Restaurant Menu

December 2020

There is a minimum food spend in the restaurant of £18 per person.

This menu is only served in the restaurant – see the Lounge & Bar menu for what we offer elsewhere.

Please tell us of any allergies; dish descriptions do not include all ingredients

See our separate gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free menus

Champagne and wines by the glass – see overleaf

Seasonal Cocktails – Spiced Cranberry Bellini £8.50   Christmas Margarita £10.95

Rum & Cognac Winter Warmer £10.95   Or please ask to see the full cocktail menu

Mulled wine £6.95

Filtered still or sparkling water is free of charge

Sourdough bread from Allotment bakery with Italian extra virgin olive oil

or with Netherend Farm salted butter £1.50

Marcona Almonds £3.95  Olives marinated in garlic & herbs £2.95  Rosemary & thyme crisps £2.95

Carrot, coconut and chilli soup with crème fraîche £7.50

Salad of smashed butter beans and roasted squash with orange and tomato salsa £7.95

Pan-fried Brussels sprouts with wasabi mayonnaise, onion jam and toasted nuts £6.95

Creamy smoked mackerel pâté with toasted sourdough and cucumber £7.95

Smoked salmon from Uig Lodge (Isle of Lewis), cucumber & capers £10; Larger portion with green salad £16

Grilled whole king prawns (in the shell) with samphire and garlic butter £9.50 for 4 or £13 for 6

Ham hock terrine with mustard mayonnaise, pickled vegetables and sourdough toast £8.50

Braised beef cheek with Swiss chard and celeriac & horseradish remoulade £12

Chargrilled cauliflower with chimichurri, fat chips and little gem with mustard dressing £18.50

Polenta fingers, roast squash, grilled artichokes, Swiss chard and tomato salsa  £18.50

Fish and chips with crushed peas, tartare sauce and pickled onions and quail eggs £18

Fillet of sea bream with celeriac purée, Swiss chard and rosti potato £22

Fillet of sea trout, lightly cooked, with caramelised salsify, samphire, new potatoes, brown shrimps,

capers, cream and white wine £25

Turkey Wellington, fondant potato, glazed carrots, Brussels sprouts, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce £25

Rack of Lamb, rosemary potato cake, leek & spinach purée, oyster mushroom, broccoli and mint salsa £30

Char-grilled Aberdeenshire steak with chunky chips, Caesar salad and peppercorn sauce

8oz Flat-Iron £22;  8oz Rump £25;  10oz Black Angus Sirloin £33

All are carved in the kitchen unless requested otherwise

Add:  Fried double yolk egg £2.95   Fried onion rings £3.95

Skinny or thick-cut chips £4.95 or with truffle mayonnaise £5.95  New potatoes £3.95

Rosemary potato cake £3.95  Baby gem salad with honey & mustard dressing £4.50

Glazed carrots and Brussels sprouts £3.95  Tender stem broccoli £3.95

Cheese, from the UK’s British cheese specialist, Neal’s Yard Dairy

Served with biscuits, apple, celery and green bean & apple chutney

Lincolnshire Poacher (Alford, Lincs) – unpasteurised, hard, Cheddar-style, cows’ milk cheese

Tunworth (Hampshire) – pasteurised, soft, Brie-style cows’ milk cheese

Colston Bassett Stilton (Nottinghamshire) – pasteurised, creamy, blue, cows’ milk cheese

Elrick Log (Lanarkshire, Scotland) – soft, unpasteurised goats’ milk cheese

Choose any 3 cheeses £9.50 (£8 for 2; £12.50 for 4)

Port and sweet red wine by the glass (75ml)

958   BANYULS, Cuvée Léon Parcé 2016 Roussillon £6.75 Sweet red wine; Port-ish but easier on the head

976   VINTAGE PORT, Taylor’s 1985 Douro Valley £13.80 Powerful & intense

971   20yr OLD TAWNY PORT, Sandeman £7.20 Twenty years in wood; soft & gentle

A beer to partner cheese: TRIPLE KNOT, Adnams – Belgian style (10%, 330ml) £8.95

Sweets (with recommended sweet wine)

Roast pineapple with pink peppercorn, orange & lime salsa and coconut ice cream (vegan) £7.95 (wine 904)

Passion fruit tart with crème fraiche and hazelnut praline £8.50 (wine 915)

