In
my last post, I wrote about the unmitigated disaster which was Tring Park
Festival of Lights in the pouring rain. I also mentioned that I booked a table
for dinner and we ate at The Akeman. It’s part of the Oakman Inn chain and a
really beautiful Victorian building, which has managed to retain many of its
original features.
I
had no idea how long our walk would take, or realise we’d be able to start it
earlier than our allotted time, so I booked a table for 6:15pm. We actually
arrived before 5:30pm, but thankfully there was a table ready and we were able
to sit down and start reading the menu. We walked past the bar area which was
large and then past the open kitchen, which was great. We were in full view of
the chefs at work and the large draw was the pizza oven. At that point, I was
definitely sold – I was ordering pizza!
But
first, refreshments! I ordered a rhubarb & custard cocktail, which strangely
tasted exactly like the classic sweet shop favourite. Rhubarb & ginger gin,
vanilla vodka, apple juice and lime juice with a dusting of cinnamon. I could
have easily ordered more than one – it was delicious and went down too easily.
There
were some really great specials on the board, including a venison steak and a
guinea fowl cassoulet. But I stuck with my guns and went for pizza. I wasn’t
disappointed. I chose the Quattro stagioni, which consisted of quadrants of
pancetta, mixed mushrooms, olives and artichokes. I’m not usually a fan of
olives, but mixed with the topping, they were fine. Artichokes are definitely
underrated as a vegetable and I didn’t know how they’d be on a pizza, but I was
really pleased with my choice. There was some slight charring to the crust, but
that was to be expected and it wasn’t unpalatable, adding to the smokiness of
the tomato passata. I would definitely return for pizzas alone.
I
meant to order a side of fries but completely forgot, as I was too busy
ordering for Alfie too. He had his favourite: sausage, chips and beans. So I
shared his chips, which was just enough for the both of us. His meal should
have come with peas, but I swapped them for beans as he prefers them and he
still received a pot of gravy.
Ash
ordered the bacon and cheese house burger – a steak burger, topped with cheddar
and smoked bacon, dill pickle, gem lettuce, tomato, red onion marmalade and
ketchup & mustard mayo. It was pretty big. He said it was alright, but not
as good as my homemade burgers I made recently, stuffed with mozzarella – high praise
indeed. It wasn’t particularly hot when it arrived at the table either.
The
only disappointment was the service. It started so well and I was really
pleased that we were able to be seated so much earlier than our booking. Our
waitress took our drinks order promptly, before returning to take our food
order. But after that, it all went a bit downhill. A different member of staff
brought our food over, while a third asked if everything was okay. A fourth
asked if we wanted dessert after our plates were cleared but after 15 minutes
of waiting for the menus to arrive, we decided to get the bill, as Alfie was
starting to get restless. There was a large surprise party around the corner,
so I totally understand that they probably got preferential treatment – but I
was so looking forward to sharing a portion of churros with Alfie. He loved
them in Madrid.
Like
I say, I would return – there are more pizzas to eat and cocktails to sample,
although I’d probably go for that rhubarb & custard one again. There’s a
decent breakfast/brunch menu too, so a visit in the spring might have to be a
must. Brunch followed by walking off around Tring Park sounds ideal.
Love,
Lucy xx
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Love, Lucy xx