The Mousetrap Inn, Bourton on the Water

When your friend opens up a pub, you desperately want it to be good. You hope that you'll love it, love it enough to want to go there regularly, and hope that it's a hit with other people too. You're pretty sure that it'll be great - it is your friend after all - but there's that worry that it might not be how you expected, dreading the thought of having to lie.

Thankfully, on this occasion, no lies needed.

My friend is Frank, the GM of The Mousetrap Inn in Bourton on the Water, and although he doesn't own the pub, he's been a key part of its opening (or rather re-opening) and development from the ropey old pub that it was before. You'll recognise him as the tall one with tattoos, probably dressed head to toe in black. If he's not behind the bar, you're guaranteed to find him in London or Cheltenham scouting out the best burgers and fried chicken around, with beers and strong cocktails a dead cert too. Chat to him about any of these things and you'll get along just fine.

It's not just Frank with his fingers on the food and drink pulse though, The Mousetrap is driven by the guys behind Coffeesmith in Witney and The Rookery in Farringdon. Instant cool points. This place certainly stands out in comparison to Bourton's other sugar-coated touristy offerings.

The interiors have the perfect balance of stone walls and Farrow & Ball, with trendy tiled flooring thrown in the mix too. Slump into a comfy sofa by the fire and flick through one of the cookbooks that are dotted around, or pull up a stool at the bar and pick your pint; North Cotswold CAMRA recently named The Mousetrap as 'Pub of the Season' thanks to their excellent draught beers. Though you might also become seduced by the selection of spirits, twinkling underneath the fairy lights, settling in with a decent G&T.

Food is why we're here though, and it's reassuring to see that on a Saturday night, mid-Feb, it is fully booked. Groups, couples, dogs, both local and visiting. The menu manages to fit in all of those familiar faces - sausage and mash, steaks, burgers and fish and chips - whilst also charming us with a number of fancier sounding 'gastropub' dishes. Sorry, I hate that word too. But pan fried chicken, wild mushroom and fresh truffle risotto, perhaps? Or pork tenderloin with fondant potato and caramelised apples? Oh, and Saturday sees an extra page of specials if it wasn't already hard enough to decide!

Having spent the last couple of hours, really quite hungry, in a not-so-nice pub watching the rugby, we hastily ordered some fried foods. It'll always be whitebait whenever they're on a menu, £6.50 for a handful or two, served with a kick ass homemade tartare sauce. A little heavy on the batter perhaps - I love seeing flashes of their silvery skin - though a good'un nonetheless.

Also £6.50 is the Salt & Pepper Squid, something that's a classic at our fave, The Tavern Cheltenham. Whilst this one doesn't come with a scattering of chilli and spring onion, and its batter more breadcrumbed than tempura-esque, it's just the ticket with a squeeze of lemon and some decent mayo to dip in.

The Chap and I both go off the specials for mains, though I've now got FOMO for not having tried their Rump Steak Cheeseburger (£14.50), and I do wonder just how awesome the 'Awesome Chilli Con Carne' (£14.50) was… Still, I was more than happy with my choice; sea trout with beetroot concasse, new potatoes and pickled beetroot salad (£18.50). A more health conscious option - less carbs and a bigger boost of veg - with the oily flesh and crackling skin of the trout tying everything together. Both delicate and delicious.

Gressingham duck breast with chorizo potatoes and seasonal vegetables (£21.90 - the most expensive on the menu) was a richer affair; sliced pink and proud, with the fat rendered and crisp. The sauce too - thick and glossy, meaty and smoky - golden from the chorizo hues. Kudos to The Mousetrap for not going down the more obvious duck with some sort of fruit route, and proof that the addition of chorizo can never be a bad thing.

The dessert menu isn't quite as exciting as the rest, with three chocolate variations taking up most of the room. Warm fudge cake, a trio of mousses and a brownie with ice cream. All hitting that sweet spot, I'm sure, but chocolate desserts aren't really my thing. Instead we did sharesies on the tart lemon and raspberry posset (£7) - which, with a biscuit base, definitely felt more like a cheesecake - and the sticky toffee pudding (£6.50) - the winner. A light and fluffy steamed sponge saturated in a syrupy sauce, striking that balance of being indulgent without risk of heart attack.

