Tag - Restaurants

Now under new management Flint Mountains brand new bar and Grill house is not only a steakhouse but prides itself on serving great fish and vegetarian dishes using local fresh produce, its set within the beautiful picturesque setting of flint mountain golf course.

We decided to take advantage of the offer in the Inside Flintshire magazine of 50% off all food which is an offer not to be missed and makes a huge difference to your bill. We had a quiet drink downstairs in the bar catching some of the football on the large screen, there is a warm friendly atmosphere and we could have easily stayed longer although our stomachs were telling us otherwise so we made our way upstairs to our table in the main restaurant.

Mountain Park Bar and Grill House review

The first thing we noticed was the excellent choice on the menu there was a varied range of starters from traditional homemade soup of the day to a quarter rack of BBQ ribs or even fresh mussels in a white wine sauce. After much deliberation Reg opted for pâté of the day which was a smooth Chicken liver pâté, it came served with chunks of toasted bruchetta mixed leaf salad and a generous pot of caramelised onion chutney. It was delicious Reg’s only criticism was there wasn’t enough bruchetta to accompany the generous chunk of pâté. I went for the crispy chilli beef which included a massive portion of sirloin steak strips which were cooked perfectly, crispy on the outside and tender in the middle, they were served with mixed leaf salad and spicy sweet chilli sauce …delicious!

Again the menu was excellent and in addition we were also given an extra sheet with specials on so we were really spoilt for choice. Reg was swaying towards his accustomed steak but then changed his mind and decided he would try the marinated lamb rump. I elected for the seafood delight.

The dishes both came out in ample time for us to enjoy another glass of red wine whilst taking in the relaxed atmosphere. On arrival both dishes were presented wonderfully but the main thing we noticed was the massive portion sizes especially Reg’s lamb steak, It was presented on a huge wooden butchers block nearly as wide as our table which was overflowing with chips, mushrooms, homemade cajun onion rings and grilled tomatoes and a generous chunk of prime lamb, which was cooked perfectly pink in the centre extremely tender it was mildly marinated in a garlic and rosemary spice which added flavour but didn’t overpower the delicate taste of the lamb.

My meal was served on a huge pasta dish and consisted of pan fried haddock, king prawns, chorizo and calamari and was served with crushed new potatoes, carrots in butter and lemon caper sauce it was light and fresh using good whole fresh produce. A real tasty dish and I would definitely recommend it if you like fish dishes.

Unfortunately with the huge portion sizes we were both fit to burst so could not be tempted with a dessert but looking at the desserts that were passing our table they looked delicious so we will certainly be leaving room next time!

The Bill

Pate of the day £4.65
Crispy Chilli beef £4.95
Marinated Lamb Rump £17.95
Seafood Delight £11.95
Coupon from Inside Flintshire Magazine – 50% OFF = £19.75 (Another coupon available in January’s issue)

To reserve a table call 01352 736000

Café Dilshad in Holywell is always a good place to eat it always has a welcoming feel to it. The décor is modern and simple and not understated which helps create a homely atmosphere. When entering it feels lively and busy even on a Wednesday evening when most restaurants are empty. Is it word of mouth? Or the brilliant new menu with signature dishes including Chocolate Korma or Piri Piri Chicken Balti.

Whilst we pondered over the vast menu dishes I decided to go for my favourite starter of King Prawn Puri I always like to go for a dish that I have frequently so I can use this as a benchmark to decide how good the restaurant is compared to others. A lot of restaurants have huge offerings but still struggle to nail the obvious dishes I always think an Indian restaurants show there worth by how well they do simple dishes on the menu. Reg decided on the Kebab roll. The poppadum’s arrived quickly with abundance of dips including Mango chutney, Chilli Chutney, Lime Pickle and onions and tomatoes. We polished these off swiftly and waited our starters in anticipation of the appetisers quality and taste.

