Classic British dishes are on the menu this month, as our food detective visits a revamped gastro pub on the edge of Norwich's Golden Triangle.
The eagle’s landed
Reviewed: The Eagle, 33 Newmarket Road, Norwich, 01603 624173
Classic British dishes are on the menu this month, as our food detective visits a revamped gastro pub on the edge of Norwich’s Golden Triangle.
Ahh, the Golden Triangle – surely the fine city's prime spot for housing, schools – and eating out! There’s a good few foodie pubs in this area of Norwich, and the Eagle is one of the most established.
With its Georgian architecture, it looks the business, and has a large garden and terrace to enjoy as the weather starts to improve. It’s had a bit of a revamp recently, with morning coffees now served in an attempt to widen out the gastro pub’s appeal.
There’s a more sophisticated feel now, with sofas, armchairs and trendy, bold wallpaper plus plenty of little bistro tables and chairs. The table next to the woodburner is particularly cosy, or head up the spiral staircase to the first floor for a gentler atmosphere.
There’s still a good selection of real ales and a decent wine list – look out for the pub’s own brew, Eagle’s Nest, and they also host guest beers.It’s all classic British dishes with local suppliers mentioned where they can – meat is from Swannington, for example, while Mrs Temple from Wells provides the cheeses.
There are lighter choices such as ciabattas, salads and ham and chips available at lunchtime and early evening, but a more adventurous evening menu.
Specials are chalked up on the board, with something to please everyone – and I thought the veggie options were particularly strong. I also liked the prices, most starters were around �5 and most mains about �10.We sampled a couple of starters: Gravalax, which came with a nice, sharp horseradish sauce, and a good, meaty game terrine.
For a main course I went for the belly of pork, which remains a popular item on many of the region’s menus. It was tender, really juicy and went well with dollops of mash, red cabbage and rich gravy. Hang the diet!Others tried a sweet potato and butternut squash risotto, which oozed health and vitality, while The Eagle’s rib-eye steaks are much loved – especially with their “proper” fries.
Puddings are less dramatic; my profiteroles disappeared before I noticed, while the apple and sultana crumble was another slightly predictable hit.I think The Eagle is up there with the big boys of the Golden Triangle foodie scene. It’s a huge place, with plenty of activities going on such as regular quiz nights and highly popular barbecues in the summer.As ever, the staff can make or break a place, and here they’re plentiful, very friendly and efficient. And their desire to keep trying new ideas to excite customers is highly commendable, as the hard times do seem to be continuing in the pub world. Get out there and support ‘em!
What we ateCountry game terrine with mixed leaf, spiced plum chutney and toasts – �5.75Thick sliced salmon gravalax with horseradish cream, chunky breads, capers and cornichons – �5.95Risotto of sweet potato and butternut squash with sunblushed tomatoes and rosemary topped with parmesan and mixed leaf – �10.95Slow roast belly of Swannington pork, mashed potato and spiced red cabbage and gravy – �9.95Apple and sultana crumble with fresh cream and almonds – �4.95Profiteroles in warm chocolate sauce – �4.95Pint of Eagle’s Nest – �2.40Cappuccino – �1.70
VerdictFood and drink – 8/10Service – 8/10Value for money – 8/10