Sticky toffee pudding with caramel sauce and organic Jersey cream £6.95 – or with a shot of PX £8.95

Chocolate marquise with cherry ripple ice cream £8.50 (wine 958 – see above)

Affogato (single scoop of vanilla ice-cream with espresso coffee or luscious PX Sherry) £4.95/£5.95

Homemade ice-cream and sorbet: £2.50 one scoop; £1.50 per extra scoop

Ice cream: clotted cream vanilla; quince; spiced chocolate; salted caramel. Sorbet: pear

Sweet wine by the glass  (75ml) – arranged from lighter to heavier

904   NOBLE RIESLING, Framingham 2018 New Zealand £6.50 Lemony fresh, delicate

915   MOSCATEL DU SETUBAL, Sivipa 2017 Portugal  £5.00 Floral perfume but intense richness too

920   SAUTERNES, Château Laville 2013 Bordeaux £6.95  Honeyed, concentrated & complex

954   BEN RYE, Moscato Passito, Donnafugata, Sicily £9.95  Expensive – but this is nectar

950   PEDRO XIMENEZ, San Emilio, Lustau. Sherry £5.95  Liquid raisins; extraordinarily intense

Coffee (from Monmouth Coffee Company) – with biscotti  (Soya or Oat milk 50p supplement per drink)

Espresso, Macchiato, Piccolo £2.95  Regular, Cappuccino, Latte, Flat white, Double espresso £3.95

Drip-filter (in a mug) or Cafetière £3.95

Iced coffee (milky); or Nitro Cold Brew (black, oat milk latte or oat milk mocha) £3.95

Hot Chocolate (Musetti Chocissimo) £3.95  Pump Street Drinking Chocolate (75% Cocoa, from Jamaica) £4.50

Tea with shortbread biscuits – all at £3.95

Black teas – English Breakfast; Earl Grey; Darjeeling; Virunga Chai. De-caff. Green tea

Infusions – Peppermint; Lemongrass & Ginger; Chamomile; Red berry.

Homemade chocolate truffle  95p    

Rum & Coffee Martini (Rum, Stout, Crème De Cacao, a shot of Espresso) £10.95

Cognac 75 (Le Reviseur Cognac, sugar, lemon and Prosecco) £9.95

Truffle Gin (A single shot of the extraordinary truffle-infused gin from Cambridge Distillery) £6.75

Lounge and Bar Menu

December 2020, 12-9pm

Champagne and wines by the glass – see separate list

Seasonal Cocktails – Spiced Cranberry Bellini £8.50   Christmas Margarita £10.95

Rum & Cognac Winter Warmer £10.95   Or please ask to see the full cocktail menu

Mulled wine £6.95

Please tell us of any allergies; dish descriptions do not include all ingredients

NIBBLES AND SIDE DISHES

Sourdough Bread from Allotment bakery with Netherend Farm salted butter

or with Italian extra virgin olive oil £1.50

Homemade focaccia bread with garlic butter £3.95

Salted Marcona Almonds £3.95  Olives with garlic & herbs £2.95   Rosemary & thyme crisps £2.95

Beetroot & yoghurt dip with yoghurt, za’tar, goats’ cheese and hazelnuts; with char-grilled pitta bread £5.95

Onion bhaji (x 3) with mint yoghurt £4.95

THE DISHES BELOW ALL COUNT AS “A SUBSTANTIAL MEAL” (for those having an alcoholic drink)

Carrot, coconut and chilli soup with crème fraîche £7.50

Kale salad, with avocado, pumpkin, mooli, seeds, nuts & mustard dressing (vegan) £7.95/£11.50

Add grilled halloumi cheese £2.95 or hot peeled king prawns £2.35 each

Smoked salmon from Uig Lodge (Isle of Lewis), lemon & capers £10; Larger portion with green salad £16

Baked whole Camembert, homemade focaccia, pigs in blankets and onion jam £13.95

Ploughman’s – Lincolnshire Poacher and Colston Bassett Stilton; pork pie, sugar-roast ham and

haslet with pear & apple chutney and sourdough bread £13.95

Mussels with white wine, cream and (mild) chilli; with skinny chips or garlic bread £15.95

