The Lord Raglan
30 Denmark Street
Wokingham RG40 2BB
0118 978 3282
Located in the heart of Wokingham, The Lord Raglan Pub is a modern British pub.
We are privileged to have an array of exotic restaurants to choose from, but sometimes all you need is great British food done well.
After undergoing extensive refurbishment in 2020, the decor is warm and friendly with a mixture of booths, tables, sofas, nooks and crannies to settle into.
The focal point of the pub is a fantastic glass garden room with a retractable roof in the summer, and lovely heaters in the winter months.
With my family, I recently visited on a Saturday to try their new autumn/winter menu.
After being greeted by the very friendly staff we were shown to our table in the garden room which was warm, with cosy lighting.
The menu has everything you would want from a trusted pub, with a good variety of main meals, centring around a strong range of gourmet burgers for both meat lovers and vegetarians alike.
We decided to share some starters.
First was the Honey Buffalo Hot Chicken Wings, with pickled shallots and a blue cheese dip (£7.45). This is for those who like a bit of spice in their life. It was packed with enough spice to keep me turning to my drink.
The next starter was Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Basil Mayo (£6.95).
This was a plentiful plate of delicious chicken strips covered in a fried crunchy buttermilk coating, with a basil mayo dip. This was very filling and definitely enough for two to share.
Our final starter sample was the Roasted Cauliflower, which came with a lemon and thyme dressing, crispy Kale, Pomegranate and dukkah (£5.95). This is, unsurprisingly, a vegan-friendly dish.
The cauliflower was perfectly al dente, the dressing perfectly lemonly, the kale perfectly crisp complemented by the nutty and spicy dukkah, this dish packs in a lot of flavour.
Moving on to the main courses.
Our waitress Harriet said that for the specials, there was not only pie of the day, but there were three choices of pies.
I opted for the Vegetarian Brie and Mushroom Pie with seasonal greens, mashed potato and proper gravy (£15.95).
I never would have thought about putting Brie and mushrooms into a pie, but this was really something special. The hot melted brie with chestnut mushrooms were encased with a crispy buttery pastry, just perfection.
Accompanied but smooth mashed potato, al dente tenderstem broccoli with green beans and a rich gravy. This dish will definitely get me returning to The Lord Raglan.
My husband chose the Flat-Iron Chicken, with skin-on fries, chimichurri, rocket and pickled shallot salad (£15.95).
The chicken was succulent and tender, the colourful and flavoursome chimichurri was drizzled across the chicken. Finally, the sweet and tangy shallot salad was a perfect accompaniment.
Our son, a meat lover, chose the 225g (8oz) Fillet steak (medium to well-done), with chunky chips, portobello mushroom, grilled plum tomato and green peppercorn sauce (£26.95).
“Best steak ever, so tender and juicy,” he told us. That is high praise indeed from our food loving son.
Surprisingly, he had enough space left for a dessert.
As a massive cheesecake lover, and even after being told that the Vegan cheesecake was made with lentils, he still decided to give it a try.
Priced at £5.95, you get your money’s worth with the generous portion size, large enough that he allowed me to have a spoonful.
I’m not sure what we were expecting but we were both amazed at how utterly delicious this was.
Light, with just the right level of sweetness and vanilla on a crunchy biscuit base, finished off with a sharp berry compote to balance the sweetness.
We both agreed we preferred this over the classic American cheesecake.
Throughout the whole of our meal, the staff were friendly and attentive, in particular our fantastic server, Harriet.
The food was served in a timely manner, it was piping hot and perfectly presented.
Not forgetting the impressive selection of beer and wine on the menu.
The atmosphere was perfect with a relaxed but buzzy vibe.
Well done Team Raglan, and thank you for a perfect evening.
CLAIRE WORSFOLD