Review: Sunday at The Port Mahon

Have you checked out The Port Mahon since it was taken over earlier this year? It’s had quite the makeover and is now one of our fave spots for a cosy drink or two (still haven’t tried their £5 Negronis.. genius/dangerous – you decide).

We were invited to try out their Sunday roast, which I’m always intrigued by as I often think nothing beats a home-roast. Here goes…

Pork Belly Bites with a soy, honey and sesame sauce

It can be a dangerous game ordering starters before a roast, and as someone with eyes bigger than her stomach I often end up ruining my appetite. But HOW could I resist pork belly bites? I just had to try them. Anything sesame and you’ve got me hooked.

We shared a portion which turned out to be the perfect thing to whet our appetities. The bites were everything I wanted them to be, both crispy and soft, a real kick of flavour (right amount of heat, not too much) and the sesame sauce was almost like caramel – delicious. They were also fairly light, so we were still ready and raring for our roasts. Result!

The roasts on offer were beef, pork belly or veggie wellington

All are accompanied by roast potoates, root veg, buttered greens and a yorkie pud.

Both Charlie and I went for the beef, and just wow. As I said, I often think roasts are better at home as you can make it exactly how you like, make waaaay too many sides and it just feels more cosy. But this really was a banging roast, and we don’t say that lightly.

Everything was cooked well, FULL of flavour and the portions were just right – enough that they felt generous but not too much that it makes you question the quality (I’ve been to some places where they piled on so much meat, the bottom slices were cold and it just felt a bit unloved..) The veggies were seasoned to perfection and felt like they’d been given the same thought and attention as the rest of the dish, which is always a positive.

We need to talk about the cauliflower cheese

Crispy, creamy, cheesy – all the elements were just right. We were so glad we’d ordered this as an extra. Do it, you won’t regret it.

As always, there was no room for dessert but we ordered it anyway

We shared the chocolate orange french toast, with vanilla ice cream. It was a little heavy after the big meal we’d had, and we couldn’t quite finish it. I think a drizzle of choc over a crispy bit of french toast might’ve been a lighter way to go about it, but for chocolate orange lovers out there, this would be your jam. The orange cut through the rich chocolatey-ness nicely.

The vibe at The Port Mahon was perfect for a Sunday afternoon.. a crackling fireplace, cosy corners, warm and friendly staff (who were great at giving reccies!). We’ll definitely be returning!