Restaurant Menu

29^th October – 30^th November 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.

Seasonal Cocktails – Spiced Pear Bellini £8.50   The Sour Apple £10.95

Honey It’s Cold Outside £11.95  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

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

Pumpkin soup with coconut and ginger £6.95

Salad of roast heritage beetroot and carrots, chickpeas, candied nuts and honey mustard dressing £7.95

Burrata (from Lattelier Ignazzi in Puglia) with roast squash, figs and spiced maple syrup dressing £8.95

Beetroot and goat’s cheese agnolotti with thyme and hazelnuts £8.95 (served warm, not hot)

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 £2.35 each or 6 for £13

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

Rabbit pithivier with girolle mushrooms, kale and red wine £11 (15 minutes minimum)

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

Roast aubergine with ginger, garlic & cumin; sweet potato, lentil & rocket salad £18.50

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

Fillet of sea bream with celeriac purée, cavolo nero and rosti potato £22

Herb-crusted salmon, lightly cooked, with caramelised salsify, new potatoes, brown shrimps,

capers, cream and white wine £25

Roast partridge (the legs confit) with creamed savoy cabbage, root vegetable terrine and bacon jam £23

(may contain shot)

Breast of duck with potato cake, squash purée, pak choi and raisin-honey compote £28

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

Baby gem salad with honey & mustard dressing £4.50

Creamed savoy cabbage £3.95  Tenderstem broccoli £3.95  Root vegetable terrine £3.95

In the restaurant there is a minimum spend per person equivalent to one main course

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

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

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

Stichelton (Nottinghamshire) – unpasteurised, creamy, blue, cows’ milk cheese – Stilton style

Ragstone (Herefordshire) – soft, pasteurised 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

974   VINTAGE PORT, Quinta de la Rosa 2005 Douro Valley £8.85 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)

Pear poached in cardamom and saffron, with coconut ice cream (vegan) £7.95 (wine 904)

Anna’s apple cake (served warm not hot) with organic Jersey cream and custard £7.95 (wine 920)

Warm banana pudding with rum & toffee sauce, caramelised banana and Chantilly cream £7.95 (wine 954)

Chocolate and caramel delice with condensed milk 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

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

953   COLHEITA MADEIRA, Justino’s 1999  £6.60 Nutty, savoury, spicy

954   RUTHERGLEN MUSCAT, ‘Rosewood’, Chambers. Australia £5.95  Fortified to 17.5%; rich & luscious

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

29^th October – 30^th November 2020, 12-9pm

Seasonal Cocktails – Spiced Pear Bellini £8.50  The Sour Apple £10.95

Honey It’s Cold Outside £11.95  Please ask to see the full cocktail menu

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

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

Pork crackers with sweetcorn and chilli dip £4.95

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

Onion bhaji (x 3) with mint yoghurt £4.95

Buttermilk-fried squid with harissa mayonnaise £7.95

Grilled chorizo with garlic mayonnaise £4.95

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

Antipasti – prosciutto and salami; char-grilled courgette and aubergine; roast Romano pepper;

2 yr old parmesan; rosemary focaccia; olives; Marcona almonds £13.95

Ploughman’s – Lincolnshire Poacher and Tunworth (brie-style); pork pie, sugar roast ham and

chicken liver pate 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 £2.35 each or 6 for £13

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

Chicken tikka burger with mint mayonnaise, cabbage slaw, onion bhaji, skinny chips & focaccia bun £16.95

Lamb burger with goats’ cheese, siracha mayo, crispy onions, skinny chips & focaccia bun £16.95

CHEESE AND SWEETS are available all day – see the separate menu

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

Smoked salmon with cucumber, crème fraîche and dill £10.95

Honey-roast ham with apple & pear chutney £8.95

Roast beef with celeriac remoulade and caramelised onion £9.95

Chicken and avocado with tarragon mayonnaise £9.50

WARM SANDWICHES on homemade focaccia bread

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

Sunday Lunch

November 2020

Seasonal Cocktails – Spiced Pear Bellini £8.50   The Sour Apple £10.95

Honey It’s Cold Outside £11.95  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.

Pumpkin soup with coconut and ginger

Salad of roast beetroot and heritage carrots, chickpeas, candied nuts and honey mustard dressing

Burrata (from Lattelier Ignazzi in Puglia) with roast squash, figs and spiced maple syrup dressing

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, horseradish, savoy

cabbage, roast potatoes and root vegetables

Roast chicken with roast potatoes, squash, green beans and chicken 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 vegy gravy

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

Fillet of sea bream with celeriac purée, cavolo nero 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

Stichelton (Nottinghamshire) – unpasteurised, creamy, blue, cows’ milk cheese – Stilton style

Ragstone (Herefordshire) – soft, pasteurised goats’ milk cheese

Pear poached in cardamom and saffron, with coconut ice cream (vegan)

Anna’s apple cake (served warm not hot) with organic Jersey cream and custard

Warm banana pudding with rum & toffee sauce, caramelised banana and Chantilly cream

Chocolate and caramel delice with condensed milk ice 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

November 2020
Sundays, 6-8pm

Seasonal Cocktails – Spiced Pear Bellini £8.50   The Sour Apple £10.95
Honey It’s Cold Outside £11.95  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
Pork crackers with sweetcorn and chilli dip £4.95 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
Buttermilk-fried squid with harissa mayonnaise £7.95  Grilled chorizo with garlic mayonnaise £4.95

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
Pumpkin soup with coconut and ginger £6.95
Ham hock terrine with mustard mayonnaise, pickled vegetables and sourdough toast £8.50
Grilled whole king prawns with samphire and garlic butter £2.35 each or 6 for £13 (or 3 within the set menu)
Salad of roast beetroot and heritage carrots, chickpeas, candied nuts and honey mustard dressing £7.95
Burrata (from Lattelier Ignazzi in Puglia) with roast squash, figs and spiced maple syrup dressing £8.95

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, cavolo nero and rosti potato £22
Roast partridge, the legs confit, with creamed savoy cabbage, root vegetable terrine and bacon jam £23
(may contain shot)

SIDES
Skinny or thick-cut chips £4.95 or with truffle mayonnaise £5.95  New potatoes £3.95
Baby gem salad with honey & mustard dressing £4.50
Creamed savoy cabbage £3.95  Tenderstem broccoli £3.95  Root vegetable terrine £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 First Flush;
Venetian Rose; Green tea;
Peppermint; Lemongrass & Ginger; Chamomile;
Vanilla chai; Fresh mint; Wild berry.
Monmouth Coffees: Americano; Espresso; Macchiato; Piccolo; 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.

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 nearer the time.