Church Road, Pentrych, Cardiff. 029 2089 0202
The Kings Arms has recently been voted into The Good Food Guide 2012 – an accolade which only a select few restaurants appear in. Padrig Jones (ex Le Gallois) and Lisa Jarman have worked hard to maintain consistency since taking over 18 months ago. The Kings Arms is Brains-owned and serves great quality food deserved of its accolade in the 2012 Good Food Guide. This prestigious award also adds great kudos to this excellent pub.
The village of Pentrych is picturesque and provides the perfect countryside setting for an evening meal. The Kings Arms is also an archetypal country pub with open log fires, low ceilings and locals sat chatting at the bar. The adjoining restaurant, although obviously an addition, still maintains a homely feel.
The Kings Arms’ menu as expected contains a selection of straightforward dishes, prepared and executed with style. Four of us were dining and we had the following: whitebait with rocket and aioli dressing; wild mushrooms on brioche toast with rocket and balsamic; fresh tomato soup with pesto and chicken livers with brioche toast and pineapple chutney. Served with a bottle of Santa Serena Merlot, our starters were and bright and enjoyable start to our meal. Mains arrived in the form of Welsh fillet steak, fine beans, triple cooked chips and pepper sauce; baked ham, free-range egg, chips and pineapple chutney; chicken in a tarragon sauce served with a bloody mary tomato sauce and fine beans and shallots. Another fine bottle of Merlot completed our mains. Desserts were shared and we all agreed on crème brulee with a caramel ice cream. The Kings Arms is a lovely setting, excellent food and a very pleasurable experience for a reasonable total of £120. ANTONIA LEVAY