When an email dropped into my Inbox inviting me to The Spring Tavern in Ewell for a three-course meal and drinks in exchange for an honest review, I thought Halloween had arrived early… with a nice treat!
From the moment we walked into the pub we were promptly welcomed by the friendly staff who then escorted us to the bar where we could chose to sample a drink of our choice, after witnessing the impressive gin bar of dreams we both decided to opt for classic G&T’s with a twist, I added cinnamon, raspberries and some other fruity concoctions.
After, about 10 minutes of me gushing over every single aspect of the bars stunning interior and décor and snapping away to my hearts content, we were then offered a selection of canapes, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the whole plate was just for me and my husband. Whilst Al tucked into roasted pork belly, I sampled the deep fried brie – think small bites filled with lots of gooey goodness.
Every detail had been thought of from the beautiful strums of the guitar played by Marcus Pike, who provided beautiful acoustics to help create the perfect relaxing ambiance. I could see my husband slowly starting to unwind in the dangerously sumptuous armchairs. Luckily, we were led through to the dining room before either of us could fall into a deep sleep.
Just when I thought the evening couldn’t get any better, we were seated in the perfect spot within the restaurant – right next to the impressive wine wall which overlooked the entire restaurant with the cosy fireplace providing the perfect backdrop to our romantic evening.
The first thing that instantly struck me was how they had nailed the acoustics of the entire restaurant, something which my Al also agreed on. Very often when you go to a pub all you can hear is the clatter of plates and chatter from the bar area, but thanks to the plush carpet in the dining area we were able to hold a conversation with ease whilst still enjoying the beautiful music that was being played in the bar. As someone who has suffered with a hearing loss for over 27 years this was an absolute revelation and something which only added to our delightful dining experience.
Yet again, we were offered more drinks so I opted for a surprise G&T and Al had a nice pint of Guinness Hop House 13 and then we were given a delicious palate cleanser which consisted of pineapple, chilli and fresh melon. The balance of sweetness from the fruit and the kick of spice from the chilli was pure perfection and something which I will definitely be attempting to replicate back home.
As for our main meal, I decided to be adventurous with my starter and opt for the sweet chilli king prawn roll and I was not disappointed. The dish was refreshing, light and incredibly tasty. Al decided, after trying the canapes, that he would have the deep fried brie in panko breadcrumb with chutney and judging by the silence that followed I think it is fair to say that we were both in heaven.
Of course, no pub visit would be complete without sampling the steak, now I must confess I am one of those crazy people who asks to have the steak well done, thankfully I asked our waiter who said that the rib eye steak would melt in the mouth and be more tender if cooked medium-rare.
I have now admitted defeat and would have to agree that steak defiantly tastes better cooked medium-rare. The morale of the story is… if you aren’t sure, ask the staff!
Last, but not least, I finished off our three course meal with their incredible melting chocolate peanut bomb which tasted as good as it sounds. This beautiful concoction is filled with sticky toffee pudding and peanut butter cream with a serving of creamy bourbon vanilla ice-cream and hot salted caramel sauce which is poured over in a spectacular display. Al of course went for the classic New York style baked vanilla cheesecake with a serving of fresh cream and fruit compote on the side.
Once we had eaten every last crumb on the plate, Alex (the manager) offered us more drinks, which we decided to enjoy round by the bar area. It was a terrific way to spend Halloween and such an enjoyable day that we completely forgot about work the next day. Luckily for me I had booked the day off and was able to enjoy a surprisingly hangover free morning the next day before heading off to Guildford to look at some beautiful Christmas displays.
More information about The Spring Tavern can be found via the following links, along with a range of menus.
Disclaimer: I was offered a three course meal and drinks in exchange for an honest review. As always all words and opinions remain my own. A huge thank you to Alex and all the team at The Spring Tavern for an unforgettable evening in Surrey.
Thank you to McCann Central for inviting me along to this event.