Service was attentive and speedy; we managed to squeeze in our three courses in just over an hour. Not that we were in a rush though, we had a room upstairs. Yep, as the name suggests, The Mousetrap Inn has 10 bedrooms for overnight stays. They haven't been revamped like the rest of the pub yet, but they're set to do it soon. I don't doubt that they'll be exactly the 'Cotswold Cool' that Bourton craves. And a Coffeesmith coffee alongside your avocado on toast for breakfast the next morning? A far cry from the only-option-greasy-fry-ups that you'd usually get (though a Full English is also available). 

Frank's an excellent host and we had such a great time at The Mousetrap. It's one of those places that, if you're a local, you could easily make it your second home, or if you're visiting you'll be glad you came across it. It's not super fancy - it's not trying to be - nor is it trying to pile in the hordes of tourists; it's just an honest pub and I'll happily recommend it. 

Soulful Sunday at The Bell Inn, Langford

Sometimes there's just nothing better than going out for a Sunday Roast. Blasphemous, I know. You're supposed to love your Mum's the best, because only she can crisp up the potatoes just the way you like them, serve you every variety of veg that you like on the side, and have all your favourite condiments ready and waiting. But, kitted out in your Sunday Best, you come across a corker, and it just feels magical.

Perhaps it's the fact that such things are a rarity. I've lost count of the "just ok" roasts I've had; nothing terrible, but nothing memorable either. Those are the kinds that sway you into the "Mum's is best" territory. Though for me, those are the kinds that keep me going out, on the hunt for that flawless Sunday Roast.

Last month The Chap and I headed somewhere new; The Bell Inn, Langford. Reopened in December, now run by Peter Creed and Tom Noest (both ex Lucky Onion), it's a proper local pub with a focus on quality food and drink. I'd heard high praise from friends, Instagram teased me with mouth watering snaps and, the week before our visit, Giles Coren unleashed a perfect score review in The Times. "On the final day of 2017, I had not just the best mouthful of the year, but the best mouthful of my life," he boldly said about some flat bread. I was practically giddy with excitement as we drove across the Cotswold countryside to get to our destination just outside Burford.

The Langford street was lined with cars; the word's spread already, we thought as we parked down the road. Our cheeks pink and stinging from the cold outside, we were greeted with a warm welcome and were seated at a table by the fire. Bingo. Pub checklist time. Roaring fire; check. Sunday papers; check. Local beers; check. Buzzy atmosphere; check. Pub dogs; check, check, check... Big ones, small ones, fluffy ones, scruffy ones. I do love a pub dog.

Hearty, classic pub food with the addition of woodfired dishes is the vibe here. Steak frites, a burger, half a pint of prawns, alongside beautifully blistered pizzas topped with such things as venison meatballs or nduja and pickled jalapenos. A trio of roasts on a Sunday too, though before we could even attempt to make any decisions, we ordered a pint, a glass of Cava (no Prosecco thank God) and THAT bread.

Garlic, parsley and bone marrow flat bread (£5); a little nod to Fergus Henderson's roast bone marrow with parsley salad, and a thing of dreams. I didn't do it Coren-style wrapped around a piece of sirloin, there was no chance this was hanging around long enough to see our mains. Pizza like in appearance, with a heady scent of garlic and bone fat like butter. It already has legendary status, and rightly so. If you don't order this when you visit, have you even been?

To start we had the Cotswold IPA rarebit, pickles and soldiers (£7). Cheese fondue rather than cheese on toast, rich and tangy with decent cayenne heat, and crisp sourdough soldiers to dunk... Much more fun. Then as much as it pains me, for fear of over carb-ing we shied away from the smoked eel on toast and picked the healthier smoked mackerel, beetroot, green beans and horseradish option (£7). Tangled together with rocket, you got a bit of everything with each forkful.

