of a confused and often misguided menu.

Rather than trying to combine multiple elements, the Townhouse thankfully debunked this myth retaining the importance of Britishness and yet evolved as fresh and current. The excellent chef, apparently nicked from Wagamama’s up the road, passed the crucial ‘steak test’: moist, a perfect medium rare and a healthy portion, it could hardly be faulted. I chose the T-bone of pork which can often be dry; however, pan-fried and with an exquisite red-wine reduction kept the meat surprisingly succulent.

It was clear that the food was cooked to an extremely high standard, the décor could have been found in any one of the best Country magazines and the service was delightfully efficient and friendly. Full to brim (I mean, we were genuinely so stuffed that we couldn’t even manage a desert).

Offering breakfast until 2pm on weekends and lunch, you certainly can’t fault the pub from giving it there all to entice us students in. Whilst the food is worth the money; £13 for a steak is still pretty pricey despite the good quality. This will divide students, some whose pockets are deeper than others.

I did love my restaurant experience however, and would recommend it to everyone and anyone who would be willing to fork out a little more of their student loan for a delicious meal and experience.

What Lucy thought:

Walking into The Townhouse is reminiscent of walking into my home. There’s a hum of music and conversation is bubbling around the room, ebbing and flowing. In the winter a fire roars in the corner, but today was a beautiful sunny day and so the windows were thrown open and the beer garden beckoned.

We sat at one of the rustic wooden tables overlooking the pub floor and hit a road bump – what to eat? The menu is concise, shying away from offering the world and instead focusing on food that it can cook well and with finesse. To start we share a charcuterie platter and King Prawns. The charcuterie was an assortment of delights, plump chorizo sausages in oil, slices of salami, slivers of Parma ham and more chorizo surrounding a loaf of artisan seeded bread.  We got stuck in, spreading red onion marmalade on with gusto, not letting cutlery slow down our enjoyment of the array. The prawns were huge and delicious, delivering an almost buttery sweetness, juxtaposing with the sharp lemon accompaniment. I followed this with the 8oz rib eye. This was smothered in a garlic and herb butter, which kept the steak deliciously moist whilst not detracting from the rich meatiness of it. The chips were ingots of golden potato, crispy on the outside then yielding to scorching fluffiness within.

I am almost sad that I have nothing bad to say. From the moment we walked in we were enveloped in the warmth of a home, a world away from the detachment of the many chain pubs on the Parade. The food was unfailingly delectable and the steak cooked perfectly, leaving me so full I regrettably had no room for dessert. Oh well, guess that means I just HAVE to go back.

We loved the food and the dining experience and definitely would say that it is worth the money. However the local Wetherspoons will take a lot to be debunked as top dog for cheap student destination.