A proper Saturday set lunch always gains my attention for eating out because of: 1) I can sample a few dishes for a great value; 2)Curry Boy and I can enjoy together on weekend; 3)I still have enough room to digest before getting dinner.
However, most of the popular restaurants don’t offer set lunch on Saturdays, whilst Ronnie’s is one of the exceptions.
Thornbury is a small town with nothing much special to see, except Thornbury castle which, now has been transformed into a 4-star hotel and restaurant. So, if you’re looking for a proper dining experience with a reasonable price in Thornbury, Ronnie’s with over 16 years’ experience is the only option.
Ronnie’s set lunch is named the Express Menu – a comfortable and informal light lunch. £25 for 3 courses. But actually it was served in a relaxing tempo, not rush at all, and we both felt quite full afterwards.
Here was the Express menu we had.
Wild mushroom risotto, Woodchester Cotswolds classic and fresh Italian black summer truffle
****
Roasted chicken with butternut squash
or
Salmon and halibut rösti fishcake, spinach and beurre blanc sauce
****
Bramley apple and blackberry, almond crumble with Calvados cream
This was a fantastic first course which showcased the chef’s skill and brilliant ingredients. I love the wild mushrooms’ texture and fragrance added to the well-cooked risotto, plus the compliment of the fresh black truffle. Perfect. Not too heavy.
The chicken was so soft, tender and juicy. Paired with the meaty chanterelle mushroom and silky butternut squash puree, every bite was filled with joy!
A good fishcake is not easy to make, but this one was quite spot on! I loved it because was mixed with salmon, halibut and rösti, while the top and bottom were nicely pan-seared. The fishcake holds its shape well that it won’t turn into a crumble when you cut it.
A classic crumble was served as a last course. The heated plate gradually warms the cream, so when you scoop everything into your mouth, you can enjoy the melting cream with some kick from the Calvados (a cider brandy), while the acidity from the apples balances out the overall flavour.
Overall, the food was well executed and really tasty. £25 for 3 courses with this quality and I was over the moon. The only minor critic was the homemade sourdough bread which we couldn’t tell it was a sourdough.
Nevertheless, the service was excellent! The food serving tempo and the staff’s attention were a thumbs up.
Next time I visit, I ‘d like to try the a-la-carte menu or Sunday lunch, where the dishes look more inventive and interesting!
