Review: The Oakhouse, Axbridge

Charlotte Skidmore returns to this restaurant and hotel in Axbridge to see if it has maintained its great standards

The Oakhouse is famous in our household for its great hospitality and great steaks, so it doesn’t take a genius to guess what my dining partner and I both opted for on our recent visit.

Before I tucked into the long-awaited fillet I tried the squid ink tagliatelli, which was really tasty; the salty taste of the ocean combined with a slight kick of chilli. The squid was well cooked too, tender not chewy.

When we ordered the steaks (medium as recommended) we were offered a choice of accompaniments; hand cut chips and vine tomatoes or Mediterranean vegetables with hasselback potatoes. I opted for the hand cut chips with a blue cheese sauce and my partner went for the other option with a peppercorn sauce.

The steaks were beautifully cooked as always and the blue cheese sauce was wonderfully creamy and definitely moreish. I tried my partner’s peppercorn sauce and by golly it had a kick - it was still tasty though.

I was offered wines to match each course and Luke really is a fantastic host; I watched him glide seamlessly between tables, ensuring everyone was happy but not encroaching too much on their privacy.

For dessert it had to be the cheese board for me, but my dining partner had the homemade rice pudding - a nice touch to have homemade desserts on the menu.

I tried some and it was lovely and creamy - could maybe do with another flavour added. A little nutmeg or cinnamon would finish it off nicely.

What I must mention is the ambience of The Oakhouse. It’s very classic but very cosy, with a roaring fire going round the corner and it almost verges on fine dining but without the hefty price tag on food.

We were told that the Sunday lunch is really very good here and I think that might be the next thing we try. If it’s anything like the steaks we won’t be disappointed.

Don’t misunderstand me, the restaurant doesn’t just serve up steaks. The varied menu has fish and vegetarian offerings and it is accompanied by daily specials.

I’d highly recommend trying this fantastic restaurant in the historic and very beautiful town of Axbridge.

To find out more visit the The Oakhouse website here.