The wine list at The Bell Inn is excellent. A solid mix of old world and new world, traditional styles and funky natural numbers, all at a good price too. We went for the Lodi Californian Cab Franc (£27), of which the label's moustached Frank fitted right in with this Cotswold Gent location.

The Kelmscott pork loin and apple sauce roast (£15) was my choice; two fat piggy medallions, so juicy, with a piece of crisp crackling and caramelised apple sauce. The Chap predictably chose the dry aged beef sirloin and horseradish (£16), because it was a dead cert that the beef was going to be superb - it was - and he can never resist a Yorkshire Pudding. Both were served with seasonal veg - carrots, parsnips, cabbage - roasties, and creamy cauliflower cheese just to push you over the edge. Oh my.

Despite not having any room left, it isn't Sunday Lunch without dessert. The Valrhona Chocolate Nemesis was never going to get a look in with a name like that - shame, it looked great - so an old school rice pudding it was. Rice pudding with Earl Grey prunes (£6) brought out by Head Chef Noest himself. I would've kissed him if it wasn't wildly inappropriate. Not too sweet, not too heavy; soothing, comforting, and heart-meltingly good.

On the drive home, having prised ourselves away from the fire, we were both singing The Bell's praises. Was it the simplicity that made it one of our all time fave roasts? Was it the faultless execution? Or was it the whole perfect pub package? Neither of us cared to think about it too much, we're far more concerned with when we can next fit in a visit for dinner, and whether we'll even be able to get a table. 10/10 score well and truly deserved.

Three Days of Kindness with Kindness & Co

It's cold. It's grey. It's wet. Ugh… January blues. It's easy to look past the rubbish weather as you near the end of the year; all the twinkly lights and dazzling decorations are a good distraction whilst you count down the days until there's "NO MORE WORK." Get your coat, you're on holiday.

Christmas is all fun and games - fine foods and festive drinkies galore - but you don't come out the other side unscathed. It's the extra glug of brandy and the extra pour of cream - 'cause Christmas - not to mention the mountain of chocolate that could be rationed for the entire year (definitely won't), the never-ending cheese board (not another cheese sauce?), and the open bottles of port and sherry that demand to be drunk before they go past their best (yes, that's a thing).

And so we find ourselves in The New Year Awakening. The merry mischief's over and you're noticing a few more of those unwanted lumps and bumps. "Curse you mince pies!" *shakes fist* Thankfully, Cheltenham's health food gurus Kindness & Co are here to prise you out of that post Christmas gluttony rut with their new food program.

Branded as Three Days of Kindness, the town centre café prepares you three days of nutritious breakfasts, lunches and dinners, with snacks to curb those hunger pangs. Everything is made fresh daily, boxed up in recyclable packaging, and you can either collect or have it delivered.

Health kicks are all the rage at this time of year, and as we see the back of dry January - phew - it's about now that people give in to their fad diets. Whilst you're encouraged to avoid caffeine and alcohol over the three days, Kindness & Co's package is more of a focus on wellbeing rather than restricting yourself. The time you'd normally spend planning, shopping and cooking meals is now free to concentrate on your own health, and taking the decision making out of eating means you're more likely to stick to the plan (the £105 price tag is a good incentive too).

They say that by eating three balanced meals a day - no coffee, sugary snacks or post-work glasses of wine - and drinking 1.5-2 litres of water a day should not only help you get a better nights sleep, but you should feel lighter, energised and more alert. So before Kindness & Co officially launched their plan, I got the chance to test it out to see if it was as good as it sounded.

I'm no stranger to these kinds of programs, I've done juice cleanses with Jay Halford at The Core before (who's coincidentally now working with Kindness & Co) and also with Applebar in the centre of town (which I'd highly recommend). I'm used to cutting out the crap when I need to, and in doing the 5:2 Diet, I can feel satisfied on not a huge amount of food. And that's the first thing I noticed; there was quite a lot of food! Here are my Three Days of Kindness menu boxes:

Breakfast: Muesli, yoghurt, fresh fruit
Lunch: Quinoa Tabbouleh with coriander, mint, tomato and red onion
Dinner: Veggie chilli served with roasted sweet potato

Breakfast: Raspberry smoothie bowl with nuts and banana
Lunch: Butter bean puree, tomato salsa, wilted kale and roasted courgette
Dinner: Sweet corn fritters with baby spinach and tomato salsa

Breakfast: Fresh berry overnight oats
Lunch: Baked cauliflower, chickpea, rocket and cranberry salad with tahini dressing and pistachio
Dinner: Garden pea and mint soup

Snacks each day: A piece of fruit, a pot of nuts and two Kindness Energy Balls... I'm a sucker for an energy ball.

