The George and Dragon
Church Road,
Swallowfield RG7 1TJ
0118 988 4432
www.georgedragonpub.com
A SWALLOWFIELD pub has launched a new summer menu, which is perfect for well, any occasion really.
The George and Dragon, a family-owned, independent country pub, is a great base for country walks.
Dating back to the 17th century, it boasts many original features, including low beams. It has served many purposes over the years and is now an excellent gastropub, with fabulous gardens.
This means it has a strong following from the village and attracts foodies from all over.
At the heart of any good pub is its beer, and here the anchor is a range from Finchampstead-based Siren Craft Brew.
My husband was recommended a Siren Ricochet, a crisp pilsner inspired by fresh lagers being produced in California.
From the cocktail menu, my entree was the Chambord Bramble cocktail. This is a fresh and fruity berry liqueur combined with gin and lemon to create a refreshing twist on this deliciously sweet and sour cocktail. Garnished with freeze dried raspberries, it looked beautiful and went down very well indeed.
For its food menu, The George uses local, organic ingredients where possible, with meat sourced from a Yateley farm.
For starters, the Baked Maida Vale Cheese is made in Swallowfield and is served with sourdough bread and chutney. It’s £15.95, and is for two to share.
Utterly decadent, this is a rich creamy cheese, with a kick from its rind, which is washed with IPA soundwave ale. It was peppery and much more flavoursome than baked Camembert.
My son’s crispy fried chicken wings came from a new set menu, which offers two courses for £20 or three for £24. This was highly flavoursome, with tender meat.
Other starters include Siren steamed mussels, garlic, cream, herbs & burnt lemon (£8.25), and Macadamia Nut parfait chicory beetroot puree with a black olive crumb (vegan and gluten-free) £8.50.
For my main course, from the specials menu came Flame Grilled Monkfish (£19). This was served with redang potatoes, lime creme fraiche seasonal green with a pineapple and tomato salsa.
This is really something special: the monkfish was perfectly cooked, meaty and tender with a delicious flame-grilled taste. The new potatoes were spicy with an incredible aroma, and the seasonal greens were served al dente, counterbalanced with the sweetness of the pineapple and tomato salsa. This dish really did make my taste buds dance with joy.
My husband opted for the chicken burger (£15) with panko breadcrumbed chicken breast, crispy lettuce, garlic mayo and fries. The airy crispy breadcrumbs sealed in the juices of the tender chicken. The chips were lightly seasoned.
My son chose the 7oz fillet steak (£36.95) from the a la carte menu. It has been matured for 28 days and served with loaded fries, salad and peppercorn sauce.
It was a tender, lean cut of meat, smooth and juicy, and everything a great steak should be. The skin-on fries were dusted in cajun seasoning and topped with a cheese sauce and green salad.
Other options on the a la carte menu include a Superfood Salad Bowl (£15.95), served with spiced butternut squash, and pomegranate, and Berkshire Venison (£19.85) served with crushed potatoes, black pudding, raspberry port sauce and crispy kale.
The children’s menu is two courses for £8.85, and my daughter opted for a dry-aged burger with fries. This was a large portion, which delighted her.
The George & Dragon also has a terrific range of desserts.
From the set menu, we shared the Apple and Raspberry crumble with vanilla ice cream. The fruit made this moist and flavourful, while the topping was crunchy and crumbly.
The other sweet we tried was a Lotus Biscoff cheesecake. The base is made of crushed and caramelised biscuits. On it was placed a smooth and creamy cheesecake, which was rich without being too sweet. And the topping? A caramelised spread sprinkled with lotus biscuits. It was accompanied by a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream nestled in a shortbread crumb. Dessert heaven.
We all left George and Dragon feeling full and very satisfied. The setting, the service and of course the food were all first-class and highly recommended.
The pub is open Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 11pm, and noon to 5pm on Sundays. For now, it is closed on Mondays.
CLAIRE WORSFOLD
