Lets face it, ordering a steak in a restaurant can sometimes seem a bit of a cop-out.  You’ve gone over the menu three times and there’s nothing you really want, so with a sigh you choose the steak and as soon as the waitress brings you a razor-sharp serrated steak knife, you know the meat is going to be as tough as old boots.  I’m a fan of great steak, but it’s very rarely I’ll order it from a restaurant because I can pretty much guarantee it will disappoint.

So why is it so difficult to get a good steak in Peterborough?  Is there a local restaurant worthy of being called a steakhouse?

Pardon me whilst I rant for a while…

I think half of the problem is pricing or at least the price perception.  Peterborough restaurants seem to try and price their steaks in the region of £12-15 for 8/10oz, any higher and the average diner is going to baulk at the price.  If the restaurant is a bit fancier, you might have a rib-eye or even a 12oz sirloin on the menu for upwards of £20, yet still you need to drown the meat in a rich peppercorn sauce for it to have any flavour.  Then to make matters worse, you have to second-guess the chef – can they cook a steak well done without drying it?  Will medium be “just pink” or will it come pouring with blood?  Something as basic and primal as a steak suddenly seems one of the most complicated dishes on the menu.  And don’t get me started on the restaurants (usually pubs) that offer 2-for-1 deals.  This is just wrong in my opinion and offends those dining alone or with an odd number in the party, not to mention cheapening the perception of the food.

As far as I’m concerned, steak is a luxury item so mediocre steak will just cheapen your experience.  Once or twice a year, or on special occasions, a top quality steak is going to be hard to beat.  Steak doesn’t have to be “reassuringly expensive”, but the price should reflect the sourcing of the meat, the breed, the cut and (possibly most important of all) how it’s cooked.  You can buy a supermarket’s “finest” steak, you can even take a drive out to a country farm shop and buy your steaks there, but rarely will you have the skill or the equipment to do the meat justice (if you do, please invite me round and I’ll bring the beers!).

So to me the answer is simple:  Buy in great quality ingredients (i.e. steaks), cook them on a super-hot grill and make sure the chef knows how to cook the steak to the diner’s tastes.  Put all those together and you’ve got yourself a steakhouse.

So you’re probably asking yourself, where has all this steak-fuelled rage come from all of a sudden?  The answer is simple: from eating some of the best steak I’ve ever had, just a few miles outside of Peterborough at the Queens Head in Nassington!

I visited the Queens Head last year for a celebration and at the time treated myself to one of their flat iron steaks.  It wasn’t a cut I’d heard of before but I was assured it was a good choice, needless to say I was very happy (you can read my review here).  Half of their secret to great steaks is their Josper grill – some kind of intensely hot charcoal-fuelled wonder grill found in only a handful of restaurants around the country.  Because I enjoyed my visit so much, the Queens Head got in touch to let me know they were adding USDA Black Angus and Wagyu steaks to their menu.  For the non-steakophiles out there, the steaks are highly regarded in some of the top London steakhouses so to see them on a menu in a Peterborough restaurant is pretty impressive.

Wagyu (or Kobe as it’s also known) beef is typically famous for it’s marbling which gives it such a great flavour.  As well as a diet of grass and grain, it’s also not uncommon for the cattle to be fed beer or sake along with regular massages.  Sounds pretty good, up until the slaughter bit.

My verdict? This steak is fantastic.

With Christmas out of the way and the mince pies and Quality Street a distant memory, I went back to the Nassington restaurant with “wagyu” firmly on my mind.  My wife, went for the USDA Black Angus which suited me fine as I could steal some of her steak and get to try both varieties.  My verdict? This steak is fantastic.

With every cut of the knife you can see how tender and perfectly cooked the steak is, you barely need to give it a chew.  I made the mistake of ordering a portion of the chilli and garlic butter as whilst it was very nice on the steak, it really wasn’t needed and just got in the way of the smokey steakiness.  Served on a wooden board, the steaks come with a side of thrice cooked chips or fries, a tomato and a couple of mushrooms – all part of a balanced diet.  I did try and get a couple of photos, but the restaurant lighting wasn’t suitable so you’ll just have to use your imagination, sorry!