Grilled whole king prawns with samphire and garlic butter £9.50 for 4, £13 for 6

Green Thai prawn curry with basmati rice, pak choi and crushed peanuts £15.95

Fish and chips with crushed peas, tartare sauce and pickled onions and quail eggs £18

Potato, sweet potato & spinach Dal Tadka with fried cauliflower, mango chutney, rice & poppadum £14.95

Beef burger with crispy onions, blue cheese, tomato & chilli relish and skinny chips £16.95

CHEESE AND SWEETS are available all day – see the separate menu (and yes it includes a sticky toffee…)

COLD SANDWICHES on sourdough bread from Allotment Bakery; with rosemary crisps

Smoked salmon with cucumber, crème fraîche and dill £10.95

Roast beef with celeriac remoulade and caramelised onion £9.95

WARM SANDWICHES (first three on homemade focaccia bread)

Turkey, stuffing and cranberry, with skinny chips £11

Steak sandwich with caramelised onions & grain mustard, with skinny chips £13.95

Vegan sandwich: char-grilled courgette, roast pepper, harissa and tapenade with rocket £9.95

Cheese, ham and mustard sourdough toastie with rocket salad £9.50

Sunday Lunch

December 2020

Seasonal Cocktails – Rum & Cognac Winter Warmer £10.95

Spiced Cranberry Bellini £8.50   Christmas Margarita £10.95

Mulled wine £6.95   Do please ask to see the full cocktail menu

Filtered still or sparkling water is free of charge

Sourdough Bread from Allotment bakery with Italian extra virgin olive oil

or with Netherend Farm salted butter £1.50

Salted Marcona Almonds £3.95  Olives marinated in garlic and herbs £2.95

2 courses £29.50 or 3 courses £36  (£15/£20 for children under 12 years old)

Please tell us of any allergies; dish descriptions do not include all ingredients.

Carrot, coconut and chilli soup with crème fraîche

Salad of smashed butter beans and roasted squash with orange and tomato salsa

Pan-fried Brussels sprouts with wasabi mayonnaise, onion jam and toasted nuts

Creamy smoked mackerel pâté with toasted sourdough and cucumber

Smoked salmon from Uig Lodge, Isle of Lewis, cucumber & capers

Four grilled whole king prawns with samphire and garlic butter

Ham hock terrine with mustard mayonnaise, pickled vegetables and sourdough toast

Roast sirloin of English dry-aged beef (cooked pink) with Yorkshire pudding, savoy cabbage

roast potatoes and root vegetables

Roast turkey with roast potatoes, chipolatas, sprouts, carrots, cranberry sauce and gravy

Roast pork loin with roast potatoes and root vegetables, savoy cabbage, apple sauce and crackling

Root vegetable and spinach Wellington with broccoli, creamed cabbage, roast potatoes and gravy

Fish and chips with crushed peas, tartare sauce, pickled onions and quail eggs

Fillet of sea bream with celeriac purée, Swiss chard and rosti potato

Cauliflower cheese, for two to share £4.95

Two cheeses from Neal’s Yard Dairy, served with biscuits, apple, celery and green bean & apple chutney

Lincolnshire Poacher (Alford, Lincs) – unpasteurised, hard, Cheddar-style, cows’ milk cheese

Tunworth (Hampshire) – pasteurised, soft, Brie-style cows’ milk cheese

Colston Bassett Stilton (Nottinghamshire) – pasteurised, creamy, blue, cows’ milk cheese

Elrick Log (Lanarkshire, Scotland) – soft, unpasteurised goats’ milk cheese

Roast pineapple with pink peppercorn, orange & lime salsa and coconut ice cream (vegan)

Passion fruit tart with crème fraiche and hazelnut praline

Chocolate marquise with cherry ripple ice cream

Sticky toffee pudding with caramel sauce and organic Jersey cream

Homemade ice-creams and sorbets, any 3 scoops –

Ice cream: clotted vanilla; quince & Sherry; spiced chocolate; salted caramel. Sorbet: apple

Coffee or tea with homemade biscuit £3.95 (Espresso £2.95)

Sunday Steak Night

December 2020
Sundays, 6-8.30pm

Seasonal Cocktails – Rum & Cognac Winter Warmer £10.95

Spiced Cranberry Bellini £8.50   Christmas Margarita £10.95

Mulled wine £6.95   Do please ask to see the full cocktail menu

Filtered still or sparkling water is free of charge

Please tell us of any allergies; dish descriptions do not include all ingredients

