Eating & Drinking
The Restaurant is a beautiful, light and airy space. Smart but relaxed, looking out onto our Patio & Garden.
We update our menus monthly, bringing you the seasons’ best flavours and dishes.
We take bookings in our Restaurant for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, and occasionally, we open our Oak Panelled Dining Room as an additional restaurant.
The Lounge & Bar, Patio and Garden operate on a ‘walk-in’ service, but we do take up to 3 bookings on our Patio for lunch at 12.15pm only, and 3 more for dinner at 6.15pm only.
For parking information and booking policies, please click here.
Breakfast
7am (8am weekends) – 10am
Restaurant Menu
12-3pm and 6-9pm
Lounge and Bar Menu
12-9pm
Full Afternoon Tea
3.30-4pm
Menus
version of
this menu
Private Dining & Party Events
The Oak Panelled Dining Room is a private room for parties of 16 to 60. The first half of the room is normally a private lounge for welcome drinks or post-meal aperitifs, and it then opens up in to a large dining area. It’s a lovely setting for business entertaining, family celebrations or smaller weddings.
The Mallard Room, on the far side of the main Restaurant, is an intimate room for up to 8.
The main Restaurant can also be let to groups of over 60.
Click here for sample menus. We can be flexible to your needs, so please do contact us for further information.
Restaurant Menu
March / April 2024
12-3pm and 6-9pm
Seasonal Cocktails: Sweet Lemon Bellini £8.95 Cherry Fizz £10.95 Spring Awakening £10.95 Raspberry Infusion £11.95
NIBBLES:
Sourdough bread from Webbsour, Cambridge; with Italian extra virgin olive oil or Netherend Farm butter £2.95
Masala cashew nuts £3.95 Olives marinated in garlic & herbs £3.95 Sage & onion crisps £3.95
Cauliflower cheese croquettes with honey and sriracha dip £6.50 Sticky pork belly chunks & spicy soy dip £6.50
Garlic & pepper polenta fries with queso dip £6.95 Hummus with olive & pepper salsa & grilled pitta £7.95
Grilled lamb kebab with tomato chili sauce £6.95 Beetroot, tahini, cayenne & oregano dip, with char-grilled pitta bread, hazelnuts, and goats’ cheese £7.95
Roasted butternut squash soup with crispy lentils and sourdough bread £8.95
Double baked Gruyère cheese souffle with creamed spinach and toasted pine nuts £11.95
Harissa roasted carrots with roasted fennel, green lentils, rocket salad and lime yoghurt £9.95
Smoked salmon from Uig Lodge, Isle of Lewis with cucumber & capers £12
Grilled whole king prawns with samphire and garlic butter Shell on or off £2.95 each or 6 for £15.95
Terrine of pork cheeks, smoked ham hock and leeks, with piccalilli, toasted hazelnuts & char-grilled sourdough £9.95
Braised short rib ravioli with white miso aioli, pickled shallots & red wine reduction £13.95
Turmeric roasted cauliflower with tofu puree, couscous, grilled baby gem lettuce and crispy kale £24
Polenta fingers with roasted piquillo pepper sauce, fried artichokes, grilled tenderstem broccoli & chimichurri £22
Butter masala chalk stream trout with turmeric and cumin potatoes, fennel & orange salad and tenderstem broccoli £31
Fillet of Seabass with braised new potatoes, samphire, pickled shallots and a clam, tarragon & vermouth sauce £33
Chicken breast marinated in thyme, garlic and rosemary with chestnut velouté, burnt shallot, Chantenay carrots and crispy polenta £29
Herb crusted rump of lamb with parmesan & mint croquettes, salt baked beetroot and sorrel & basil pesto £36.95
Char-grilled Norfolk steak with chunky chips, Caesar salad and peppercorn sauce
8 oz Rump £26; 10 oz Rib-eye £29.50; 10 oz Sirloin £34
All are carved in the kitchen unless requested otherwise
ADD: Fried double yolk egg £2.95 Fried onion rings £4.95
Skinny or thick-cut chips £4.95 with truffle mayonnaise £5.95
Parmesan & mint croquettes £5.95 Caesar salad £4.95 Chantenay carrots £4.95 Tenderstem broccoli £4.95
Dessert Menu
CHEESE from the UK’s British cheese specialist, Neal’s Yard Dairy
Served with biscuits, apple, celery and quince jelly
Isle of Mull Cheddar, Scotland – unpasteurised, hard, strong, cows’ milk cheese
Baron Bigod, Suffolk – pasteurised, soft, Brie-style, cows’ milk cheese
Stichelton (Nottinghamshire) – unpasteurised, creamy, blue, cows’ milk cheese – Stilton style
Dorstone, Herefordshire – pasteurised, soft, goats’ milk cheese
Choose any 3 cheeses £10.50 (£8 for 2; £13 for 4)