Ok, you would expect at the price (£32.50 for a wagyu sirloin and £26.50 for a 10oz Black Angus ribeye) the steaks should be special and I can honestly say they are.  Remember, ordering identical steak in London would set you back double if not more.  An 8oz wagyu ribeye at Wolfgang Puck’s CUT Park Lane restaurant is on the menu for an almost unbelievable £85.

Now if anyone ever asks the question “where in Peterborough is good for steak?” I’ll point them in the direction of Nassington and The Queens Head.

If you’re sitting there wondering why on earth I’ve just put all these words into a blog post about a piece of meat, I would urge you to visit the Queens Head and try their steak for yourself.  It’s one of those meals where you just want to tell anyone that will listen, which is exactly what I’ve done.

Taking advantage of a recent Groupon promotion, my wife and I headed to the new Clarkes Restaurant in Peterborough for a spot of lunch whilst out Christmas shopping.

Located on North Street on the edge of Westgate in the city centre, the smart front entrance to Clarkes faces onto Lincoln Road.  It’s a shame there isn’t a menu on the outside of the building as passers-by would be interested to discover the food on offer.

Dining on a Groupon voucher is always a little awkward for the customer as it suggests you love a bargain you’re a bit of a cheapskate.  It’s a great opportunity for restaurants (especially new ones like Clarkes) to show off to new customers, ensuring they go home and tell their friends about how good the experience was.  Unfortunately our experience wasn’t as perfect as hoped…

On arriving at Clarkes, we were greeted by polite staff, shown to our table and our coats were taken. We were presented with the set menu only to discover they literally meant it was “set”, with no choices for any of our three courses.  To make matters worse, the starter and main course both had ingredients which aren’t what I would deem popular choices at any restaurant – black pudding in the starter and salmon for the main. Being the agreeable types we are, we were happy to put this down to experience but we overheard a couple of other tables also making comments about the unusual menu approach, so hopefully Clarkes take the feedback on board.

The single, large dining room is tastefully decorated and tables are given enough space so that you’re not elbow to elbow with other diners.  The decor compliments the high ceilings however I felt there needed to be a few partitions to break up the space.
Staff didn’t have anywhere to “wait”, other than a dresser stocked with wine at one end of the room, or a side desk with an iPod dock.  Whilst not really a problem, having a waitress standing against the wall whilst we ate did have a feeling of being in a school exam with an  invigilator watching the room.

After a few minutes we were served an assortment of freshly-baked (and delicious!) complimentary bread.  Shortly after our starters arrived.  Now, while we were dreading the menu a little (not really the emotion you want when visiting a new restaurant for the first time) the food which came out of the kitchen was without a doubt, superb.

Clarkes is billed as a “fine dining” restaurant and our three-course meal certainly supported that claim.  Ok, so the starter had black pudding, but this wasn’t the horrid dry, black circle you normally push to the side of the plate when tucking into an all-day breakfast.  The black pudding at Clarkes was probably the only way I would ever want to eat black pudding in the future (not that I would consciously choose to).  The small diced piece of black pudding were dare I say it, delicious with a very soft appealing texture.  Maybe this is the ingredient all the celebrity TV chefs go on about?

On to the main course and whilst my wife likes salmon, it’s possibly my most-disliked fish so I was interested to see how Clarkes would be serving it up.  Again, as with the starter the presentation was impeccable (sadly I didn’t get a crafty photo as the invigilator was in the room…) and I braved the salmon.  Whilst it had the “salmon” taste which for me there’s no disguising, it was a very nice meal.  My wife enjoyed it as salmon is more her thing.

For dessert we had what I’d describe as a deconstructed bruleed banana eton mess.  Sounds random, looked very pretty on the plate and was demolished seconds after.  Very tasty indeed and a good end to a meal we wouldn’t normally have chosen.

As a fine dining restaurant, Clarkes is very much concerned with great local ingredients and serving high quality food.  Typically this means the portions are perhaps a little more modest than other restaurants but that’s all part of the dining experience.  After all if you want gluttony, there are plenty of buffet restaurants in Peterborough churning out curry and pizza for a tenner.
Whilst neither of us felt stuffed after our meal, we were both nicely full and wouldn’t have wanted and more.

