The Wavendon Arms in Wavendon (near Milton Keynes) has had a makeover that literally leaves you speechless. Think glamorous jewel tones, cocktail inspired leafy prints, solid oak and plush velvet seatingall encased in a jungle setting and you get the idea.
This opulent look greets you as soon as you arrive, with palm tree lighting andthe large jungle themed wall art entrance you just want to stop stare and take as many selfies as you can before you step inside. But, don’t worry the opulence continues as you step into the bar area that’s engulfed by a marble topped blue and gold bar that wouldn’t be out of place in a 1920’s whodunnit!
Around the bar are cosy, intimate seating areas just perfect for a cocktail or two. The cocktail menu has classics such as Porn Star Martini, Mojito and Aperol Spritzbut it was the ‘Gintonicas’ menu that had me all excited, a menu showcasing the extensive gins on offer. I decided to try theraspberry&peach (Tanqueray gin with mellow peach bitters, raspberry cordial, fever tree Mediterranean tonic) served over ice and garnished with raspberries, so refreshing I didn’t need much arm twisting to have another. The men in my party had a couple of Peroni beers and my mum had a Cosmo Twist all washed down with some delicious canapes which were mini versions of some of the dishes on the menu, if the canapes were a taste of things to come I couldn’t wait.
Food is served in the restaurant, a space that has a colour palette of teal and gold, solid wood flooring, foliage hanging from the beams, skylights that add light and space to the whole room, and walls adorned with artwork of animals and plants – simply stunning!
Enough drooling over the décor it’s now time to see if the food makeover is as good as the interior. The menu, brings together an exciting new social dining and drinking experience, featuring fresh flavours and ingredients inspired by modern world food trends.Whether you fancy something from the grillor something from the array of small plates to share, the choice is yours and the selection mouth-wateringly tempting.
To start, we opted for a selection of small plates that included panko-crusted fried brie served with a sloe gin chutney, this was utterly delicious, my only complaint I had to share it! Hummus topped with tomato tapenade, crispy chickpeas, pine niuts and pomegranate served with toasted ciabatta was another hit, as was the tempura oyster mushrooms with a soy, lime & ginger dipping sauce.
Sashimi tuna tartare with avocado, pickled red onion, chilli, lime, soy & mirin dressing, was so fresh and flavoursome, with the dressing adding just the right kick to the taste buds. Chargrilled octopus & chorizo was served in a pico de garlic salsa and paprika, the octopus was tender and full of flavour, and the spicy chorizo complemented the octopus perfectly and finally the seared Atlantic scallops served with lobster and crab bon bons, if youlove shellfish this is definitely the dish for you, buttery scallops, with the intense rich flavours of lobster and crab combined in the bon bons.
These sharing plates were a real hit, we could have just eaten these all night, but as it was a new menu calling out to be reviewed we decided to order from the main course menu, split into different sections – Healthy, Rotisserie & Grill, Iconic Shares and Burgers & Comfort Food Classics.
Hubbie opted for the trio of pork, this was from the ‘Iconic Sharers’ section, the only thing, he didn’t share, he ate it all himself! Quirkily served on a long wooden board held up with two cans and included sticky pork belly, pastrami pork cheeks with roasted chorizo, crispy potatoes, crackling and apple sauce, a delicious combination of pork cuts.
The four-bone lamb rack (Rotisserie & Grill) was another choice, accompanied with buttered green beans, dauphinoise potatoes and a minted jus, proved a good choice, tender and full of flavour as was the seared salmon fillet (Healthy Mains) served with pan-fried samphire, broccoli & baby spinach, confit tomatoes and lemon olive oil, full of textures and tastes to tempt your taste buds.
Finally, the sea bass fillet with charred octopus (Rotisserie & Grill) accompanied with baby potatoes, tomato & lemon aioli, samphire and baby spinach, was full of fresh flavours and went down a treat.
We really didn’t have room for dessert, but our waitress very gently tempted us with the dessert sharing platter. Three tiers of decadent dessert served in a gold birdcage and included; blood orange sorbet, passionfruit & caramelised fig; honeycomb ice cream, bruléed banana & fresh berries; blackcurrant mousse & mango coulis; home-baked brownie, French almond macaron & pecan praline ice cream, this was not only a work of art visually it also was taste wise. Another quirky idea that has The Wavendon Arms offering something just a little bit different in terms of décor and food, the perfect place for cocktails with friends, a romantic meal with a loved one, a family get together, after dinner drinks or just because! This really is a stylishly divine drink and dining venue that needs to be visited at least once!
To find out more or to book, visit www.thewavendonarms.co.uk