PORT AND OTHER WINES FOR CHEESE 75ml
963 WHITE PORT, Sandeman, Porto, Portugal £4.20 Satin-smooth texture with soft floral aromas.
967 THE BISHOP OF NORWICH, The Liberty, Simonsberg, South Africa £4.80 Outstanding port style red.
971 20-YEAR-OLD TAWNY PORT, Sandeman, Porto, Portugal £7.20 Pale, gentle, delicate – very fine indeed
SWEETS with recommended sweet wine
Chocolate orange mousse with vanilla marshmallows and caramelised oranges £9.95 (wine 958)
Caramelised apple tart with koji, hazelnut crumble and Chantilly cream £9.95 (wine 920)
Orange steamed pudding with poached rhubarb and cardamon custard £9.95 (wine 918)
Sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and clotted cream vanilla ice cream £9.95 (wine 954)
Lemon tart with coconut and earl grey ice cream £8.95 (wine 903)
Affogato Single scoop of vanilla ice-cream with espresso coffee or luscious PX Sherry £5.95/£6.95
Homemade ice-cream and sorbet: £2.50 one scoop; £1.50 per extra scoop
ICE-CREAM: clotted cream vanilla; chocolate; caramel; biscotti; coconut & earl grey
SORBET: stem ginger; rhubarb; blackberry
SWEET WINE BY THE GLASS 75ml – arranged from lighter to heavier
903 OUPA DANIE’S SWAN SONG, The Liberator 2018 S. Africa £6.95 Gently fortified Muscat
917 TOKAJI LATE HARVEST, Tokaji Classic winery, Hungary 2011 £7.95 Great value example of a classic style
918 BOTRYTIS PINOT GRIS, Greywacke. Marlborough, New Zealand 2018 £8.50 Exceptional example.
920 SAUTERNES, Château Laville 2019, Bordeaux £6.95 Honeyed, concentrated & complex
950 PEDRO XIMENEZ, El Candado, Valdespino. Sherry £5.95 Liquid raisins; extraordinarily intense
954 RUTHERGLEN MUSCAT, Rosewood Vineyards, Australia. £5.95 Late harvest, fortified Muscat. Toffee and raisins
958 BANYULS, Bila Haut 2021, Roussillon, France. £5.95 Luscious, sweet red Grenache
Lounge and Bar Menu
March / April 2024
12 – 9pm
Seasonal Cocktails:
Sweet Lemon Bellini £8.95 Cherry Fizz £10.95 Spring Awakening £10.95 Raspberry Infusion £11.95
Please tell us of any allergies; dish descriptions do not include all ingredients
Our Restaurant Menu is available daily 12-3pm, or 6-9pm
NIBBLES:
Sourdough bread from Webbsour, Cambridge; with Italian extra virgin olive oil or with Netherend Farm salted butter £2.95
Masala cashew nuts £3.95 Olives marinated in garlic & herbs £3.95 Sage & onion crisps £3.95
Cauliflower cheese croquettes with honey and sriracha dip £6.50 Sticky pork belly chunks & spicy soy dip £6.50
Garlic & pepper polenta fries with queso dip £6.95 Hummus with olive & pepper salsa & grilled pitta £7.95
Grilled lamb kebab with tomato chilli dip £6.95 Beetroot, tahini, cayenne & oregano dip; with char-grilled pitta bread, hazelnuts, and goats’ cheese £7.95
Roasted butternut squash soup with crispy lentils and sourdough bread £8.95
Kale salad with avocado, pumpkin, mooli, seeds, nuts & mustard dressing £8.95 Large portion £11.95
Add: Grilled halloumi cheese £2.95 Add: Hot peeled king prawns £2.95 each
Grilled king prawns with samphire and garlic butter £2.95 each, £15.95 for 6 Shell on or off
Smoked salmon from Uig Lodge, Isle of Lewis with cucumber & capers £12; Large portion with green salad £18
Cajun marinated coley salad with new potatoes, charred tenderstem, beetroot and orange £18.95
Fish platter – Uig Lodge smoked salmon; king prawn; anchovies; sardines; mackerel pate; dill crème fraiche; sourdough toast £20.95
Whole baked camembert with bacon and rosemary jam, roasted glazed plums & grilled focaccia £15.95