I looked forward to picking up each day's food; there's something exciting about being cooked for (The Chap should take note). And not having to think about meals for a few days felt like I gained some freedom (because I basically think about food 24/7). What a luxury. 

None of the boxes contained those free-from substitutes or lengthily-named ingredients, they were all just packed with familiar, inherently healthy foods. The cauliflower, cranberry and tahini salad was a joy to eat - I'm going back to Kindness & Co to get my hands on some more - and there was no chance you'd miss meat in the spicy bean loaded chilli. 

I tend to eat a lot of these things at home anyway, so for me it's not something I'd splurge on, but for those that want to hit the ground running, it's a great way to get a head start. That said, I was inspired to make a big batch of overnight oats for the rest of the week's breakfasts, and tomato salsa has been creeping into our dinners much more than it did before.  

I personally didn't lose any weight, but Kindness & Co isn't really about that. I did, however, feel more in tune with myself and really enjoyed having some "time off". Healthier and happier; that's what it's all about, right?

If you're interested in the Three Days of Kindness program, then check out Kindness & Co's website or pop in to chat to them. It's £95 if you collect - they're pretty flexible - or £105 to be delivered within a certain radius of Cheltenham. Easy.

Future Foods: Wish Lists for 2018

"New Year, New Me?" Nah, not my thing either. But seeing as we're now a couple of weeks into 2018, it's time to establish those goals. 2017 was pretty spectacular - weddings, holidays, honeymoons - meaning this year has a lot to live up to. A LOT. So what is it that I want to do this year? Where do I want to go? Resolutions, wish lists, whatever you want to call them... Let's do this.

As I sit here typing this, stuck in bed feeling totally wiped out, health and wellness should be first on my agenda. It's all cleanses, diets and detoxes shoved in our faces as soon as we hit January 1st, and whilst I do really need to shift a few pounds (plus a few more), it's more about looking after myself than anything else. I always struggle talking about my IBD issues - bowel problems is pretty embarrassing after all - and although I'm lucky it's not so severe, I still get flare ups which bring with them a whole host of symptoms. I've learnt that sleeping it off helps, despite being plagued with guilt for missing work, but it's taking better care of myself that's the overall key. Fear not, I'm not going full on cabbage soup. It's all about balance, right? And there's plenty of fun to be had, so I'm determined not to miss out...

At the end of last year, Time Out published their list of the 100 Best Dishes in London, and with a pal we've decided to try and eat as many of them as possible. I've managed to tick a few off over the years already; BBQ-spiced crispy pigs' ears at Duck & Waffle, salt beef beigel at Brick Lane Beigel Bake, bacon naan roll at Dishoom, a custard doughnut at St John Maltby, pappardelle with beef shin ragù at Padella, confit pork bao at Bao and that EPIC Reuben sandwich at Monty’s Deli. I wonder how far we'll get.

The Chap and I have a few places in the pipeline already, starting with The Bell Inn Langford at the end of this month. After receiving such high praise from Giles Coren in The Times at the weekend, ‘On the final day of 2017, I had not just the best mouthful of the year, but the best mouthful of my life’, I imagine it'll now be rather tricky to get a table! The Mousetrap Inn in Bourton on the Water has also been on the cards for a long time, finally we've booked in for Feb - cheers Frank! 

March sees The Chap's birthday, where we'll be celebrating at Le Champignon Sauvage followed by a jaunt to Hereford. BEEFY BOYS. I've heard only good things about those burgers; Instagram has been teasing me with them all year. And there's a trip to Manchester planned for April too, where I expect there'll be a weekend of good eats and drinks. I'm on the hunt for recommendations if any of you have some, though I've already located a Sherry bar. Yes Shez!