NIBBLES

Sourdough Bread from Allotment bakery with Netherend Farm salted butter £1.50
or with Italian extra virgin olive oil

Marcona Almonds £3.95  Olives marinated in garlic & herbs £2.95  Rosemary & thyme crisps £2.95

Onion bhaji (x 3) with mint yoghurt £4.95

Beetroot dip with yoghurt, za’tar, goats’ cheese and hazelnut; with char-grilled pitta bread £5.95

SET PRICE STEAK MENU

2 courses £24 or 3 courses £29

Choice of the the first 3 starters below
8oz Flat Iron (medium-rare only); 8oz Rump; 8oz Ribeye; or 10 oz Black Angus Sirloin (£8 supplement)
all served carved, with triple-cooked chips, Caesar salad and peppercorn sauce
Choice of the first 3 options on our separate sweet menu

A LA CARTE OPTIONS

STARTERS

Carrot, coconut and chilli soup with crème fraîche £7.50

Ham hock terrine with mustard mayonnaise, pickled vegetables and sourdough toast £8.50

Creamy smoked mackerel pâté with toasted sourdough and cucumber £7.95

Grilled whole king prawns (in the shell) with samphire and garlic butter £9.50 for 4 (or £13 for 6)

Pan-fried Brussels sprouts with wasabi mayonnaise, onion jam and toasted nuts £6.95

Smoked salmon from Uig Lodge (Isle of Lewis), cucumber & capers £10; Larger portion with green salad £16

MAINS

Chargrilled cauliflower with chimichurri, fat chips and little gem with mustard dressing £18.50

Fish and chips with crushed peas, tartare sauce, pickled onions and quails’ eggs £18

Fillet of sea bream with celeriac purée, Swiss chard and rosti potato £22

Turkey Wellington, fondant potato, glazed carrots, Brussels sprouts, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce £25

Rack of lamb, rosemary potato cake, leek & spinach purée, oyster mushroom, broccoli and mint salsa £30

SIDES

Skinny or thick-cut chips £4.95 or with truffle mayonnaise £5.95  New potatoes £3.95

Rosemary potato cake £3.95  Baby gem salad with honey & mustard dressing £4.50

Glazed carrots and Brussels sprouts £3.95  Tender stem broccoli £3.95

SWEETS and CHEESE

See the main Restaurant Menu

Afternoon tea

Our ‘normal’ tea service at the Old Bridge is relaxed and informal. It is served on comfortable seats in the lounge and bar. Our renowned homemade scones (served with Jersey cream and strawberry jam) come out of the oven around 2.30pm. Or there are  cakes, sandwiches, biscuits or homemade crumpets. It is on a ‘first come first served basis’ – we cannot reserve tables in the bar or lounge.

Our “Full Afternoon Tea” can be pre-booked at 3.30 or 4pm.

Your group will be in either the Dining Room or the Restaurant, depending on availability that day. You will normally be seated at a dining table. We cannot reserve tables in the bar or lounge.

If you were keen to have a room privately to yourselves then the Dining Room can sometimes be booked for the afternoon, with a hire charge of £150.

In all cases we do need your table back by 5.30pm, ready for our evening service.

Our full tea menu is priced at £19 per person. It is served on vertical tea stands, except for larger groups when it is served on long white plates from which your guests can help themselves.

Tea or Coffee

English breakfast; Earl Grey; Darjeeling;
Virunga Chai; Green tea;
Peppermint; Lemongrass & Ginger; Chamomile; Red berry.
Monmouth Coffees: Americano; Espresso; Cappuccino; Latte; Flat White; or Cafetière.

Finger Sandwiches

Smoked salmon & cream cheese; Spicy chicken;
Egg mayonnaise; Beef, watercress & horseradish.

Fruit scone with rich Jersey cream and strawberry jam.

Mini cakes

Chocolate and almond; Fruit meringue; Caramel éclair.

(In December the menu alters to give a slightly more ‘festive’ feel).

And if you are celebrating…

A glass of Prosecco ‘Ca’ di Alte’ £7
A glass of the local Saffron Grange Brut or Rosé Sparkling Wine £9.50
Charles Heidsieck, Brut Réserve, Champagne £12

Please note for bookings up to 5 we require card details. For groups of 6+ full payment is required upon booking.