Trout and cod fishcake with pickled shallots and parsley & spinach sauce £18.95
Vegetable jalfrezi with cauliflower, squash and carrot; rice, mango chutney and poppadom £16.95
Battered fish and chips with crushed peas and tartare sauce £18.95
Pie of the day with mashed potato, tenderstem broccoli and curly kale £19
Spiced buttermilk fried chicken burger with tomato chili sauce, cabbage and carrot slaw, baby gem lettuce, tomato & skinny chips £18.95
SANDWICHES served on sourdough bread, with sage and onion crisps
Smoked salmon with cucumber, crème fraîche and dill £11.95
Honey-roast ham with peach & ginger chutney £9.95
Roast beef with horseradish remoulade and caramelised onion £9.95
Chicken and avocado with tarragon mayonnaise £9.95
Upgrade from crisps: Chunky or skinny chips £1.00
WARM SANDWICHES served with skinny chips
Grilled aubergine & red pepper on ciabatta, with vegan mozzarella, rocket, olive tapenade & vegan aioli £10.95
Steak sandwich on focaccia, with caramelised onions, rocket and grain mustard £14.95
Set Lunch Menu
March / April 2024
Monday-Friday 12-3pm
2 courses £26; 3 courses £32
Please tell us of any allergies; descriptions do not include all ingredients
Roasted butternut squash soup with crispy lentils and sourdough bread
Terrine of pork cheeks, smoked ham hock and leeks, with piccalilli, toasted hazelnuts & char-grilled sourdough
Harissa roasted carrots with roasted fennel, green lentils, rocket salad and lime yoghurt
Roast chicken breast with mashed potato, chestnut puree and tenderstem broccoli
Fillet of chalk stream trout with piquillo pepper puree, roasted new potatoes and samphire
Vegetable jalfrezi with cauliflower, squash and carrot; rice, mango chutney and poppadom
Sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and clotted cream ice cream
Isle of Mull Cheddar and Stichelton Blue cheese; with biscuits, celery and homemade chutney
Tea or coffee with homemade biscuits
Sunday Lunch Menu
March / April 2024, 12-3.30pm
Seasonal Cocktails: Sweet Lemon Bellini £8.95 Cherry Fizz £10.95 Spring Awakening £10.95 Raspberry Infusion £11.95
Please tell us of any allergies; descriptions do not include all ingredients
Sourdough bread from Webbsour, Cambridge, with Italian extra virgin olive oil or with Netherend Farm salted butter £2.95
Masala cashew nuts £3.95 Olives marinated in garlic & herbs £3.95 Sage & onion crisps £3.95
2 courses £29.50 or 3 courses £36 (£15/£20 for children under 12 years old)
Roasted butternut squash soup with crispy lentils and sourdough bread
Double baked Gruyère cheese souffle with creamed spinach and toasted pine nuts
Harissa roasted carrots with roasted fennel, green lentils, rocket salad and lime yoghurt
Smoked salmon from Uig Lodge, Isle of Lewis, with cucumber & capers
Smoked mackerel pâté with cucumber, lemon and toast
Terrine of pork cheeks, smoked ham hock and leeks, with piccalilli, toasted hazelnuts & char-grilled sourdough
Roast sirloin of English dry-aged beef with Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, savoy cabbage, carrots, broccoli and gravy
Roast chicken with parmesan croquettes, carrots, tenderstem broccoli and mushroom gravy
Roast pork loin with apple sauce, crackling, roast potatoes, savoy cabbage carrots, broccoli and gravy
Mushroom and spinach wellington with roast potatoes, tenderstem broccoli, savoy cabbage & vegetarian gravy
Pan-fried sea bass with braised new potatoes, samphire and piquillo pepper sauce
