The Larder at Goosegate
Hold onto your stomachs – you're in for a rollercoaster of a meal
Review
The Larder on Goose Gate offers exactly the kind of guilt-free chow we like – locally sourced produce always gives meals an appealing halo. Unfortunately, the bestial surroundings aren't quite as appetising – Itchy doesn't like having paintings of the animals we're about to eat staring at us from all corners of the room. It's creepy.
And that's the problem with the Larder. Some things are body-shudderingly good, others are buttock-clenchingly bad – it all feels like an unpredictable rollercoaster. But then some people like rollercoasters.
Tucked away above the Oxfam shop in Hockley, The Larder's decor – with its pretty chandeliers and floor to ceiling windows – is a welcome surprise from the usual takeaway/fast food fare on the same street. The intimate dining room makes it feel like you've found a secret hideaway.
Itchy had heard that the Sunday roasts were the dish to try, so we ordered the pork belly with sage and apple, and hinted that our friend should get the free range chicken with bread sauce so we could try that too.
When our food arrived, the first thing we noticed was the whopping portions – no teensy offerings of haute cuisine here. In fact, our plates were so full we were given a separate dish for our veg. Hooray.
But when it comes to the tastiness of the food itself, we're still a bit undecided.
For a start, it all looked a bit monotone, and colourless dishes can often mean flavourless dishes. That said, the pork was tasty enough – Itchy loved the way it melted in the mouth yet maintained a crisp layer of crackling – and the chicken certainly wasn't your bog standard Sainsbury's basics variety.
But the trimmings? Well they were just plain awful. We had burnt Yorkshire puds, overdone broccoli, and some weirdly textured potatoes to choose from. Disappointing, seeing as the trimmings are Itchy's favourite bit. See what we mean about rollercoasters? This was a definite stomach sinking dip for us.
We're not sure whether we like this place or not. Some attention to the smaller details wouldn't go amiss, but the things it does get right it gets very right. They say if it aint broke don't fix it, but what if half of it's broke and the other half's a masterpiece? Damn rollercoasters
.Two course Sunday lunch: £12.75
Glass of White Wine: £2.75
The Larder on Goosegate
1st Floor
16 -22 Goosegate
Hockley
Nottingham
http://www.thelarderongoosegate.co.uk
01159 500 111
Christine Fleming
