The Yard, Chester – Taste Cheshire Review #Review

Gaile Wundke
7th January 2016

There was a time when a visit to City Road was a weekly affair, clubbing in Blimpers followed by a curry in the Gates of India and whilst the latter still stands, sadly Blimpers is no longer, having long been replaced by a Premier Inn.  So, 25 years later I once again found myself embarking on a night out in City Road, but this time in grown up fashion at the much talked about family owned restaurant, The Yard, a mere stone’s throw from my old stomping ground!

It was a miserably wet evening, but as soon as we walked into The Yard, the cheerful décor and ambience of the interior immediately lifted our spirits and we were welcomed and shown to our table.  A couple of minutes later a waiter arrived with a board of generously portioned complimentary homemade bread, spiced nuts and seeds and a balsamic and oil dip, a really lovely touch.  The bread was pillow soft and still warm and we had to force ourselves not to polish off the lot, but we somehow resisted, allowing some room for our meals!

We were given a choice of two menus, a very reasonably priced set menu with the option to have two or three courses and the A la Carte, we opted for the latter.  For starters we chose the Antipasti Primi, Sale E Pepe Calamari (salt and pepper squid with green aioli) and Sanguinaccio (black pudding hash brown with Cheshire cheese baked beans), we also ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

All food is freshly cooked to order and you most definitely won’t hear a ‘ping’ coming out of the kitchen!  The menu also contains several gluten free and vegetarian options.

The starters were excellent, the Antipasti contained a generous selection of Italian cured meats and cheese, accompanied by bread and olives, the salt and pepper squid was quirkily presented in a cone made from one of the menus and was perfectly cooked, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and the green aioli was garlicky and delicious.  The Black pudding hash brown sat proudly on top of the Cheshire cheese baked beans and was declared by our son ‘a triumph’ (he didn’t even ask for ketchup)!

By now the restaurant had started to fill up which had created a really nice atmosphere complimented by the excellent and attentive waiting staff and unobtrusive background music.

Our mains arrived and really delivered a ‘wow’ factor, we had Carne Di Cervo (venison two ways with red cabbage and pomegranate),  Arrosto Di Pancetta Di Maiale (roast belly pork braised lentils and pigs cheek) and Pasta Piccante (fresh rigatoni pasta with spicy Italian sausage).  We also ordered a portion of Hand Cut chips to share.

The Venison two ways was delicious, the first way was a plate of beautifully pink slices that melted in the mouth accompanied with pomegranate red cabbage which had just the right amount of sweetness without being cloying. The second way was a little pot filled with richly braised meat, topped with mashed potato, it was faultless.  The pork dish was a knockout, the cheeks were as tender as could be, the plentiful piece of belly topped with crunchy crackling with moist slow cooked meat below, the braised lentils working perfectly with the two cuts.  The Pasta Piccante was exactly as described and had just the right amount of spice to leave a warm mouth feel without being overpowering.

We really didn’t have room for dessert, but just couldn’t resist ordering the Winter berry cheesecake in a glass and Hot chocolate fondant with milk ice cream.  The cheesecake was again delicious, the slight tang of Winter berries, cut through the soft creaminess of the cheese mixture which contrasted well with the not too sweet biscuit base.  The chocolate fondant was perfect, a dome of sponge encasing a pool of molten chocolate, the dark richness offset by the milk ice cream.

Sadly, desserts finished meant that our visit was over and we had to leave this lovely restaurant and reacquaint ourselves with the reality of November weather!  I suspect that being a family run business makes The Yard different to so many other restaurants, everyone clearly cares a great deal about the whole experience from the moment you walk in, to the moment you leave, but what they have that so many don’t is a Chef who can really cook.  I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending The Yard to anyone whether they are just looking to have a quick bite or want to enjoy a more leisurely meal because what they will get is a warm welcome, excellent service and really, really good food.  Well done The Yard and thank you for opening in Chester!