Intrigued as to what Clarkes offered on their “regular” menu, the choices are much more agreeable with three fixed-price courses at £35.  At the time of writing, the website menu isn’t the same as the a la carte one we were shown but still gives a good indication of the types of food on offer. Hot-pickled mackerel with cucumber, fresh horseradish and fat hens leaf; Grey Mullet served with roasted sweet corn, clams, English radishes, pickled wild mushrooms and burnt-butter vinaigrette; Caramel poached pear terrine with gingerbread sorbet.

Summary

Clarkes is very much a restaurant for those looking for a calmer, more intimate meal or even to impress a client or dinner date.  If fine dining is your thing then I strongly recommend you visit Clarkes as soon as you can.

In Peterborough we have a broad mix of restaurants, but ignoring the Indian, Oriental, Italian and chain restaurants and we’re not left with a great deal of high quality choice.  I think Jim’s Beehive restaurant is fantastic and Clarkes is offering something new in a slightly more formal setting.  Like the Beehive, it’s great to see Clarkes pushing the boundaries in of Peterborough palettes.

Some of the other restaurants in Peterborough try to pitch themselves as high end, but let themselves down with menus that are pretty boring which most competent home cooks could whip up in half an hour.

If every there was a restaurant in Peterborough to be awarded a Michelin star, I would say Clarkes would be it.  There are a few things I think they need to iron out first but they’re not far off!

Contact details

19 North Street, Peterborough
01733 892 681
bookings@clarkespeterborough.co.uk
http://www.clarkespeterborough.co.uk/

Guest review by Tia

Hidden out of the way on Wentworth Street (located on the previous premises for Misaki Japanese Noodle bar), is Margarets Tea Room, a charming little tearoom-come bistro.  In the interests of discovering a new independent eating establishment, I took a cake-eating friend along for morning tea and cakes.

Inside, Margarets Tea Room has been tastefully decorated in floral wallpaper with flock carpet and banqueting style tables and chairs plus two very quirky mini-chandeliers, one almost lowered to shoulder height. Each table was well presented with silver cutlery and a bone china teacup and saucer centrepiece. I was half expecting to see a candle in them, for some reason they seemed a bit lost in the middle of the table not really serving a purpose.

The rest of the room was decorated with family pictures and possessions, giving it a slightly homely feel. Definitely a place aimed at the female tea drinking market.

We were quickly seated and asked for our drinks order. I choose a Jasmine tea and my friend chose a peppermint tea. Both teas came in their own teapot and tea-strainer. We were advised by the waitress to ‘not forget to use the tea strainers, as most people did forget’ probably resulting in a cup full of tea leaves.
We were disappointed that the cup and saucer we were given to use was not fine bone china but just a rather plain and functional ivory set.

The Margarets Tea Room menu covers a big selection of teas, hot drinks like hot chocolate, lattes, cappuccinos etc. There was also a breakfast menu along with a lunch and afternoon tea selection. I was delighted to see that they catered for children as well with small portions and especially designed set menus. Although I am not sure how smaller children would fare in such grown up lavish surroundings.
There was small selection of cakes on the menu, and we went for a slice of the Carrot and Victoria Sponge.

While we were waiting, I could see into the small part of the kitchen where a chef was preparing some scones for baking – the menu boasted ‘home-made’ so it was nice to see scones baked on premises. Our cakes were a generous sized slice, tasted very yummy and was priced at £1.90 each.  The teas were lovely too, very fragrant and there was enough for at least 2 and a half cups per person.

Our total bill come to around £9.00 which is on the pricey side for a tea and slice of cake for two, but I would not be adversed to returning occasionally as a treat. Definitely more than just a tearoom based on the extensive menu.
Well worth a visit if you are in that part of town for a quick bite and it’s always good to support small independent businesses in Peterborough.

After what seems like years of hints and rumours by organisations like Peterborough’s Growborough, the Evening Telegraph revealed this week that talks were well and truly under way to bring Carluccios Italian restaurant to Peterborough.  According to reports, the restaurant chain will be occupying one of the exterior Queensgate units along Long Causeway (which is probably why Peterborough City Council want to re-landscape Long Causeway) which so far has been virtually untouched by the cafe culture sweeping the Peterborough.

