The queues on the other side of the carriageway were horrendous, so we decided to avoid the A43 coming home! We had a frustrating journey to the restaurant, with stop/start traffic on the M40 and the A34. Jeeves gave me directions all the way, and I was glad when we finally arrived! However, the small car park was full, so we had to park nearby, close to some lovely houses. I wonder if the inhabitants get fed up with random cars parked outside?
We walked in, and I said to Sophie that years ago, we were regular visitors to the main house and ate in the gorgeous dining room. Keith and I had also stayed the night and combined our visit with a trip to Cheltenham. There were always two restaurants at The Beetle and Wedge: the formal Dining Room with views over the River Thames, and the more rustic and laid-back Boathouse. The Dining Room stopped serving meals several years ago, so we were booked into the Boathouse, and we were looking forward to a delicious Sunday roast.
Before going in, Sophie took some photos of the beautiful setting, right on the river. The house is famous for its connection to Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome and The Wind in the Willows.
Although we were a little early, our table was ready, and we sat and perused the menu. It was quite noisy in the restaurant, and the party behind us had a baby, but luckily it didn't start screaming! I chose a bottle of Chenin Blanc to share with Sophie, as well as some fizzy water, while Keith opted for a beer called Bad Old Boy, which was quite apt!
We chose our meals: pork and nduja Scotch egg for Sophie and me, while Keith opted for the chicken wings. We all chose a different roast - chicken for Sophie, beef for Keith and pork belly with crackling for me.
Our starters were delicious, and the Scotch egg came with a spicy red pepper piperade. Keith's chicken wings were liberally covered with sesame seeds that he managed to wear as a chin decoration! Thankfully, there was a decent interval between the starter and main course, because the portions were huge! It was obvious that the chef was trying to get rid of the carrots as we had a load on our plates, as well as red cabbage, roast potatoes and green cabbage. Keith had an enormous Yorkshire pudding, and Sophie had stuffing. I had a delicious piece of crackling that was incredibly noisy to eat, but the level of conversation going on was so high, nobody commented!
We enjoyed our roasts, but we still think ours at home is better, especially my potatoes! We found room for pudding, which in Sophie's case was a mistake. She had eaten everything on her main course plate, but Keith and I had left most of the carrots and some cabbage. Sophie and I both chose Black Forest cheesecake with cherry meringues and praline ice cream, and the dessert was the best part of the meal for me. Sophie gamely plugged away but had to admit defeat in the end! Keith contented himself with an Irish coffee.
By now, the restaurant had emptied out, and we called for the bill. It was then time to stagger out and return to the car for the long journey home.
We consulted Jeeves and travelled via Wallingford, but we didn't choose the M40 due to problems, and Sophie could see areas of red on Google Maps. It was getting dark, but the day had been beautiful so far, and we were lucky that it was sunny and dry.
From the M40, we passed Raymond Blanc's restaurant, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. Then we wound our way through the Oxfordshire countryside, passing beautiful little villages with welcoming-looking pubs and into Buckinghamshire.
I asked Sophie for directions towards Buckingham, and then Roade to pick up the A508. We arrived home at 6pm, and after making the porridge for tomorrow, it was time to relax for the rest of the evening!
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