What can you buy for half a million pounds these days?
For local businessmen Richard Brosenitz and Roger Mann, converting the former Windmill & Turnpike pub in Dunnington into a sleek, modern restaurant called Twine & Barrel was enough.
Newly opened on the A1079, T&B (or T&B for short) has impressive culinary credentials, with former BBC MasterChef finalist Dan Graham leading the kitchen team.
Our large venue with ample parking offers all-day dining, Sunday lunch and a bar menu. We had pre-booked for Sunday lunch and there were 4 people spanning 3 generations.
My teenage daughter is on a vegan diet and on the short car journey from central York to Dunnington, she got grumpy as there wasn't much to eat in the pub (see online (I was reading the menu). However, upon arrival the waitress informed us that there was a vegan offer. Admittedly, it wasn't the most adventurous option, but my daughter was soothed and enjoyed each dish.
The pub is divided into several areas where you can eat and drink. We sat in the bright and airy glass extension at the back. A radiator under the window sill kept us comfortable throughout our meal.
But take a stroll through the pub. The interior is nice and the back room on the way to the toilets is a nice contrast to the bright dining room. Here you'll find dark wood, cozy furniture and plenty of tartan in beautiful shades of purple, all carefully crafted by local designer Rachel McLean (who was responsible for the look of The Star in the City). I am. I especially liked the wallpaper with bookshelves that gave the room an old library feel.
Let's get back to talking about food. The lunch menu, served from noon to 7 p.m., includes a choice of four appetizers, six mains, and four desserts. Prices are set individually and also range from £20 for two courses to £25 for three courses.
Judging rules required us to sample a variety of dishes, so there was quite a bit of haggling over who would eat what. No one was interested in the soup, but the other three options were equally appealing to all of us. Twice Baked Fountains Gold Cheese Soufflé with Spinach and Chive Cream Sauce, Smoked Salmon and Granary Bread.
Luckily, all three were delicious, but my husband Nick gave me special praise for the soufflé, saying it was “beautiful and light and had great flavour.”
My father-in-law couldn't fault the ham dish. The meat was a generous size, tender in texture, and well-salted. It was dreamy with thick, tangy piccalilli that I thought was homemade.
My smoked salmon starter was excellent, elevated above the ordinary by the mouth-watering mustard and dill dressing. I had to ask for more bread to eat it, but this arrived quickly with butter.
Moving on to the mains, Nick opted for a traditional roast, opting for pork rather than beef or turkey. The standout part of this dish was the gravy. It was dark, shiny, and terribly salty, and Nick couldn't have praised it more. The pork was so thickly cut that Nick thought it was a little overcooked. However, the Yorkshire pudding and accompanying vegetables were perfect.
Grandpa Mike picked another winner with his sublime dish of baked corn-fed chicken with truffle mash and a pancetta-shallot sauce. According to him, everything was cooked perfectly and the plates remained clean.
I also tried a vegetable dish called cauliflower risotto with roasted cauliflower and cauliflower tempura, but at the last minute I switched to grilled salmon en croute. I had no regrets. This was another fun dish. Fleshy pink fish chunks covered in dill, a super-thin pastry casing and slathered in a creamy lemon and parsley sauce. I really enjoyed the heaping pile of crushed potatoes on the side, which I further mashed with the sauce to create something delicious in just a small forkful.
We were full after two rounds, except for grandpa who had apple crumble and custard. This was quite delicious. The Bramley apple was boiled to Mr Kipling-like spookiness and covered in a crunchy topping. I liked how the custard came in a separate jug and how the sauce was sprinkled with vanilla flecks.
Overall, we liked T&B and decided to come back. The bill for the four of us was £92 including drinks, which we thought was reasonable.
The service was great and friendly. However, like many places, I was made to wait ages to finally pay the bill, which was a bit of a bummer for me.
T&B will definitely contribute to local revitalization. As well as offering a new bar and restaurant, there is also a dedicated event space with Wi-Fi connectivity available for business meetings, functions, workshops, special occasions and private parties.
The team behind this venture deserve praise and our support for bringing an old pub back to life. With pubs closing at record levels, this must be a move in the right direction.
Twine & Barrel, Hull Road, Dunnington, York, YO19 5LP
Phone: 01904 488227
W:twineandbarrel.com
Food: Delicious 4/5
Atmosphere: Modern 4/5
Service: Friendly 4/5
Value: Good 3.5/5
Reviews are independent and meals are paid for by the press.