A Carluccios restaurant

My one concern would be how Carluccio’s view of Cathedral Square will be obstructed by the “Cathedral Square Diner” burger van.  I’m not sure how many customers would appreciate the smelly of greasy onions whilst tucking into their Fettucce con Polpette!

Impact on other restaurants

Having a Carluccio’s restaurant in Peterborough ticks another box on the list of chain restaurants missing from Peterborough, but at what cost to other businesses?  I enjoy eating at Carluccio’s when in other cities so I would like to see Carluccio’s open a restaurant here.

That said, Peterborough already has some great established Italian restaurants, some with a long history in Peterborough.  In the city centre we have Topo Gigio’s and the Pizza House both on Cowgate, Fratelli Tavolacalda in Rivergate and Riva by the Key Theatre overlooking the Embankment.
Beyond the city centre is Mattoni in Hampton, I Toscanini in Eye and Fratelli’s in Castor – all well worth a visit if you don’t fancy a visit into the centre of Peterborough.

Having grown up with Italian cuisine, I often forget that some people might not be as familiar with a menu in Italian restaurants so a chain like Carluccio’s helps to raise awareness and encourage diners to venture beyond a “spag bol”.  My hope is that once people have tried Carluccio’s they won’t forget the other restaurants that have been feeding us for years.

So why is the city centre filling up with chains like Pizza Express, Nandos and now Carluccio’s? Are Cathedral Square / Queensgate locations too expensive for independent restaurateurs, forcing them out to quieter sites whilst the chains snap up the prominent units?

What are your thoughts?  Which is your favourite Italian restaurant in Peterborough?  Are you a fan of Carluccio’s?  As always, please leave your comments in the box below

(Photo courtesy of Ewan M)

Following up on Ben’s review last year of the Queens Head Inn in Nassington, my wife and I decided to pay the restaurant a visit for ourselves.  Due to my own mistake, I managed to book our reservation for the wrong night but thanks to understanding staff we were able to get the reservation amended at short notice.

For a business slightly off the beaten track, the Queens Head seems to be doing a roaring trade with both locals and ‘outsiders’ (my term, not theirs) alike.  Judging by the menu the chef is clearly keen to attract discerning diners from all over the region with a good selection of dishes all using great produce.Because of the previously mentioned error in booking, we waited in the cosy bar area with drinks and browsed the menu at leisure before ordering our food.  I chose a seared wood pigeon and blackberry salad to start followed by rib eye steak and my wife chose pate de campagne with braised beef for her main.

Settling into our seats we were offered a slice of warm bread – hardly ground breaking, but it was nice bread (I’m presuming home made).  Almost immediately after our starters arrived (as we had ordered them previously) and were very good.  Presentation was impeccable and both dishes delivered on taste.
I’m not a fan of pate but my wife said it was very good but needed more of the spiced toast to accompany it.  My wood pigeon salad was delicious and a light start before my next course of steak.

On to the main course and the braised beef was served in a small copper pan with a generous helping of pomme puree on the side.  Enough about that dish though as my steak was fantastic and the main reason why I wanted to try the Queens Head!  Having eaten some extremely good steak in America a while ago I’ve been keen to find somewhere local than could come even close, and now I think I’ve found that in the Queens Head.

The menu makes a special reference to the type of grill used at the restaurant – a Josper grill.  Ordinarily I wouldn’t care what brand the oven is, but when the results are this good I can see why they’re keen to promote it.  My rib eye steak was cooked exactly to requirements: wonderfully char grilled on the outside and medium in the middle.    There were a selection of sauces on offer but they’re normally needed in restaurants that can’t cook steak.  At the Queens Head just let the steak flavour come through!  I had heard they once offered an Argentinian chimichurri sauce but sadly the waitress said it was no longer available (not that it would have taken much for someone in the kitchen to make it up to order).
I spied a sign advertising Wednesday night as steak night, so I think I will be back mid-week!

Because the previous two courses were so good, the desserts had a lot to live up to but I think they fell just short of the mark.  We ordered a chocolate fondant and a lime panna cotta.  The interior of the fondant was more liquid sauce than gooey chocolate and the panna cotta was set slightly too much so lacked creaminess.  Flavour of both desserts was good, but they lacked on texture.

