Last week I visited one of my local pubs, people have been recommending it due to their more inclusive menu and delicious food. Naturally, I had to check it out.
The Cunning Man is a beautiful pub right by Burghfield Bridge, with a lovely garden which will be amazing in summertime. A classic British pub with charm and class, it's a little pricey however it carries quality food & drink in a quaint atmosphere.
Going on a Monday night in the middle of April, it wasn't very busy so we were able to enjoy our meal without waiting or a rowdy crowd. (Not sure there would be one in this place anyway.) With the weather being super nice the week before, I tried to go there then but the Car Park was crammed and every table outside was taken. Not surprising now I've been, it's a great destination for food and a chat.
Without further ado, here is my full review...
Staff:
We were welcomed immediately and taken to a table in the restaurant area. Our waiter was young but polite and when a few of our drink orders were unavailable, another young lady came over from the bar to offer other selections.
It did take a long time to get our order taken, it appeared there were only the two working although for the amount of customers that shouldn't have caused much of a delay. When we did get our order taken, it was easy to order for my dietary requirements and I felt confident in what I had chosen. (I had referred to their online Allergen information beforehand.)
When the meal came out, my heart stopped a little. It looked as though there was grated cheese all over the salad, I informed the waiter and he took the meal back to the kitchen to check. He came back to insist it was Vegan and safe for me to eat. After my friend tasted it, she confirmed it was in fact grated Cauliflower and the waiter was really good about it. I joked with him when he came to clear the plates and he was super friendly about the whole thing.
After requesting the dessert menu, it never came and we sourced it ourselves, flagging him down to make the order. Desserts and drinks came separately after that as well. Although everything was well made, correct and delicious, the timing was all a little slow and staggered which left us waiting around a fair amount.
7/10
Food:
The food options were pretty good for a pub, they have a full Vegan menu filled with Starters, Mains, Sides and Desserts. Definitely a variety of options with a few of them being Gluten Free as well.
Although the Soup was available to me, I decided not to have too much indulgence by having a starter and settled on the Kale & Cauliflower Cous Cous Salad as a main. It sounded like a bowl of light seasonal veggies with a killer dressing. Of course, with a menu containing Becki Friendly Triple Cooked Chips, there was no option but to order them on the side as well!
My main meal contained Kale, roasted Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, Tenderstem Broccoli, Cauliflower Cous Cous, Pomegranate, Pumpkin seeds with a Pineapple & Ginger dressing. The presentation was delicate and beautiful, grated cheese scare aside of course.
First taste and it was a sensation of light, fragrant and tropical flavours mixed in with few textures, albeit most of them similar. The Sweet Potato on top was good as it always is, though there was only three pieces. I would have expected more for the price. The rest of the Salad, was mainly grated or shredded with the Cauliflower having been mashed up into Cous Cous consistency. It tasted good, though I prefer to be able to taste the Butternut Squash properly and I feel grating it wasted it's flavour a little bit.
I realise now, my Salad was missing the Tenderstem Broccoli and because at the time I forgot about it, I didn't ask why it was missing. Now I've realised, I'm annoyed. I actually was drawn to it due to the combined flavours and textures listed. To not serve what is described in the menu is a big disappointment.
Overall, the Pineapple and Ginger Dressing is what sealed the dish, without it I think it would have simply been mediocre. Even though it was missing an ingredient and some of them could have been put to better use, the dish was still tasty.
The Triple Cooked Chips were exactly the contrast I needed on the side. They were perfectly cooked, fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, brilliantly unhealthy in comparison to my Salad.
7/10 - (May need to try another option next time)
Allergies/Intolerances:
They have a dedicated Vegan Menu which is pretty extensive. Two of the options on that menu are also Gluten Free, the Salad that I had or there is a Coconut Vegetable Curry. Two very decent options, plus when you look at the main allergen menu more things become available.
I believe they don't list the sides on the Vegan Menu due to the fact there might be some cross contamination with cooking meat in the same fryers. I am not too hardcore when it comes to that and I really wanted some chips! (As always.)
On their website, they have a full list of each dish and what allergens it contains. Super helpful to read up and decide before you go if there is something suitable. I'm sure they also have it available in paper copy for when you go there as well. Either way you can be confident on what you're eating.
With me having my cheese scare when I received my dish, I was a little worried. The waiter handled it perfectly though, explaining that the Kitchen assured him it was Vegan and then giving me the same plate of food back. Those two small gestures made me feel secure in what I was eating. I would have hesitated on eating something if they had had to make changes to it.
Good job on this front, some great options, clear information and inventive dishes.
10/10
I would recommend this pub to anybody in Reading in a similar position or even those with a wider diet. The food can be a little pricey but they go for flavour and presentation, plus the Pub is in a great location with a great set up.
It's brilliant for a pub lunch in the height of summer or to enjoy the fire inside on the more likely British colder days!