THE PLOUGH ***
1 Merthyr Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff.
029 2062 3017 / www.theploughwhitchurch.com
Whitchurch is a pleasant little suburb of Cardiff, home to many independent businesses, cafes, restaurants, galleries and shops. It’s the type of village where ladies who lunch would spend an afternoon shopping and then a few hours gossiping over a few glasses of wine. Recently acquired by Brains, The Plough is now a contemporary inn, and seemed the perfect place in which to settle. One of the main highlights from the menu is the Celtic pride steaks – 21-day matured on the bone – a selection of Wales’ finest cheese, and a charcuterie or seafood platter. For a change I had a steak and sea salt burger with smoked Llangloffan cheese and maris piper chips; my partner went for the chicken and bacon club sandwich with salad. As this was a lunchtime visit, we didn’t indulge in starters or dessert. A glass of house wine each and we were done. Our choices weren’t particularly exciting, but there is plenty to choose from. If you want a bit of variation, the vegetarian options looked well thought out. For lunch it was perfectly adequate, comfortable, quick, polite service and a reasonable £18.00.
My only slight irritation was that the burger arrived on a slab of wood – the poor waitress could hardly carry it. A few restaurants now seem to use various implements and building materials rather than a plate to serve food. Invariably this leads to bits falling off and any sauce/juices vanishing over the side. Apart from that, it was very good. ANTONIA LEVAY
Food here is dreadful and seriously over priced! Vegetarians especially beware!! Have tried the food there 3 times and each time have been not only dissappointed but my last attempt the food was downright inedible. I had a main dish called a fig cheesecake – which is fact was a flavourless plain mini quiche with a oversweet 'jam' on top. Either powdered eggs or extremely cheap eggs had been used, and I would not have been able to identify the fruit had it not been for the prominance of fig seeds. Previously I had tried a watercress soup which at $4 was nothing but a bowl of brown stock with a few rocket leaves floating in it. The risotto portions are tiny and equally bland. Depite making a complaint directly to the Plough and then to Brains I received a brush off response that they are trying to improve the vegetarian menu. The problem seems to be overpriced, attempts at complicated sounding meals that are in fact executed using the cheapest ingredients. The only redeeming feature of The Plough are some very helpful but overworked waiting staff.