In all we both thoroughly enjoyed our meal at the Queens Head and think it would be a great place to visit with family.  On warmer days the beer garden would be fantastic as it opens out directly onto the river.

Contact details

The Queens Head Inn
Station Road, Nassington, Peterborough PE8 6QB
Telephone: 01780 784006
Email: info@queensheadnassington.co.uk

Update: Click here to read my personal review of Clarkes restaurant

Well the title of this post is a bit misleading, as at the time of writing I’ve yet to eat at the new Clarkes restaurant in Peterborough.  Instead, this is a bit of a pre-review and comment based on a recent review by the Evening Telegraph’s Nigel Thornton.

Headed up by chef-patron Lee Clarke, Clarkes certainly has the potential to be one of the best restaurants in Peterborough.  We’ve seen the likes of Jim’s Beehive go from strength to strength (albeit with the closure of Jim’s Bistro) so there is hopefully a market in Peterborough for diners willing to pay a little bit more for a freshly cooked menu.

I’ve been following the progress of Clarkes on twitter and have been hearing nothing but good so far. In his review of Clarkes, Nigel rated the restaurant top marks of 10 out of 10 so there should be no question about the standard being set.  My only issue with a top scoring review is that it doesn’t leave any room for improvement – where do you go from here?  I’ve eaten at restaurants myself where I’ve been completely overwhelmed by the quality of food, the service from the staff and the experience as a whole, but to score ten out of ten can leave the restaurant vulnerable to undeserved criticism.  It wasn’t so long ago that another ET reviewer (this time John Baker) gave Ali’s Balti House on Lincoln Rd the top 10/10 score.  Are both restaurants equal?  Should reviewers for the same publication be following set rating guidelines?  As I’ve not yet eaten at either Ali’s Balti House or Clarkes I can’t comment, but I would be interested in seeing how the two restaurants compare.

Anyway, lets focus on Clarkes.

Tucked away off Lincoln Rd (the City Centre end) along North Street in the old Masonic Hall (formerly known as Mellilos and more recently Pussy Galores), I gather Clarkes has been completely gutted and refurbished to accommodate not only the restaurant but also the North Street Bar.  Parking is a breeze as it’s only a few feet away from both the Westgate (Beales) House carpark and an NCP.

Looking on the Clarkes restaurant website, they serve a “prix fixe” menu offering a set course selection of great sounding British dishes for a fixed price.  I’m not sure if they also have an À la carte menu, but at £30 for two courses or £40 for three, they’re definitely aiming at the top end of the dining market.

Currently Clarkes are running a promotion with daily-deal website Groupon who are offering a massive discount on the above menu price.  I’m always keen to get a bargain so have bought Groupon deals in the past, but I’m always cautious about whether restaurants can cope with the demand. Groupon is a fantastic way for people to test the waters with a new restaurant and first impressions count.  Customers getting a deal won’t hold back when telling their friends about the restaurant, good or bad.
My hope is that Clarkes use their Groupon promotion as a marketing exercise and can maintain their high standards for both Groupon diners and those paying full price.  The last thing Groupon diners want is to feel like they’re being treated any differently to other diners.

Lee Clarke is (understandably) keen to share his chef credentials, having previously worked for the Roux brothers and Marco Pierre-White so fine dining is something he has experience with.

Does Peterborough need another restaurant? In my opinion, absolutely.

We have a pretty vibrant restaurant scene with a good mix of both chain and independent restaurants as it is, but increasing the competition helps to raise the standard of good restaurants.

Not all diners are looking for fine(r) dining.  Some are on a budget, are looking for something casual or even just a fill-your-face style world buffet but one thing they all have in common is that they demand a better experience for their hard earned money.  Those that fail to deliver on top quality food or substandard service are doomed to failure.  If the ET’s review is anything to go by, Clarkes have a bright future ahead of them in Peterborough.

If you’ve eaten at Clarkes I’d love to hear from you – leave your comments in the box below!  Email and IP addresses are verified, so please don’t bother leaving libellous comments.

