68 Eastgate Street, Cowbridge.
01446 775093 / www.arboreal.uk.com
Given the unfathomable rise of the meretricious burger joints which currently saturate every high street and suitable pop-up space, I rejoice in the simple and passionate offerings at the family-run Arboreal restaurant in Cowbridge. Dishes are seasonal, which is no great shakes, but food is locally sourced and herbs are grown in the garden behind the restaurant. On a particularly wet, windy and odious evening last month we sampled their current menu.
Mushroom bruschetta and a walnut salad and blue cheese in a honey sherry vinaigrette with pomegranate seeds were the evening’s starter choices: Both very good, although if you want a more substantial starter go for the wood oven tiger prawns or Thai-style free range chicken skewers; nonetheless, both well presented and as expected.
Starters and mains both offer a choice of around four to five dishes, which is a more than ample selection. Other dishes on the menu this week included a brie and bacon burger with wedges; pork escalope with sumac, mash and red cabbage; pan-fried salmon with spring onions, chilli and coriander served with vermicelli noodles; and a variety of pizza toppings. Given all dishes are cooked to order, free range chicken breast on the bone pan-fried with seven spice, roast potatoes, carrot puree and kale was my choice. I’m not a big fan of pureed food – I prefer them as close to what God intended, with a slight crunch – but apart from that, the dish was perfect for a cold evening. The Fiorentina pizza, I am reliably informed, was simple, crispy in the right places and cooked in their purpose-built pizza oven to boot.
All washed down with a bottle of house sauvignon blanc, the total came to around £65. A family-run restaurant with a dedicated staff, Arboreal is fiercely independent and should be on your ones to recommend list.
ANTONIA LEVAY