Cloakieboy

I had heard mixed reviews regarding this restaurant, my wife and I still decided to try it out, biggest mistake ever!!

First impressions are really good, the owners have done a fabulous job on the decor, it does look very classy when you walk in and see the furnishings.

Then it goes down hill, the menu is very limited. Having eaten in some seriously good restaurants all over the U.K. the fish course was poor, no trout, sea bass rather curried monk fish!!!

Having decided on what we were having we both ordered I was then told the starter I wanted was gone. Thinking that it had been busy I asked if that was the case and was informed it wasn't. We were two of six people inside at the time. In the long run I had a lucky escape. My wife had a crab and prawn salad. It was tasteless (tried it myself) all you could taste was mayonnaise the crab was non existant. I on the other hand had a chicken parfait with a sweet onion marmalade and it was very very good.

We both ordered steak due to the limited choice and as we finished our starter we were surprised to see them bringing it to our table. As a result we sent this back, far too quick. When it did arrive it was obvious that they had just stuck it under the grill. I asked for a medium rare and got well done, my wife wanted medium and got overdone!!

The people behind us had to send their food back as the Chef couldn't get their steak right either. Not great. We complained to the owner who apologised and informed us that it was the Chefs first night. We eventually got two freshly cooked steaks and having eaten the food to be honest it was o.k. but not worth £17...

In conclusion is it worth eating at this place, answer No, the food is mediocre, the Chef was poor and the prices charged far to expensive. As my wife said she could have eaten a better meal at 'The Bumblebee' which is part of the Marstons chain, it would have also been buy one get one free. Blackwood does need a restaurant that is a bit special where you do pay a bit more and get well cooked food, The Riverside is not it. If they continue to serve up substandard food they wont be around next year.