It's the big 3-0 in June; how has that happened? So obviously a month of merriment is required. So far all I've narrowed down is going to Bristol and hitting up Box-E; a pint sized restaurant in a shipping container at Wapping Wharf.

Bristol's one of those places I yearn for. It's not far away, and cheap enough to get to, but it's finding the time to fit it in that's the issue. I'm desperate to get myself to Asado to try one of Lucien's mega burgers, Root for more plant based foods, and Swoon for some of the best gelato around.

Locally, I'm still yet to get to The Coconut Tree, and now they've opened up in Oxford and soon in Bristol, it's become a matter of urgency! Cocktails and spicy Sri Lankan food; why haven't I been? The relatively new Korean place down Cheltenham's Lower High Street, Ginger & Garlic, is somewhere I have been to though. The beef bulgogi hot pot was incredible, but I'm itching to go back to try their other dishes, all with a healthy supply of kimchi.

With 100 dishes to try and scoff in London, I also have a list of places I'd like to get to, which is bound to increase throughout the year:

• The Pilgrm - to stay in those BEAUTIFUL rooms and have cocktails in the lounge.
• Little Duck Picklery - from the team behind Duck Soup and Raw Duck, a fermenting kitchen and eatery. 
• Santo Remedio - Mexican in London Bridge. I want to try the guacamole with grasshoppers!
• Londrino - for a taste of Portugal. 
• Xu - the guys from Bao with gorgeous Taiwanese dishes. All of them my way thanks.
• Duddell's - for that Peking duck and goldfish shaped dim sum.
• Winemakers Deptford - good food and good wine. 

And one final thing. After looking at all my posts from last year, shamefully every single one was from where I'd been invited to do a review, or part of a bloggers event. A free meal isn't what I started doing this for. It's a perk - sure- and gives great exposure to new openings or new menus, but I do question having a whole host of bloggers posting about the same place at the same time. I'm not a brand or treat my blog as a business, I just bloody love food and drink. I'd be a fool to turn down excellent opportunities - I won't be doing that - but I'm going to consciously make more of an effort to post about the places I go to and pay for with my hard earned cash (99% of the time). With a quieter and less expensive year than last, this I think I can do. 

2018, let's be having you! 

Indian Fine Dining in Cheltenham: Prithvi

Prithvi is one of those places that's on every local food lovers bucket list. It's the swish Indian restaurant that won't fill your letterbox with takeaway leaflets, won't give you shoddily made curry, and certainly won't let you order chips as a side for your main (not that I'm a chip-o-phobe or anything).

Despite being so unassuming, it's the place that everyone in town talks about. The place at the top of most Cotswold based 'best restaurant' lists. The place in all the national food guides. The place that is notoriously hard to get a table at on a weekend... Essentially, it's the place.

Although I've been on a handful of occasions (see my post from '14), every time I walk past I find myself peering in at the lucky diners sitting in the window, desperately trying to see what they're eating. It's no good. I never get there at the right time. I only ever see empty plates - sigh - or people casually quaffing their wines - jealous - and the blinds are always drawn to the perfect height so I can't see any further in - humph. Still, it makes the green-eyed monster in me hungry for another visit and at the end of last year my luck came in.

You've probably seen all the posts from various local bloggers about 'Lunch with Prithvi' already - I hope you're not bored of reading about it - but because I couldn't attend the event, I did get an invite to return for dinner at a later date. Side note: Tuesdays and Wednesdays often have availability if you want to avoid the wait.

Prithvi has had a spruce up since our last visit - new furnishings, jazzy carpets, classy wallpaper - and it feels much better for it. Greeted by the owner Jay as you walk in, it all just makes sense. He's young, softly spoken but sharply dressed. There's not a thing out of place - both on him and the restaurant - with all the staff moving like clockwork. Seamless and suave, not stuffy.