Clarkes Restaurant contact details

19 North Street, Peterborough
Tel. 01733 892 681
Email. bookings@clarkespeterborough.co.uk

Opening Times:
Lunch from 12.00pm to 3.00pm
Tuesday to saturday

Dinner from 6.30pm to 9.30pm
Tuesday to Saturday

If you’re one of the many people in Peterborough that work in an office on a business park, you’ll no doubt be familiar with the daily question of where to buy your lunch.  Of course you could bring your own lunch from home, but where’s the fun in that?

Those in the city centre have it easy with just about any cuisine on the doorstep, but for those at Lynch Wood, Orton Southgate, Fengate, etc. it’s usually a case of waiting for one of the food vans to rock up outside.  Then queuing, choosing a sandwich, finding you’ve left your wallet at home… thankfully that’s all set to change with the arrival of Snacks Away.

Order lunch online

This isn't all for me!

The concept is painfully simple, making you wonder why it’s not been done before (maybe it has?).  Simply visit the Snacks Away website, choose your lunch items from their expanding menu, pay online and wait for it to be delivered within an allotted time.  Better still, the Snacks Away menu caters for those with special dietary requirements such as gluten free and lactose free.
That’s the concept at least, so what is it like in practice?

The first order with Snacks Away was placed, choosing various items from the menu and was delivered in good time.  Unfortunately on checking the order we realised that one of the drinks ordered was missing, so Snacks Away were called and the missing drink sent out to follow.

Thankfully the value and quality of the food was good – both the salad and baguettes were generously filled and tasty whilst the drinks were delivered chilled.

Putting the missing drink from the initial order down to experience, two separate orders were placed the following day within minutes of each other but sadly the Snacks Away experience went downhill.

When placing an order, you are given a “delivered by” time window but five minutes before the delivery was due we got a call to say it was going to be delayed by 30 minutes.  A small delay is acceptable and it is good that we were informed, however the driver didn’t arrive until an hour after the original time, not the half hour quoted.  If you have to take your lunch breaks at a regular time or need to arrange it around work colleagues, you don’t want to be waiting around for your lunch to arrive.

By the time the driver turned up we were just happy to finally get our lunch, but then another problem – only one of the two orders was on the van!  The driver apologised and promised to make a call and get it sorted, but an hour later and still no sign of the food.  A colleague made a call themselves to Snacks Away to be told the order had been lost in the system but they would make it up immediately.  In the end, an order which should have taken around an hour took nearly two and a half hours to be delivered.

What went wrong?

It seems fairly apparent that Snacks Away are a victim of their own success and are struggling to keep up with demand.  With so many isolated business parks across Peterborough, the logistics of getting orders freshly prepared and out to the customers is a problem.  It’s no surprise to see that Snacks Away are currently hiring for drivers – and it’s good to see they are taking steps to improve their service.  It should also be noted that on the second day, both orders had a complimentary muffin with the order as an apology which was appreciated.

Verdict

Tasty tasty BBQ chicken baguette

So would I order from Snacks Away again?  Absolutely.  The food was good, competitively priced and if they can just keep on top of their delivery times and accuracy of picking orders, I think they will be a big success.

Check out Snacks Away for yourself at www.snacksaway.com

Have you ordered from Snacks Away?  If so, I’d like to read your thoughts in the comments section below.

By guest reviewer PeterboroughCritic

Whilst in Queensgate last week I found myself pressed for time and not suitably dressed for the rain outside, yet I needed to get lunch from somewhere.  I decided to put the feelers out on Twitter for suitable food outlets and Sundays Restaurant on Cumbergate was one of the suggestions that came through.

Sundays is a small cafe-style restaurant/take out with plenty of seating both in and out which looked to be kept immaculately clean!   The theme of Sundays is, as you may have guessed is Sunday dinners and the restaurant offers various roast dinners or roast meat filled rolls.  I was served by a polite young man who was friendly & made small talk whilst deciding what I wanted.  I opted for a medium roast beef roll at a reasonable £3.50 (the roll had plenty of filling!).

I would definitely recommend Sundays restaurant in Peterborough if you are looking for a good quality roast dinner or even quick snack with a bit of a difference, in a friendly atmosphere and a lot of choice!   My tip – try the roast beef roll you won’t regret it!