Battered fish and chips with crushed peas and tartare sauce
Polenta fingers with roasted piquillo pepper sauce, fried artichokes, grilled tenderstem broccoli & chimichurri
Cauliflower cheese, for two to share £4.95
Two cheeses from Neal’s Yard Dairy, served with biscuits, apple, celery and apple & pear chutney
Isle of Mull Cheddar, Scotland – unpasteurised, hard, strong, cows’ milk cheese
Baron Bigod, Suffolk – pasteurised, soft, Brie-style, cows’ milk cheese
Stichelton, Nottinghamshire – unpasteurised, creamy, blue, cows’ milk cheese – Stilton style
Dorstone, Herefordshire – pasteurised, soft, goats’ milk cheese
Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream
Vegan lemon tart with coconut and earl grey ice cream
Chocolate orange mousse with vanilla marshmallows and caramelised oranges
Homemade ice-cream and sorbet: any three scoops
ICE-CREAM: clotted cream vanilla; chocolate; caramel; biscotti; coconut & earl grey
SORBET: stem ginger; rhubarb; blackberry
Coffee from Monmouth Coffee Company, served with biscotti
Espresso £2.95 Americano £3.95/£4.95 Cappuccino, Flat White, Latte £4.50/£5.50
Tea from Birchall Teas, served with shortbread biscuits – £4.25
Sunday Steak Night
March / April 2024
6-9pm
2 courses £29 or 3 courses £35
Please tell us of any allergies; descriptions do not include all ingredients
Curried parsnip and coconut soup with parsnip crisp and sourdough bread
Smoked mackerel pâté with cucumber, lemon and toast
Three grilled whole king prawns, with samphire and garlic butter – Shell on or off (£3 supplement)
Norfolk steaks: 8oz Rump; 8oz Ribeye; or 7oz fillet tail
All served carved, with triple-cooked chips, Caesar salad and peppercorn sauce
Char-grilled marinated 8oz pork steak
with triple-cooked chips, Caesar salad and chimichurri sauce
Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream
Homemade ice creams or sorbets;
ICE-CREAM: clotted cream vanilla; chocolate; caramel; cherry ripple
SORBET: stem ginger; passionfruit; blackberry
We do not allow ‘substitutions’ to this menu
Afternoon Tea
Our “Full Afternoon Tea” must be pre-booked – We take bookings at 3.30pm or 4pm, Monday – Saturday. Your booking will be held in either the Dining Room or the Restaurant, depending on availability that day, and is served on vertical stands.
To hire a room for a private afternoon tea, the Dining Room can be booked for the afternoon, from 12pm-5pm, with a hire charge of £295 and a minimum of 12 guests for full tea. Usually for larger groups we serve afternoon tea on buffet plates for your guests to help themselves.
Afternoon tea with allergies & dietary requirements…
We can provide a similar menu for gluten-free guests, and can adapt the menu for most other food intolerances or allergies. We do need at least 48 hours’ notice for any change to the menu.
Please note for bookings of 6 or more people, there is a 1-week cancellation period. For bookings of smaller numbers, the cancellation period is 48 hours as normal.
Our “Cream Tea” service at the Old Bridge is relaxed and informal, served in the Lounge and Bar. Our renowned homemade scones (served with Jersey cream and strawberry jam) come out of the oven around 2.30pm, and can be ordered individually along with our hot beverages. We also offer cakes, sandwiches, biscuits and homemade crumpets in this area all day. We don’t reserve tables in the Lounge & Bar, and these are available on a ‘first come first served basis’.