The Chap and I hastily ordered a glass of the Brut Rosé fizz from Luxembourg (£8) recommended by the guys over the road at The Grape Escape (best place for pre dinner drinkies FYI), and then decided that we'd splurge on the wine flight to accompany the tasting menu. The only way to do it, right?

Appetisers arrive. A Quaver-like rice cracker with crispy kale and a cinnamon, mango and chilli gel, followed by panipuri; hollow chickpea puffs filled with spiced chickpeas and a fresh chutney. A tart tamarind sauce was poured in then down in one (as instructed). A whole host of textures and tastes, I'd order more if I could.

First course was pan-fried sea bass, white truffle oil, smoked tomato and mulli salad paired with Fess Parker Santa Barbara County Chardonnay, California 2014. The truffle hits you first with the spice creeping in after - an interesting combo which gets revisited later - but we couldn't help but feel that the fish was overcooked. Crispy skin, yaaaasss, but as the piece of fish was so flat, it was just a little dry. The wine match was the redeeming feature, no surprise considering my love of Cali Chards; the smoked tomato hit it off with the oakiness and the flavours lingered long after the last mouthful.

Next was tandoor Welsh lamb, cous cous and legumes with another USA wine, Smoking Loon Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, California 2013. Blushing lamb, so tender, with a green coriander sauce to add extra oomph. The dark berried wine was another good pairing, soft with subtle cedary notes bringing out the nuttiness of the cous cous.

Upping the game, Newent chicken, wild mushroom, whole coriander, anise sauce with sultana and almond rice. So succulent, and with the jewelled rice and glossy sauce it actually felt richer than the lamb. Never underestimate the chicken dish.

As for the wine, Jay tested us out with a few. Firstly, Domaine Roger-Joseph Belland Les Champs-Gains, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru, France. An absolute beaut Burgundy, big with complexity, and with the buttery chicken alone would have ticked all the boxes. However, as soon as the fragrant anise made itself known, then it all got rather lost. It had spice, just without heat, yet we still agreed that it craved a wine with some sweetness. Jay then brought us over the Charles Sparr Gewurztraminer “Tradition”, Alsace, and the Werner ‘Annaberg’ Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, to try side by side with the dish. Styles you'd probably find us drinking on a weekend anyway, and like choosing children it was a tough choice. Both awesome, but the sweet spice and floral notes of the Gewurz did it for me. Save the Riesling for something hotter.

The star attraction was venison, butternut squash, ginger and cinnamon reduction served with a truffle oil naan bread. Indian and truffle aren't a likely coupling, but having it twice in one night has made me think otherwise, and truffle naan breads should definitely be a thing. Definitely. Chunks of rare venison and squash scream Autumn/Winter, and with a generous pour of the punchy ginger sauce, they'd well and truly been given the Prithvi magic touch. My one qualm would be the fact that our meat portions weren't quite even. I got the better deal with two thick pieces, but The Chap had one thick and one thin. Ah well. Quickly forgotten about whilst sipping the Pacifico Sur Carmenere Reserva, Curico Valley, Chile 2015, full of blackcurrants and black pepper.

The Tour of Prithvi ended with Passion fruit cream, mango gel, coriander and honey crumble. I think we're all more accustomed to an After Eight being brought out with the bill, but here we had an assortment of sweet treats. Fresh and fruity, with cream to soothe those taste buds and coriander to add a herbal citrus note; we're still in an Indian restaurant after all. Lenz Moser Prestige Beerenauslese, Burgenland, Austria, was our final wine of the night. Equally sweet with velvety honey notes to tie in with dessert. Happy endings.

Whilst we're not short of fine dining options in The Cotswolds, nor places to scoff a Ruby Murray on a Friday night for that matter, the unique line that Prithvi draws between the two certainly is something rather special. The food and service sure have gone up a notch or two since our last visit, so it's no surprise that tables are still so sought after and the dishes remain memorable.

Jay's pride beams throughout, making it an utter joy to experience everything that is Prithvi. Let's just keep our fingers crossed for more truffle naans when we return.

Prithvi is open for dinner Tuesday - Saturday and lunch on Thursday and Saturday. The tasting menu is £53pp, and they reopen from their annual holiday on January 19th. Get booking!

