Clytha Arms
Feisty Food from a Gutsy Gwent Gwesty. Neville Blech discovers a Welsh Cavalleria
Rusticana, too!
As it so happened we were baby sitting our 6 year old grandson for our daughter in
Bristol who had gone away for the weekend and together with a niece of ours, we found
ourselves once again, after the rather disastrous meals we had in Cardiff the week
before (see malessere) in Wales for Sunday lunch.
For almost 20 years Andrew and Beverly Canning, ably abetted by daughter Sarah in
the kitchen have ploughed their furrow at the homely and friendly Clytha Arms on
the old A40 which now runs between Raglan and Abergavenny, having built up a great
reputation as hosts with an above average attitude to food, wine, beer and cider
which has brought admiring customers from miles around. It’s a place I used to sell
wine to, so I know it pretty well, have eaten and slept there on a number of occasions,
but haven’t done so for the last couple of years or so.
It was a hot day and although the bar was heaving with customers, the restaurant
wasn’t full so we were grateful to have a table there as we had just gone on the
off chance. The menu is quite large with plenty of choices of fish, fowl and meat
but on this occasion we decided to all go for the Sunday Lunch – 3 courses for £21.00
or 2 courses for £18.50.
Sonia and I kicked off with some gratinéed seafood – oysters, mussels, prawns and
scallops – very tasty but a bit too gratinéed for me. Bailey, our grandson, had a
delicious tomato soup which he thoroughly enjoyed, whilst niece Rachelle had a massive
plate of charcuterie including home made pâtés. Not to mention the various different
home made breads.
For the main course, the three adults plumped for the roast rib and slow roast brisket
of beef with Yorkshire pudding – at least this time the Yorkshire pudding was with
the right dish! The beef was succulent, soft and perfectly cooked medium rare, all
accompanied by mountains of veg. Roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, beans, and greens.
As I was the only one drinking (and driving) I had just a half bottle of La Rioja
Alta’s Vina Ardanza 2000 at £18.50 which was just the job for the beef – rounded
and mature without having lost any of its fruit. Bailey went for the braised ham
– a huge slice which he could barely finish, again beautifully cooked.
We were all a bit too full for dessert but we did share a treacle pudding and custard
between us which was firm and not too sticky or sweet.
It’s an excellent place to go to for informal dining. Apart from Sunday Lunch you
could have on the regular menu (which changes with the seasons) seared scallops with
Provence vegetables, seafood soup with rouille and pantmawr cheese, ham hock brawn,
air dried ham with melon and mint sauce, stir fried baby squid with wild garlic and
pak choi, oysters in beer batter with a coconut and chilli sauce amongst the starters
and main courses run to fillet of brill with a crab and laverbread sauce, fillet
of beef with morels and shallots, shellfish and fish stew with a hazelnut romesco
sauce, Malay fruit curry with saffron rice, roast quail with a quail and wild boar
boudin with Armagnac and strawberries, wild boar and duck cassoulet and for vegetarians
– per las blue, baby leeks and asparagus soufflé. All, of course, accompanied with
masses of potatoes and vegetables of the day. Clearly, nothing comes out of a tin.
The wine list is quite long and covers all regions of the world. Apart from the modestly
priced ones, there are to be found some upmarket gems such as Penfolds Grange – yes,
expensive but not outlandishly priced. There are also 4 lovely bedrooms (for those
who have indulged a bit too much!)
It is to be noted that the pub side is just as important to Andrew and Bev and they
are winners of the Gwent Country Pub of the Year 2011 for the sixth time. They also
host an annual Welsh Beer, Cheese & Music festival (August Bank holiday) and a renowned
Cider festival (May Bank holiday).
One cannot be more than struck with the genuineness of this place - completely
without any pretentions at all and yet providing food, drink and accommodation to
feature in all of the major guides.
The Clytha Arms
On the B4598 3 miles west of Raglan
Tel: +44 (0) 1873 840206
Open: all week
Credit cards: all major
Ratings
Food 40
Wine 15
Service 7
Atmosphere 5
Value for money 14
Total 81
Andrew Canning
