We all jumped into a taxi that delivered us to The Old Schoolhouse Inn. I hadn’t visited for many many years and was delighted to see that the original restaurant has been upgraded and that eight luxury rooms are now available. The Old Schoolhouse is just a stone’s throw from Strangford Lough and yet only a 20 minute drive from Belfast. I was excited to try the menu, created by award-winning chef Will Brown in their Michelin Bib Gourmand, 2 AA Rosette restaurant.
While we perused the menu, Claire ordered a selection of snacks for the table to share. Pork scratchings with juniper, whitebait with sauce, beef tartare and cod with oyster emulsion. A delicious array of tastes and flavours. I have to give a shout out to the pork scratchings which were unlike anything I have ever tasted . They were light and crispy and totally different to the fatty stuff I have been served before.
For starters, I chose the Helen’s Bay onion tart with walnut and cheddar and Mr. Eating Ideas opted for the Foie Gras, chicken liver pate with picalilli and brioche. I loved my tart and in particular the tangy pickled walnuts while the pate was declared to be delicious. Both came served with wheaten bread and brown butter. Our mains were equally well received. I opted for the flat iron beef, mushroom pie, a kind of deconstructed pie with the pastry on the side. Perfect for me as I’m not the biggest lover of pastry. Mr. EI ordered the Mourne Mountain lamb loin, onion and garden beetroot, perfect local fayre! All came served with a selection of Schoolhouse chips, Comber potatoes and Fraser’s farm vegetables. For puddings we opted to share the Millionaire’s shortbread and the house special souffle which was quite simply extraordinary and light as air! At the end of the meal we were delighted when Chef Will and team members joined us to say hello!
