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As we arrived for our 9.15pm reservation, a smartly dressed maitre d’
opened the doors and we were warmly welcomed into Mustard and Punch
Restaurant in Honley. Situated on Westgate, the main street which runs
through the village, the restaurant is housed in an attractive small
stone built old mill and ideally placed opposite a public car park.
When making our reservation we were given the options of two sittings –
7pm and 9.15pm – and chose the latter, and although there is no waiting
area for pre-dinner drinks, I was given the names of a couple of local
pubs that were within easy walking distance. The restaurant itself is
situated over two floors with seating for 18-20 people on each floor and
a no smoking policy throughout. There are a couple of steps up to the
main entrance which would be difficult in a wheelchair, and the gents
toilets are located downstairs with no lift access, although the single
cubicle ladies toilets on the ground level could be easily used by
either gents or ladies, I’m sure.
It has an elegant feel, with white walls, interesting artefacts
displayed around, wooden floors and beautifully presented white linen.
The tables are well spaced and although quite small, the upstairs dining
room is light and airy and care has been taken to make sure everyone has
more than enough space. Every table in the restaurant was taken so we
had a good feel for what it was like when at its busiest. The restaurant
is semi-formal but not at all stuffy, and although the lighting was a
little too bright, the mood was one of relaxed intimacy, with subtle
background music and tables made up of couple or parties of four.
Smarter, rather than casual, seemed to be the general dress code
although a couple of men were in jeans and didn’t look out of place.
Once we’d been seated and provided with menus and drinks we settled down
to make our selection. There was a choice of about seven starters and
the same number of main courses, with at least one vegetarian dish at
each course and a couple of fish dishes. Although not a huge selection I
think the menu would provide enough choice to please most people. I had
one of the vegetarian starters – poached pear in balsamic dressing with
herb salad and hazelnut encrusted goat’s cheese - and my husband had
duck spring rolls with a salsa dressing served on a bed of noodles. Both
were absolutely delicious and washed down with a bottle of Nastro Azurro
(him) and a glass of Chilean Merlot (me).
We then moved onto our main courses. I had the lamb rump, which was
served pink and accompanied by a rosemary jus, with baby vegetables and
potatoes boulangere, and my husband had the veal liver and bacon, which
was served with chips, onion rings and grilled tomato. We also ordered a
portion of courgette fritters with garlic sauce, and my husband had a
Coke whilst I managed another glass of the Merlot! Everything was
beautifully cooked and presented, and the portions were well sized so
that they didn’t look overwhelming but ensured you were left satisfied.
Unfortunately we were both too ‘satisfied’ to manage dessert, although
we were tempted with the likes of raspberry cheesecake, a selection of
ice creams or a good range of cheeses. I rounded off with a
decaffeinated Irish liqueur coffee and the total bill came to £54.65
with the food element coming to about £40. We were pleasantly surprised,
as the whole experience felt far more expensive than that.
From the minute we entered the restaurant, and all throughout the meal
the service was absolutely impeccable. The staff were really well
presented and professional, dealt with everything with a smile, and
presented and cleared away the meal efficiently without us feeling
rushed or having to stare at dirty plates for any length of time at all.
Most of the staff were young but had obviously been well recruited and
trained, and knew exactly how to make the dining experience special.
Although the environment is quite formal, the whole evening was really
relaxing, with fantastic food and wonderful service all packaged
together in an elegantly stylish environment. We will definitely be
going back to Mustard and Punch, and would have no hesitation at all in
recommending it to friends.
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MUSTARD & PUNCH
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