Afternoon Tea – £21 per person
Tea or Coffee
English breakfast; Earl Grey; Darjeeling First Flush; Green tea; Peppermint; Lemongrass & Ginger; Chamomile; Virunga chai; Fresh mint; Red berry and flowers
Monmouth Coffees: Americano; Espresso; Macchiato; Piccolo; Cappuccino; Latte; Flat White; or Cafetière
Finger Sandwiches
Egg Mayonnaise; Smoked salmon & crème fraîche; Coronation chicken; Beef, watercress & horseradish
Fruit scone with rich Jersey cream and strawberry jam
Mini cakes
Chocolate with coffee cream; Fruit meringue; Caramel éclair
125ml glass of Prosecco ‘Ca’ di Alte’ £7.95
125ml glass of Rathfinny Estate Rosé £11.50
125ml glass of Charles Heidsieck, Brut Réserve, Champagne £13
Breakfast
Included for residents on B&B rates
Full breakfast £20.00 – Your choice of a cold and hot dish, with toast, juice and coffee or tea
Cafetière coffee £3.95 Tea £4.25
Apple or orange juice £1.95
Toast (sourdough bread from Webbsour Bakery) with butter and jam or marmalade £4.95
Croissant with jam £3.95
Cornflakes, Weetabix, Bran Flakes or Muesli with milk £3.95
Neal’s Yard Greek-style yoghurt with berry compote, poached pear and homemade granola £7.50 – add a banana £1
Porridge £8 (do allow 15 minutes)
Full English breakfast: fried egg, sausage, bacon, baked beans, field mushroom, hash brown, black pudding, tomato £14
Vegetarian English breakfast: fried eggs, baked beans, spinach, field mushroom and hash brown £12
Both served with sourdough toast
Old Bridge Eggs Benedict – homemade crumpet with sugar-roast ham, poached egg and hollandaise £9.95 / £12.95
Scrambled egg, smoked salmon, crème fraiche, chives £13
Smoked haddock, poached egg, spinach, chive butter £12
version of
this menu
Wine
Click on the PDF link to see the full, current restaurant wine list.
The previous owner of the Old Bridge, John Hoskins, was the first person in the restaurant industry to become a Master of Wine, and wine became, and continues to be, a very important part of life at The Old Bridge.
See the separate pages about the Wine Shop and the opportunity to taste (and buy wine) whilst visiting the hotel.
The bar offers 15 ‘house’ wines by the glass. This is supplemented by 20 more wines we have open on our ‘Enomatic’ machine in the wine shop.
The main restaurant wine list looks rather daunting in its size, but we do have plenty of choice at the all-important £20-£30 bracket, as well as many fine wine options for those looking for something really special. Our aim is simply to find the very best examples of any particular style.
Price is a key part of our appeal. As with every restaurant, our starting price is quite high (£24), however, our mark-up is actually one of the lowest in the country. We add between £12 and £20 on to a normal retail price, never more, even for the most expensive bottles.
The majority, but not all, of the wines in the shop are on the restaurant wine list. So you are welcome to come into the shop and buy anything to drink in the hotel. The ‘corkage’ charge is £15. If you want to bring in wine from outside the hotel then the corkage charge is £20 per bottle.
We have been lucky enough to win all the major wine list awards in the country over the country – from the AA, the Egon Ronay Guide (when it existed) and the Harpers Wine Trade magazine. In 2021 we were awarded the accolade of BEST VALUE WINE LIST for the whole of EUROPE, by the the prestigious ‘World of Fine Wine’ Magazine. We hope you will have an exciting wine experience when you are with us.
The Bar
In many ways we are a traditional English inn. So the bar might be seen as the heart of the hotel.
We serve three real ales on draught, with Adnams as our long-standing house bitter. We have been ‘CAMRA’ recommended for over 10 years and we might be 10p a pint more expensive than the pubs in town, but rarely more than that.
We have 15 wines by the glass served from behind the bar – supplemented by 24 more monthly-changing open bottles on our ‘Enomatic’ system (see ‘Wine‘).
Our cocktail list changes every quarter. Some genuine classics with a few seasonal specials.
