After recently visiting this area on holiday I learned a few tips and tricks to avoid being left with no food to eat so here it is ... My full guide including all my opinions on the restaurants I tried whilst I was there.
HOLIDAY TIPS AND TRICKS
Before getting into all my reviews I thought I would include some tips I follow when going on holiday to make sure its easy for me and my family to find places to eat at!
PACK SNACKS- Now I know this is harder when going abroad but if your travelling by car this ones definitely for you, especially if your staying for a longer period of time pack some easy foods that you could have as snack or even breakfast options for when you get hungry.
(Here are some of my favourites to pack when going away- full reviews can be seen on my instagram page!)
RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH- It is key to put research in to the available near by gluten free options as this prevents you from getting stuck when considering meals out or quick and easy lunches (make sure you record these options, this could be done on the notes app on your phone with possible screenshots of the restaurant adresses).
KNOW WHAT YOU LIKE- This one might sound a bit peculiar but knowing the foods and settings you like can be really important as this saves you from trying something and not liking it and then have nothing else to eat especially when you have little time to eat maybe before a sport or trip. As good as it is to try new things knowing the flavours you like is key as this can lead to really positive food experiences.
KNOW YOUR FAVOURITE BRANDS- Know the brands you like and don't like, this helps me all the time when trying to get quick food as I can identify the brands I do like and choose these which saves time and you get to eat something you know you enjoy.
(Above are a selection of my favourite snacks to pack when going away and snacking at home to where full reviews can be accessed on my instagram page!)
DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK- If your unsure wether there are gluten free options don't be afraid to ask, you never know what the staff could offer you if you ask them what is available to you.
RESTAURANT BREAK DOWN
Whilst their are few restaurants in the main barton on sea area the ones that are they're range in price and availability of options, from options of sandwich's to three course meals the range is endless. As well as in the main barton on sea area there are a few options in the surrounding area, both with possible shops to buy food from as well as restaurants. I'm going to detail a few of these restaurants and try to give you an overview of the food that they serve and how I felt after trying there products.
1- PIZZA AND MORE
Both with an online deliveroo presence and an in shop presence this little restaurant was a perfect place to pick up a quick and easy dinner! Serving a range of Judes ice creams (one of my fave ice cream brands) as well as fish and chips and pizza available gluten free to, I was spoiled for choice. They also offer to make milkshakes out of any ice cream flavour you want them to just double check the toppings you ask them to use and the flavours you choose! I tried there pizza, fish and chips and cheesy chips whilst I was there though they had other options including a range of available burgers.
In addition to amazing food the staff were really helpful and the setting was beautiful as it overlooked a view of the sea. I'm going to give a mini breakdown into each of the meals that I tried and let you know what I thought. If you try any of their other dishes let me know what you thought as I would be really interested to see your opinioun!
HAWAIN PIZZA - 8/10
They offered a wide selection of pizzas all of which could be made gluten free, including vegetarian and meaty options. Both times that I chose the Pizza I went for a gluten free Hawaiian pizza with no ham so basically a pineapple and cheese pizza :) The pizza bases were super crispy and no soggy bottoms yay! Loaded with homemade tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and pineapple they were super delicious! However I think that there may have been a little bit too much cheese now I know what your thinking how can there be too much cheese? Well I found that it overwhelmed the flavour of the source and and the lovely crispy base however that's just my personal opinion if you love cheesy pizzas these will be perfect for you.
This pizza was especially amazing for me as the first time I had it I had just finished a cookery class at James Martins restaurant (It was amazing a class all about spice we made a chicken curry and lentil Dahl, available classes can be found on there website), I had been cooking for two and a half hours surviving on my breakfast this pizza was much needed and enjoyed along with a delicious milkshake to!
Ranging from £9.95 to £13.95 these pizzas were both inexpensive and delicous!
FISH AND CHIPS
They had gluten free fish and chips available made with cod! And they were delicious I also requested for them to be served with cheesy chips even tho this was not an option on the menu and they happily agreed. As well as this I love to eat absolutely anything with pesto so when we asked if they could give us a small pot of it they happily agreed, although the waiting time was quite extended they offered to give us a complementary ice cream to make up for it!
The fish was soft with a contrasting crunchy batter surrounding it, it was delicious, and the middle of the chips were soft and fluffy with beautifully melted cheese and crispy exterior they are some of the best cheesy chips I've ever had! I thought the fish was a 7/10 and the chips a 9/10 being only £8.55 they were defiantly worth there price.
MILKSHAKES- 9/10
One of my favourite features that they had to offer was there make your own milkshake station, choosing one of the five base flavours, an ice cream flavour and any toppings that you want they are incredible! Just double check your topping choice as they are all stored separately but some are not gluten free. Both the times I visited pizza and more for a milkshake I made a honeycomb milkshake with a vanilla base, honeycomb ice cream topped with whipped cream and a flake it was delicious!
