Restaurant Details

So, when summer finally arrived this week I ventured out to the picturesque Mill set on the banks of the River Nene on the outskirts of historic Oundle.

The Mill itself was, until 1947, a fully working watermill, milling flour. It was converted to a restaurant in 1969 and finally opened for business in November 1972.

Today it is run by managers Neil and Lisa Stewart, who took over at the helm almost eight years ago.

Not only does The Mill serve food and drinks seven days a week, it also offers other services such as bespoke ironwork garden furniture, climbing frames and wine racks. All ironwork is designed and built by “Oldcrow” Ironworks and can be found on display throughout the grounds and building.

The extensive menu has plenty to cater for all tastes – be it vegetarian, Mexican, Italian, or a variation on a theme of typical English pub grub.

There’s also a children’s menu with puzzles and dot-to-dot to keep them out of mischief.

We dined on the middle floor of the Mill in La Trattoria. This had the solid oak beams, thick stone walls and – be warned – very low ceilings.

It would probably be nice for a candlelit dinner for two, but in my opinion it’s a little too dark inside – almost to the extent that you can barely see what you’re eating.

From here you can view the water mill through an interesting large circular glass-covered feature.

For starters my friend chose the baked camembert which was a whole baby camembert baked with rosemary, served with honey and salad garnish (£5.95).

She was a little shocked when the baby cheese turned out to be a full-sized one which filled the plate, and suggested a tomato or onion relish would be a better complement to the dish.

I opted for a starter plate of nachos baked with vegetable chilli and cheese, topped with sour cream. (£4.55).

This was absolutely delicious with a spicy chilli which included courgettes, aubergine, peppers and swede. But it barely left me room for my main course of the famous Mill Fishcakes (£8.95). These were homemade with smoked haddock, seasoned potato and dill, tossed in breadcrumbs then deep fried until golden brown. They were cooked perfectly and served with a nice salad and a huge bowl of chunky chips.

My friend opted for the Tex-Mex blackened chicken (£8.95) which was breast of chicken marinated with lemon juice and Cajun spices then chargrilled, served with sour cream, onion rings, chips and salad garnish. She said the chicken was really succulent and tasty but like me, she struggled to make any serious headway on it after the huge starters.

We sent our compliments to the chef for the evening, Chris Davy, who coped admirably with a sudden rush on diners. Bearing in mind a Monday night is usually quite quiet, an unexpected group of 16 turned up around 8.30pm, all wanting to eat, bringing the total covers for that evening to 40.

We were tempted by the desserts but decided to pass. There was a nice range available though, for £3.75 each, including fresh fruit salad, sticky toffee pudding and hot chocolate fudge cake.

The Granary restaurant is located on the top floor and roof of The Mill. It is currently only used for private functions and weddings for up to 50 guests.

During the summer months meals are also served on Nene Terrace, the open air eating area overlooking the River Nene.

Bookings are available here during the week but at the weekend tables are allocated on a first come, first served policy only, unless you have a party of six or more.

Sadly, with lots of steps inside, the grade two listed Mill can’t really cater for disabled visitors very well at the moment, but plans for improvements on this level are in the pipeline.

Car parking definitely isn’t an issue however, as there’s plenty of spaces next to The Mill and many more in the overspill car park further down the grounds.

RATING : 4*

FACTS

Menu examples

Starters
Smoked Sliced Duck Salad (£5.55).
Whitebait (£4.55).
Soup of the Day (£3.25).

Main Courses
Braised knuckle of pork finished in the oven with red wine and onions on a sizzle platter with salad and garlic bread. (£13.95)

Fish Dishes
Black Bean Salmon – fillet of salmon baked in the oven with a black bean sauce served on a bed of rice. (£10.95).

Vegetarian
Hollumi Salad – baked slices of Cypriot cheese on a bed of seasonal salad with sweet chilli dip and bread. (£8.55)

Tex-Mex
Chimichanga – pieces of chicken in a spicy cheese sauce, wrapped in a flour tortilla, deep fried and topped with cheese. Served on a bed of rice with salad. (£9.95)

Lunch Mon-Sun, noon to 2pm; dinner Mon-Fri, 6.30pm to 9pm, Sat, 6.30pm to 9.30pm; Sun 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

Details correct at 30 July 2004