The Blue Mallard

We popped in here without booking first and the hostess was gracious enough to sort a table for the four of us. We last visited before lockdown and were surprised to find it had changed hands and then we had the tapas grazing menu and wow, just wow! The food is simply amazing. Small plates packed with flavour and originality. Every mouthful a mix of tantalising tastes and complementary sensations when eaten together. We chose a starter each plus 3 tapas dishes each. Obviously we tasted everyone elses dishes too, just mouthwatering. The salmon risotto was sublime, the pork belly crisp and perfectly matched with the apple sauce and chipotle slaw and the flank steak cooked to perfection. The dessert, orange amandine was the perfect ending to this great food. The hostess was lovely, really knowledgable and simply a lovely lady with a beautiful accent. All of the staff were friendly, capable and helpful. We sat outside watching the barges drift down the canal in the warm night. Going to organise a family visit for my mums birthday next. Definitely give this little gem of a restaurant a try.

We recently had our wedding reception at The Blue Mallard, wow! The food was delicious, the venue looked beautiful and the staff were amazing and went out of their way to make sure everything was just perfect for our special day and made us feel safe in these Covid times. Us and our guests all truly had an amazing day, I would definitely recommend The Blue Mallard if you are looking for a wedding reception venue.

This place does not look fancy- although its very clean and tidy- and you could be forgiven for thinking it might not be anything special, but it is. The food is really great. There were lots of good veggie choices and the desserts were lovely. Staff were fabulous- so friendly and also very efficient.

Today, we went to The Blue Mallard for lunch. However, we had an "agenda". Having looked at different venues for an event, we decided to look at this restaurant, sample the food, do some fact-finding and make a decision. This was easily achieved. The set 2 and 3-course menu was not overly-long but, where it lacked in length, it certainly gained in content - excellent! Our lunch was superb and it's clear why the chef (one of the two partners) has won a coveted Michelin award. The food was beautifully presented and now in our "the best we've ever tasted" group (and, believe me, we've been to some good restaurants). We spoke at length with the other proprietors - a delightful, very knowledgeable and professional lady who certainly knows her stuff! She listened, advised, suggested, and was very impressive. We have looked at the reviews about this restaurant and, since the new owners took over (approx 6 weeks ago), there have been some surprisingly negative reviews. Frankly, we can't understand it. Following our very positive experience today, we had no hesitation in going ahead with our booking and also booking for their French Evening later this month (after which I shall post another review). To all those who have been influenced by the negative reviews, don't be! Go and make your own decisions. These things are, after all, very subjective. You won't be disappointed. To the new owners, thank you so much for a lovely lunch.

Can't thank Chris, Audrey and all the staff for helping us give my Dad an amazing send off after his funeral last Monday. The food was excellent, Audrey and all the staff were very attentive to our every need and they opened up especially for us on a day they would normally be closed. At the wake everybody commented on the quality of the food and the lovely surroundings. Thank you so much. Jan