The Marwood, Worcester

THOUSANDS of loving couples will dine out this weekend, raising their champagne glasses to St Valentine.

The Marwood in Worcester would be ideal for a romantic meal but more importantly than that it is the perfect place to rekindle your love affair with food.

It is a Georgian building of two halves; walk through the front door and you’ll find yourself in a noisy, bustling bar, but go further back and you’ll find a cosy restaurant with warm decor, an intimate ambience and five-star service.

Being seated next to the lavatory/staff room wasn’t great, but it did not detract much from the evening as a whole and, having already sneaked a peak at the Marwood’s online menu, we dived right into ordering.

To start I chose the confit duck potato cake, topped with a soft poached egg and mustard dressing (£6.25). The consistency of the cake was not unpleasant, but not exactly nice. That said the taste was phenomenal. Almost every bite was followed by an attention drawing ‘mmmm’, much to the dismay of my fellow diner.

She had plumped for the leek and poached haddock gratin with oak smoked old Worcester cheese and chicory salad (£6.60). The strong flavours were freshened up by the chicory and it went down well. A larger portion would have been too overpowering.

My main course of char-grilled smoked belly of pork, slowroasted red onion, purple sprouting broccoli and cider sauce (£14.95) was equally mouthwatering. The two goodsized portions of pork belly were bursting with flavour; both smoky and sweet.

My friend’s pan-fried bream served with crevette and spinach linguine and a crème fraîche sauce (£14.95), was aromatic and with a nice crisp skin. The fine pasta, which was mixed with prawns, was the ideal accompaniment for the fish and the sauce was just enough. The words “perfect dish” were uttered.

We shared portions of winter vegetables (£2.99) and fat chips (£2.99 and as unhealthy as they sound).

Pudding was the kind of culinary experience I could rave about for the next 12 months. It was hands down one of the best rhubarb crumbles (£5.95) we have ever tasted. The smooth custard was delicately flavoured with vanilla and, as if I needed any more convincing, the whole dish came beautifully presented on a slate slab.

If ever I bordered on becoming a ‘foodie’ it was while dining at the Marwood. Cupid, take aim. I am officially in love.

The total bill came to £60.98, including drinks.

HOW IT RATED

Food: ★★★★★
Service: ★★★★★
Value for money: ★★★★✩
Ambience: ★★★★✩