The Loch and The Tyne: New Life in Old Windsor

The Loch and The Tyne: New Life in Old Windsor

The Loch and The Tyne: New Life in Old Windsor – You might have heard of Adam Handling? He’s the multi-award-winning chef who cooked for the G7 Summit in Cornwall this summer.  He started his career at Gleneagles, since when he has achieved a stratospheric rise and developed an enviable culinary reputation, as well as his restaurant empire. He recently took over a pub with rooms in Old Windsor, and put two of his chefs in as co-proprietors: hence the name the Loch & the Tyne (Jonny McNeil and Steven Kerr, who hail from Scotland and Newcastle respectively).  It’s only been open a few months, and already gleaned a raft of rave reviews I decided to check it out.

And am I glad I did! Once we’d found the place (it’s in Crimp Hill but signage isn’t very clear, so if you plan to go, check the illustrations on the website so you know what to look for!) We were welcomed warmly by the front of house team, headed up extremely professionally by the lovely GM Karolina. 

Everything about The Loch & The Tyne is rooted in ‘Sustainable British luxury’, with attention to detail in every corner and personal touches throughout. Service was exemplary and they have achieved a rarity: relaxed, friendly, yet top-notch attention to customers’ needs. The venue is the perfect countryside location with wonderful views over fields that we were told belong to Sir Elton John, no less! 

It’s a pub, a restaurant and there are also two bedrooms available.  Behind the pub is a large open-air terrace overlooking the kitchen garden, which was brimming with lots of healthy-looking herbs and veg. The restaurant interior has exposed brickwork, original fireplaces and mahogany tables with tartan-upholstered chairs. An adjacent bar area is a relaxed place for anyone looking just to indulge in bar snacks and a pint.

We started with a glass of the house English fizz, a bespoke blend by Gusbourne that was not only delicious but also well priced at £9 a glass. A range of snacks is offered, including cheese doughnuts and also sourdough with chicken butter – both well priced at £5.  Reader, these were fabulous, but be warned, you could easily overindulge in these and spoil your appetite for the wonderful dishes to follow!  I never thought chicken skin could be presented in such a novel but delicious way!

The Loch and The Tyne: New Life in Old Windsor

We shared starters: one was ‘Mother’ (salt-baked celeriac, apple, dates and black truffle) and the other was salmon, caviar, crème fraiche, fennel pollen.  I was in foodie heaven as both were excellent, but ‘Mother’ was the ‘mother of all starters’ as far as I was concerned.  For mains, we chose salt-aged lamb rump with black radish and goat’s cheese.  This was well presented and proportioned and beautifully tender.  Our other main was poached cod with smoked mussels and sea herbs, also delicious and perfectly cooked.  

A good range of wines, including many by the glass, is available, again sensibly priced, and – like the whole concept of the place – with a strong emphasis on British produce.  Despite initially declining a pudding, we were persuaded to share a cooling caramel soft serve ice cream with honeycomb and salted peanuts.  Not being a fan of honeycomb, I managed (and enjoyed) a good taste of the rest of the portion, while my lunch companion struggled to remove the honeycomb from her teeth! 

The Loch & The Tyne also offers a great value Sunday lunch (£45 for two courses, £55 for three).

Adam and the team have created a great pub and restaurant that will appeal to locals and tourists alike and looks set to be a popular destination on the foodie map. I thoroughly recommend it, and it’s worth adding to your itinerary if visiting Windsor!  If you plan to go by train, the nearest station is Datchet, rather than Windsor.

And (subject of course to us not being forced into yet another lockdown) it’s open on Christmas Day, but I’d urge you to book soon. Further information is on the restaurant website lochandtyne.com and on the link here

The Seasoned Gastronome

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