You can of course also drink in the lounge, the patio or the garden. The bar, in fact the whole hotel, is a meeting place; somewhere for a break from normal life. Alan Bennett could have a good time wondering what on earth all the chat might be about.
Current bar offerings include the following (see wine list for wines-by-the-glass)
Classic Champagne cocktail – with Cognac, sugar, bitters, orange twist £14.95 or, made with Prosecco £10.95
Sweet Lemon Bellini £8.95
Spring Awakening – Stolichnaya vodka, lavender syrup and lemon juice £10.95
Cherry Fizz – Copper house gin, cherry liqueur, lemon, sugar, Prosecco Vermouth £10.95
Kir Royal – Sparkling wine + Cassis, Framboise or Mure £10.95 or made with Champagne £14.95
Martini – with Sacred London Dry gin £13.95 or Black Cow vodka £13.95
Cucumber Bramble – Cucumber gin, Crème de Mure, lemon juice, sugar syrup £11.95
The Hurricane – Dark rum, lime, passion fruit syrup, orange £10.95
Mojo – Tequila Reposado, Cointreau, lemon juice, passion fruit syrup, ginger cordial £11.95
Raspberry Infusion – Tequilla, raspberry liqueur, strawberry, lemon juice, tonic £11.95
Smoked Tarbooz – Vodka, watermelon, lime and cinnamon liqueur £11.95
White Negroni – Roundwood gin, Lillet Blanc, Vermouth Bianco £10.95
Cranberry Sour – Makers Mark bourbon, cranberry, lemon, honey syrup, Angostura £10.95
Blackcurrant Daiquiri – White rum, crème de cassis, lime, sugar £10.95
Limoncello Collins – Roundwood gin, Limoncello, lemon juice, soda £10.95
Paloma Sour – Tequila, grapefruit juice, agave syrup, bitters £10.95
SEMI-SOFT DRINKS
Dry spritzer (125ml white wine, sparkling water, lime) £5.95
Pink spritzer (125ml Rosé, lemonade, lemon) £6.25
NON-ALCOHOLIC COCKTAILS
Coastal Spritz (Pentire Coastal ‘spirit’, tonic) £6.95
Light & Stormy (Three Spirit, ginger ale) £6.95
Sage & cucumber fizz (made with Pentire ‘Adrift’ – non-alcoholic spirit from Cornwall) £6.95
Nightcap Sour (Three Spirit ‘Nightcap’, pineapple, lemon) £6.95
Elderflower lemonade (with ginger and mint) £6.95
Virgin Mary £6.95
Virgin Mojito (classic/raspberry) £6.50
Virgin Mule (lime, mint, ginger beer) £6.95
DRAUGHT ALES – usually 2 from these breweries, please ask – from £4.95 a pint
NENE VALLEY BREWERY From Oundle; a rotating choice. All gluten-free
ADNAMS OF SOUTHWOLD Long-time leaders in East Anglia. Southwold Bitter or Ghost Ship
LACONS BREWERY A fine Norfolk producer. We rotate their four core beers and seasonal ales
BARSHAM BREWERY Award winning craft and ale producer in North Norfolk. All gluten-free
DRAUGHT BEERS and CIDER
Beck’s Vier Lager (4%) £5.25 Bitburger Pilsner (4.8%) £6.25 Camden Pale Ale (4%) £6.25
Leffe Blonde (6.6%) – half £4.75 Blackshore Stout (4.2%) (Guinness alternative) £5.50
Adnams’ Wild Wave Cider (5%) £5.25
Flight of beer – try four different quarter pints from our draught selections above £6.25
BOTTLED BEERS and CIDERS
Normally a special or two in stock, plus the standards:
Peroni Nastro Azzuro (330ml, 5.1%) £4.50 Corona Extra (330ml, 4.5%) £4.50
Bitburger Drive (330ml, 0%) £3.75 Ghost Ship ‘Alcohol Free’, Adnams (500ml, Under 0.5%) £4.50
Crane’s Blueberry and Apple Cider, Cambs (500ml, 4%) £4.95
Crane’s Cranberry and Lime Cider, Cambs (500ml, 4%) £4.95