Smokey Phi Phi Thai Street Barbecue at The Railway Cheltenham

I think it's fair to say that Cheltenham's not short of a watering hole or two. There are pubs and bars aplenty, with cafes and coffee shops even offering some booze options now. But what about the food? Many places just seem to serve your average pub grub; there'll be claims of being the best burger in town (it's not), and most dishes come with chips (I'll let them have that - we all love chips). Essentially it's inexpensive (though not always value for money) stodge to soak up the few-too-many post-work pints. Or, if you're lucky, you might find somewhere with stone baked pizzas, 'cause that's a thing now.

The places which stand out are those which play it a little differently, and The Railway was one such place. A lovely pub, a little off the beaten track, down the lower end of the High Street… Behind Waitrose, darling! For years it had been known for it's Sausage Kitchen where you could choose from a variety of sausages, different mashes and a selection of gravies. They even did a sausage roast dinner on a Sunday, kind of like having pigs in blankets - sans blankets - all rear round.

Recently they made the decision to change. I was shocked, as were many, because they had their USP and they were doing it well. That's all we ask for. But then I though to myself, when was the last time that I actually went to The Railway for food?... Quite a few years ago it would seem... Bingo. We all knew it was there, we all knew what to expect, we all knew it was good, but at the same time we're all guilty of chasing the new, exciting places popping up elsewhere in town. Is this why they decided to shake things up a little? Most likely.

The Railway's new venture is Smokey Phi Phi's Thai Street Barbecue. Quite similar to The Vine that does stonkingly good Thai classics on the cheap (I'm guessing they're linked), but here we have hot, smoky, fragrant Thai street food. Think lots of finger foods, with dips and sauces galore, bigger sharing dishes and numerous sides. As with most small plate places, things come out of the kitchen as and when they're ready; it's all about sharing and eating the food when it's at its best.

Last month a whole host of local bloggers were invited to try some of the new dishes from Smokey Phi Phi's kitchen. The menu changes daily though, so what we had that night might not be what you'll be able to get on your visit - and you should visit!

Small plates (£2-6) included rice paper rolls packed full of fresh herbs, veg, noodles and tofu, with a sesame soy dipping sauce. Charred and smoked vegetables (they use applewood and oak), which whilst lovely, were covered in a super spicy sauce that was too hot for most people on our table. Little nuggets of crispy pork belly with chilli sauce, gone in seconds, and chilli chicken wings. Yeah, yeah, everyone has chicken wings on their menu now, but these aren't the Americanised Buffalo kind; they're sweet and salty thanks to that Thai fave, fish sauce. A good contender for best wings in town. The standout for me though was the grilled sriraja prawns with chilli and lime dip. Messy business peeling off those blackened shells, but oh man.

Whilst we all got carried away grazing at the small dishes, the large plates (up to £15) are not to be ignored. Smoked marinated pork shoulder steak, which was juicy enough on its own, but came with a tangy tamarind dipping sauce that made it even better. The whole crispy sea bass with an eastern herb salad looked awesome, but was surprisingly my least favourite. Crispy skin - tick - but the fish was a little over cooked with not enough sauce or salad to remedy it. Some tweaking and the bass will be back in the game.  

The smoked sirloin with lemongrass and chilli salad was breath-taking, literally. There's some serious spice in that one, but with such fresh, clean flavours coating every strip of steak I couldn't leave it alone. A dish to blow away the cobwebs *mops brow*. The winner of the night was without question the smoked pork belly rendang. A big piece of pork belly, which you have to portion up yourselves - crackling n'all - in a soul-soothing coconut based sauce. Not as punchy in the heat department, but rich, aromatic and oh so good.  Parcels of sticky rice and bowls of coconut rice were a good accompaniment - sides are £2-5 - but the rotis were where it's at. Perfect for scooping up the leftover rending sauce.

With no Thai Green Curry or Pad Thai in sight, The Railway has found its new niche. The food is interesting, and daily menu changes will keep it from going stale. I can see Smokey Phi Phi's Thai Street Barbecue being a hit... What sausages anyway?