Reviews The Encore

Thanks for everything on Saturday! We were the big walking group of 20! Everyone had a fantastic time and the food was beautiful! Thank you so much for being so attentive and you were the perfect hosts! Sorry about the picture of the fish, I wanted to take a picture before she dug in but it looked so good she tucked straight in as soon as it touched the table!!! Happy customers everywhere, fun staff, excellent atmosphere, nothing was too much trouble, the vegans were very happy with the options, vegetarians equally impressed, pretty much anyone will be happy to go here! Also a great view of the canal while eating.

We opted to eat from the all day menu as this has a selection of small plates to choose from. Here’s what we ordered for three people… Pan-fried Wild Scallops which came with fennel, saffron veloute, risotto, green pesto. The scallops were nicely cooked, they remained juicy with a lovely searing. The risotto was a colourful yellow, was well flavoured with a good moist texture. The little red sweet peppers (at least that’s what I think they were) also added another pop of flavour (and colour) to the plate. Chipotle Sticky Chicken which was karaage fried chicken with a smoky chilli jam. When we were considering ordering this, I did have a fleeting concern that it could be quite spicy. As it turned out I didn’t need to be wary, the sauce was nicely sweet and sticky with a mild hint of smokiness and heat. The chicken could have been cooked a little bit less so that it was slightly more succulent but overall it was a good dish. Sticky Beef Dumpling accompanied with soy sauce & chilli dressing, black onion seed and pink pickled onion. When this arrived it definitely wasn’t what I had envisaged. The menu accurately describes what was served, but I think in my head when I read dumpling, I thought that I was going to be eating dim sum or gyoza. The dumpling outer was made of some form of pastry, which was fairly thick – almost like a scone pastry. I personally thought it could have been a little thinner as the pastry to beef ratio was little too much in favour of the pastry. The combination of the sauce, which was maybe crème fraiche, the pickled onion and the sticky beef were nice. This was the least favourite of dishes that I tried, it was fairly good but I probably wouldn’t order again if I return here. Pan-fried king prawns with chilli & feta. The prawns were served in a tomato & chipotle chilli sauce, with lemon gremolata, a rosemary pangrattato crumb and ciabatta. I’m not keen on feta but my dining companions seemed to enjoy. All the portions of food were generous and enough to feed the three of us without feeling overly full. The service throughout was efficient and friendly.

It’s ok, but not 5 stars ok. The location is good, but I’d expect a little more from the place. Also, it’s quite expensive.

We came for Sunday roast. Service was very friendly from greetings at the door to our table service. Two of us had beef roast and two had roast chicken. Lots of food on the plate and all was served hot and fresh. We asked for horse radish and it was delivered in a full unopened jar! A very large delicious Yorkshire pudding was especially good.

Excellent from start to finish. We visited for Valentine's Day. The food was really good. Nice sized portions, tasty and a varied menu. We had a lovely table by the window overlooking the River Avon & the boats. The service was also excellent. I would highly recommend and would definitely visit again.