Oak Tree Restaurant

The key thing about this restaurant which you so rarely see apart from in Chinese or Indian restaurants, is the fact that it has a separate vegetarian menu. Think about it, it makes life a lot easier than when vegetarians have to tick off every dish that doesn’t have a ‘V’ next to it. A bit more confusing for pescetarians such as myself but I didn’t mind in the slightest. It made life more interesting.
But the separate veggie menu certainly means one thing. It’s far more exciting than the standard vegetarian dishes shunted onto mixed menus. This is a menu in its own right, and a very yummy one at that. Starters are plentiful and varied, like poached pear salad with walnuts and gorgonzola, goat’s cheese on ciabatta with rocket salad and roasted red peppers, spinach and feta cheese filo parcels, and mains are even more intriguing with the likes of a filo pastry basket containing tomatoes, mushrooms and chestnuts, or a classic marscapone sauce tagliatelle, or mushroom risotto or mushroom and asparagus meulle fuille. Note to veggies. You might be a little screwed if you don’t like the funghi. But any special requirements or dietary issues are taken care of with aplomb by the ever helpful and friendly staff.
Meat lovers get their time to shine too. Terrines, soups, eggs and black pudding highlight the starter menu and the smoked haddock with prawns and salmon in a creamy sauce with a cheddar crust is just delightful if you’re a fishy type. Sea bass, mussels and salmon make up the piscine proportion of the mains and there’s roast turkey, steak, lamb rump, chicken breast and pork for the carnivores amongst you. It’s all cooked beautifully well and is rather traditional — you’re not really going to find any nouveau cuisine here, especially when they have Diane sauce for your beef and a sweet trolley for your pudding. I find it cute and endearing though, and the coffee comes with petits fours of chocolate mints and dairy fudge. Adorable.
There’s nothing wrong with sticking with what you know and this restaurant felt positively retro to me. It does what it does best, so there’s no point in arguing. Definitely a good bet if you’re after some charming comfort food.