The presentation of the starters was amazing and the aroma from the starters mouth-watering. Reg quickly tucked in and passed comment how delicious the Siekh Kebab was it was beautifully marinated with abundance of spices and came wrapped in a tradition Parathas it was also accompanied with side salad and Green Chutney. My starter also didn’t disappoint I can honestly say it was the best King Prawn Puri I have ever tasted the succulent prawns were covered in mildly spiced gravy which was sprinkled with fresh coriander and served over a puri.

We both went for the signature dishes Reg had Lamb Shashlick Bhuna and Me Bombay Badboy. Again presentation was outstanding especially my Bombay badboy that arrived sizzling on a hot plate. Our expectations were high after such delicious starters and we certainly were not disappointed the Lamb Shaslick Bhuna was beautiful the Lamb grilled on a Tandori accompanied with a thick tasty bhuna sauce with onions, peppers and tomatoes.

I had asked for a recommendation for a curry high on the scoville scale and the Bombay Badboy it was! Wow what a perfect recommendation my curry certainly packed some serious punch! This wasn’t detrimental to the overall flavour of the curry however, and the dish went down a storm with pila rice and garlic naan.

Café Dilshad excelled all our expectations with the new and exciting flavours of their new menu and an overall experience that’s anything but
generic. A special mention to Mo as the service was fantastic throughout he was attentive and friendly without ever overstepping the fine line into bothersome well done Café Dilshad an excellent Indian restaurant!

It was Fathers Day and unfortunately we had not booked anywhere but decided last minute to see if we could find nice country pub for Sunday lunch. We headed towards Holywell, Brynford then towards Lixwm where we came across a quaint 17th century building which we drove straight past we then decided to turn round as it looked just like the traditional pub we were after. We were greeted by two very friendly waitresses that told us they were really busy but would squeeze us in. The pub itself is everything it looks from the outside a humble 17th century coaching house low beamed ceilings open stone fireplace, a superb range of cask ales and beers and bags of old world charm what more could you want on Father’s day.

There was five of us dining, the menu was a set menu with a varied choice of five starters, mains including vegetarian options and desserts. It was reasonably price at £8.95 for one course, £10.95 for two or £15 for three courses. Three of us had starters our son had Sweet Potato and Leek soup which was accompanied with a huge slab of crusty bread. The soup had a nice mellow flavour and was a contemporary alternative to traditional leek soup. Reg and I both choose the “patchwork Pâté” which is a local produce made in Ruthin the Pâté is all hand made in small batches using local ingredients, we were keen to sample this and were more than happy with our choice when it arrived on a rustic butchers block. The presentation was excellent and included individual ceramic pots of Pâté, butter, fresh rocket, onion marmalade and two small pieces of toasted Ciabatta. Reg had chosen the Chicken liver Pate which was by far the best Pâté I have ever tasted you can certainly see why this is Patchworks best seller and is served in many restaurants throughout North Wales. I sampled the Kiln Roast Salmon Pâté which instead of the cured fish be­ing engulfed in cold smoke it is hot smoke that is used. Effectively cooking the fish as it is smoked or as the name implies roasting it in a kiln. This imparts an almost meaty texture to the Pâté. The only small criticism we had was there wasn’t enough bread to mop up the delicious Pâté.

For our main course the majority choose roast topside of Beef with Yorkshire puddings I opted for 4 hour braised belly pork with buttered mash. The meals were served with a large platter of mixed seasonal vegetables, a large dish of braised red cabbage and carrot and suede mash. The selection of vegetables were abundant and really tasty especially the red cabbage which is one of my personal favourites. The roast beef was extremely tasty but they were all slightly jealous of the fact that I had buttery mash served with my extremely large melt in your mouth belly pork topped with crispy crackling.

For dessert we ordered Rhubarb, summer berry crumble with custard, A Lixwm mess, Sticky Toffee pudding with Toffee Sauce and ice cream and two Chocolate brownies with ice cream. All desserts were scrumptious and of good portions and completed the meal perfectly.

The Crown Inn prides itself on serving classic British food which is locally sourced and then cooked by chefs that are passionate about food and experimenting with different flavours, we are keen to revisit and sample some more mouth watering dishes of the regular menu very soon!