When I found out who had won the award for Restaurant of the Year at the most recent Food Awards Wales, I was intrigued. I'd not heard ramblings of it on the grapevine nor had I any recommendations from friends or WalesOnline colleagues regarding it. Maybe it's because it's Penarth's best kept secret, I thought. So, naturally, I had to go and try it out for myself and invited a friend of mine along for a little lunch date to see the award-winning food it had on offer.
As I decided to go on lunch - the website for Pickford’s Galley & Bar with Rooms states it's open until 3.30pm - I got the train from Cardiff Central to Penarth for my 1.15pm booking and, after walking through the picturesque Alexandra Park to get to the esplanade, arrived 5 minutes early.
Thankfully, it was sunny and I was prepared to wait but as we were greeted at the door by our friendly waiter, we were told to take a seat wherever we liked. You can get more what's on news straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
Read more: Historic pub that's now a beautiful wedding venue and restaurant is crowned the best in Wales
We staked out our options and chose a seat outside the old-looking building - we've got to make good use of this sunshine! - and ones which were overlooking the sea directly. It was gorgeous. Apart from the parked cars, the view was unobstructed and you could hear the waves lapping on the shore as the seagulls chirped. The music, too, was at just the right level so as not to be overpowering or conversation killing - it was so relaxing. The view of the esplanade and pier is such an incredible feature with this restaurant and no doubt is a massive contributing factor to its award winning status. I could have sat there for hours.
As we perused the food menu, our waiter came over and asked for our drinks order - we panicked. We hadn't picked up a drinks menu so just ordered the first things off the top of our head: a lemonade and diet Pepsi.
When they arrived about 10 minutes later, they were exactly what we needed on a warm summer's day, especially after walking down the hill from the train station to Penarth pier. The lemonade was sugary and had that nice zingy kick.
The menu was relatively extensive and had options for small plates, sandwiches and mains - many of which were a welcome dish to enjoy at the seaside: fish and chips, scampi and chips etc. Other dishes included staple British classics (something it advertises as being its speciality) lunchtime options like burgers, ham, egg and chips and Ploughman's sarnies.
None of those took my fancy so, after about 15 minutes (due to it being a rather busy lunchtime, they were operating on a staggered waiting service) I ordered a sandwich that would satiate my hunger whilst embracing my location: a dressed crab sandwich (£14.75). My dining partner chose scampi and chips (£15). We also, just to make sure we covered all bases, tried a small plate each.
For me, it was the smashed avocado, artichoke and walnut salad (£7.50). For her, chicken liver pate, caramelized onion chutney with salad and toast (£7.50) tickled her fancy.
As we waited for our food to arrive, our lovely server came out to check we were all okay and to ask whether, in the sunshine, our cutlery was getting too hot. It wasn't yet, but if needed he was happy to come out and swap it for us for ones that were less scalding (metal, heat... you can imagine). I thought this was a very attentive touch as we confirmed all was well when our food arrived about 10 minutes or so later.
We first tucked into our small plates - as starters. My salad was alright. It wasn't crisp and cold although it wasn’t wilted and warm either - it was in between. It was well dressed with what I believe was honey mustard dressing and came in a small bowl with a slice of gluten free bread (on request) cut in half. As a small plate/starter, it was nice. The salad leaves were mostly crunchy, the vinegary artichoke was zingy and fleshy, and the walnuts provided a good crunch. I was hoping for the avocado to be a bit colder and provide a real nice whack of freshness and flavour. It was a nice texture but wasn’t noticeably a star of the show.
As for the pate, well. That was another story. It was the real winner of this meal. The texture was smooth with a creamy, strong, full-bodied and tangy flavour and, paired perfectly with the sweet caramelised onion on top, it packed a punch atop plain bread.
The bread was toasted just right and the salad that came with it was a refreshing break from the strong flavour of the pate - especially with the dressing.
Onto mains - which we requested at the same time as we asked for them as small plates - the scampi and chips came out as a whopping portion. You definitely got what you paid for. The peas which came with it were light and fresh, the scampi was crispy and well-battered on the outside (in my opinion, possibly a tad too thick), but that didn't spoil the taste. Someone who loves battered scampi would lap this up.
The scampi inside was meaty, and delicate in flavour. There could have been more of it inside the batter but it was still delicious. The thick cut chunky chips - the sort of chips you always want with pub grub - were crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Dipped into the tartar sauce, which was tart and contrasted nicely, it was a really nice lunch that would see you through until dinner-time, at least.
As for my crab sandwich, it was served with salad, coleslaw and fries - again, a hefty portion. The gluten free bread was tasty and not fall-apart (as some slices can be). Slotted between the two slices, it had a decent sized filling. You don’t want a sarnie that’s limp and essentially just bread. This was chocca - upon first glance at it, I was pleased.
First bite, the shredded crab tasted fresh and left very much a fishy taste on my tongue (as you'd expect) - it was nice on a hot sunny day by the esplanade; I felt like I was on my holidays.
That being said, crab itself doesn’t have an abundance of flavour, so I don't know what I was expecting, but (on its own) it didn't knock my socks off. Although on second bite, I noticed it had been packed in with spring onion, tomato and other salady bits which added a nice acidity, pepperiness and different texture and tang. After finishing it, the delicate flavouring of it didn't matter as it wasn't overpowering. It was just nice.
It was paired with skinny French fries (that had been pre-sprinkled with salt, it seemed) that were crunchy - not soggy as some can be (Maccies, ahem) - and moorish. The salad was similar to the first but with it being so warm sat in the sun while I tucked into my starter, it had gone slightly wilted. The coleslaw was salty and sour, possibly too much for me (who’s only just become a coleslaw convert) and had a density to it. The red cabbage in it provided a good kick too.
All together, it was a lovely, hearty, yet refreshing lunch. The food was nice. The mains were huge so you do get your money's worth, and the dishes we ordered did the job of filling us up happily. If you're a fan of chunky sarnies and British classics, you'd love this seafront spot. Personally, the cherry on top was the positioning next to the esplanade. So, with a view like that and brilliant, friendly service, it truly is a little gem that'd be perfect for a spot to eat on a sunny day.
For more information on Pickford’s Galley and Bar with Rooms, see here.
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