Built for the wealthy captains of Newport’s Alexandra Dock in 1904, as the area declined the hotel became a less salubrious dockers pub and then a doss house. Eleven years ago it was bought by its current owners who fell in love with the grade 2 listed building and restored it to its former glory.
With its high ceilings, ornate tiled bar with brass rails, grand entrance staircase and historical knick-knacks, it’s a place which oozes character.
In keeping with the ornate setting, head chef Dickie Flinn’s compact menu is a lot more interesting than run of the mill pub grub. It changes regularly, the sign of a kitchen that’s keen to use seasonal produce and try new things.
A thick duck pate (£6.50) with a good twang of liver was joined by caramelised onion chutney with a nice balance of sweetness and acidity, as well as a couple of wedges of granary toast.
A warm wild mushroom and truffle tart (£6.50) saw a homemade short pastry case filled with buttery celeriac puree, pan fried mushrooms humming with truffle and a richness elevating runny egg yolk. It was a tasty dish which would have been improved further with more of the billed mushrooms.
Onto mains and a crisp-skinned fillet of sea bass (£19.95) was garnished with plump briny mussels, fragrant tarragon, crunchy chopped almonds, al dente tenderstem broccoli and a clutch of new potatoes.
A hillock of flavoursome slow-cooked shredded lamb (£15.50) was punctuated by warming dijon mustard and topped with golden garlic-spiked toasted breadcrumbs. Accompanying roasted new potatoes had captivating crunchy crevices.
Desserts were lovely.
A sharp and not too sweet cauldron of lemon posset (£5.85) had an almost a buttery lemon curd vibe. It was joined by a superb thick and creamy liquorice ice cream with a big herbal hit. Whilst it wasn’t pretty, it more than made up for it in flavour.
A warm chocolate brownie was big on goo and chocolate. It was lovely paired with a creamy, fresh and natural tasting banana parfait which lacked any hint of artificality.
We had a very tasty meal at the Waterloo. It’s worth a visit for the building alone but thankfully the food is well worth checking out too.
With its high ceilings, ornate tiled bar with brass rails, grand entrance staircase and historical knick-knacks, it’s a place which oozes character.
In keeping with the ornate setting, head chef Dickie Flinn’s compact menu is a lot more interesting than run of the mill pub grub. It changes regularly, the sign of a kitchen that’s keen to use seasonal produce and try new things.
A thick duck pate (£6.50) with a good twang of liver was joined by caramelised onion chutney with a nice balance of sweetness and acidity, as well as a couple of wedges of granary toast.
A warm wild mushroom and truffle tart (£6.50) saw a homemade short pastry case filled with buttery celeriac puree, pan fried mushrooms humming with truffle and a richness elevating runny egg yolk. It was a tasty dish which would have been improved further with more of the billed mushrooms.
Onto mains and a crisp-skinned fillet of sea bass (£19.95) was garnished with plump briny mussels, fragrant tarragon, crunchy chopped almonds, al dente tenderstem broccoli and a clutch of new potatoes.
A hillock of flavoursome slow-cooked shredded lamb (£15.50) was punctuated by warming dijon mustard and topped with golden garlic-spiked toasted breadcrumbs. Accompanying roasted new potatoes had captivating crunchy crevices.
These were both very tasty dishes but both would have benefited from a bit more saucing to lubricate the plates and bring the dishes together.
Desserts were lovely.
A sharp and not too sweet cauldron of lemon posset (£5.85) had an almost a buttery lemon curd vibe. It was joined by a superb thick and creamy liquorice ice cream with a big herbal hit. Whilst it wasn’t pretty, it more than made up for it in flavour.
A warm chocolate brownie was big on goo and chocolate. It was lovely paired with a creamy, fresh and natural tasting banana parfait which lacked any hint of artificality.
We had a very tasty meal at the Waterloo. It’s worth a visit for the building alone but thankfully the food is well worth checking out too.
The Details:
Address - Anderson's at the Waterloo, 113 Alexandra Rd, Newport NP20 2JG
Telephone - 01633 264266
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