We can provide a similar menu for gluten-free guests, or most other food intolerances, but we do need to have exact details at least 48 hours in advance.

Breakfast

All included for residents on b&b rates – if you book directly with the hotel it is always included!

Full breakfast £19.00 – Your choice of cold or hot dishes, with toast, juice and coffee or tea

A La Carte options –

Cafetière coffee (from Monmouth Coffee Company), or choice of teas £3.95

Apple or orange juice £1.50 per glass

Toast (sourdough bread from Allotment Bakery) with butter and jam or marmalade £2.95

Croissant with butter or jam £3.95

Cornflakes, Weetabix, Bran Flakes or Muesli with milk £2.95

Greek yoghurt with fruit and/or fruit compote and homemade granola £5.95

Porridge £8

Full English breakfast: free-range eggs, Chatteris banger, bacon, homemade baked beans, chestnut mushrooms, hash brown, black pudding, tomato £13

Vegetarian English breakfast: free-range eggs, homemade baked beans, spinach, chestnut mushrooms and hash brown £12

Old Bridge Eggs Benedict – homemade crumpet with sugar-roast ham, poached egg and hollandaise £8.95/11.95

Scrambled egg, smoked salmon, crème fraiche, chives £11

Smoked haddock, poached egg, spinach, chive butter £11

Wine

Click on the PDF link to see the full, current restaurant wine list.

The owner of the Old Bridge, John Hoskins, was the first person in the restaurant industry to become a Master of Wine. It’s therefore not surprising that wine is a very important part of life at The Old Bridge.

See the separate pages about the Wine Shop and the opportunity to taste (and buy wine) whilst visiting the hotel.

The bar offers 15 ‘house’ wines by the glass. This is supplemented by 24 more wines we have open on our ‘Enomatic’ machine in the wine shop.

The main restaurant wine list looks rather daunting in its size, but we do have plenty of choice at the all-important £20-£30 bracket, as well as many fine wine options for those looking for something really special. Our aim is simply to find the very best examples of any particular style.

Price is a key part of our appeal. Like almost every restaurant, our starting price is quite high (£19.95) as food, wine and room sales all have to pay for our staff and our building. However, our mark-up is actually one of the lowest in the country. We add between £10 and £20 on to a normal reatail price, never more, even for the most expensive bottles.

The majority, but not all, of the wines in the shop are on the restaurant wine list. So you are welcome to come into the shop and buy anything to drink in the hotel. The ‘corkage’ charge is £15. If you want to bring in wine from outside the hotel then the corkage charge is £20 per bottle.

We have been lucky enough to win all the major wine list awards in the country over the country – from the AA, the Egon Ronay Guide (when it existed) and the Harpers Wine Trade magazine. We hope you will have an exciting wine experience when you are with us.

The Bar

Groups & parties

Obviously we have to restrict numbers in line with government guidelines while ‘social distancing’ is still imposed on us all. The details below are for pre- (and, we hope, post-) covid times, so please bear that in mind.

The Dining Room is a private room for parties of 16 to 60. The first half of the room is normally a private lounge for aperitifs or coffee. It’s a lovely setting for business entertaining, family celebrations or smaller weddings.

The Mallard Room, on the far side of the main Restaurant, is an intimate (short-hand for small but cosy) room for up to 8.

The main Restaurant can also be let to groups of over 60.

For all these rooms we can offer set menu suggestions, or you can choose your own menu using dishes from our normal menu. Wine tastings are a speciality of ours: John Hoskins or one of the key team members can provide a ‘tutored’ tasting before the meal. Alternatively we can simply give your guests a brief explanation of the chosen dinner wines once you are all seated.

Click here for sample menus. But please do ring, we can be flexible to your needs.

Please go to the Wine Shop pages for information about Private tastings.

Christmas

Click on the PDF link to see this year’s Christmas Menus.

Obviously, numbers and some events will  have to be modified to suit the Covid-19 regulations in place at the time. Please do book with confidence, and we will discuss with you changes when you do so. Note that we now not offering a Christmas Party Menu (but our December does include a ‘Turkey Wellington’!) and in January we will no longer be offering a ‘January Sales Menu’.