I'd love to go back and try there other combinations as the milkshake was super thick and creamy and made for the perfect treat. I love how customisable the options are as you can really make it into a milkshake you know you'll enjoy, possibly even using some of your favourite flavours! A definat 9/10 for me being both delicious and customisable, whilst £3.40 may be a little bit expensive for me they were definetly worth the price.
ICE CREAM- 8/10
Though it was Judes ice cream which I have enjoyed many times prior to visiting pizza and more this experience broadened my opportunity of trying a wide variety of flavours. I got to try the Judes honeycomb which is one of my favourite ice cream flavours as well as there chocolate. They had a wide selection of other options to such as lemon sorbet, salted caramel, vanilla and strawberries and cream.
They even had doggie ice cream on sale to and if Judes ice cream isn't your thing tubs of ben and Jerrys were also available (changes so check in store for gf info). Ice cream could be served in a tub with up to 2 or 3 scoops and any toppings you wanted to! The ice cream is super smooth and creamy with a punchy flavour it definitely hit the need for ice cream after long walks on the beach. For about £3 they were definitely holiday ice cream price, but very worth it for the amount and quality of ice cream.
2- THE JETTY
Overlooking an alcove of water where a variety of water sports were taking place the jetty had the perfect location! With large glass windows overlooking the water we had a beautiful view, again here the staff were lovely and really catered to our individual needs. Being a primarily fish based restaurant there were a lot of options which I had never heard of or tried before. When we asked about gluten free they said most things on the menu were gluten free or could be made gluten free.
They even had gluten free bread on offer bought to the table before the starter enjoyed with smooth butter that was delicious. Slices of gluten free white bread were toasted and didn't taste like any other brand I have tired before, so they were amazing. If you do look into the jetty a booking is required before you are able to dine at the restaurant. Now for a full breakdown of the two dishes I enjoyed:
CHEESE SOUFFLÉ - 6/10
So this was able to be made gluten free and seeing as I had never tried one before I thought I would give it a go. Conclusion: I don't think I am a fan of soufflé. Personally I am not overly keen on egg so this reminded me a little bit to much of scrambled egg, However it was coated in the gooiest cheese layer which I enjoyed paired with the soufflé but I don't think I could eat it by itself.
(The soufflés must have been good, couldn't photograph before we started eating and the bread was served with a cup of tomato soup)
However if this is your thing then it was full of flavour with a slightly crisp outside and super soft middle. They even had the option to add haddock or choose a lobster soufflé which my dad chose and said was lovely. There was a considerable amount of soufflé for £9.95 and had an exquisite depth of flavour to!
FISH AND CHIPS- 8.5/10
For my main I decided to choose battered cod served with chips, mushy peas and tartar sauce along with a side of broccoli because I love it. The cod was cooked to perfection with a middle of delicately soft fish covered in a super crisped and golden brown batter it was incredible. I tried three different gluten free fish and chips while I was visiting barton on sea and this one definitely had the best batter! Alongside the fish the chips were cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside and super fluffy in the middle.
Dipping in tartar sauce which I didn't expect to love so much, it was full of flavour and made for the perfect combination with my fish. I didn't try the mushy peas because I'm not a fan but my mum said they were delicious with a slight citrus undertone. As well as my fish and chips I ordered broccoli on the side covered in a citrus juice and chilli oil it was smothered in flavour and was one of my favourite parts to the meal.
3- THE CLIFF HOUSE
A short walk from were we were staying this was the perfect location for a dinner option, we called and booked the day of only a few hours before we wanted to go in for dinner. The staff were again really friendly and welcoming, letting us no all the possible allergen options once we asked alongside the menu that had gluten free clearly labelled.
They had a large selection of choices with a range of fish, meat and veggie options to choose from alongside there selection of drinks to including some of the best moktails!
STARTER IE BRUSSETA- 6.5/10
For my starter I chose to have brusseta where they used a slice of gluten free bread topped with onion chutney and slices of seasonal tomatoes. Though I thought I'd enjoy this more, the tomatoes came sliced on the bread with to much chutney for me personally as I found it very sweet.
With all these toppings the bread became slightly soggy even though it was toasted however the combination of balsamic vinegar with tomatoes and onion made for a dreamy sweet and sour combo. So overall it was an enjoyed starter that readied me for my main meal and went alongside my mocktail nicely. I think that for £6.50 I would give this brusheta a 6.5/10 as it wasn't my favourite way to eat this particular dish.
MAIN- BATTERED HADDOCK AND CHIPS- 9/10
This dinner was incredible! They had a range of gluten free clearly identified options on the menu with this fish being one of them. They predominantly offered a range of fish and meats but there were some go vegan options too! Though some of the dishes were not labeled as gluten free simple swaps could be made to accommodate for example with my brusheta which was also one of the vegan options I just had to ask if they had gluten free bread available.
Personally I've never tried battered haddock before and to my surprise I preferred it over the usual battered cod, the batter was super crisp and crunchy with the soft flavourful fish in the middle it made for a delicious combination. It was also my first try of tartar sauce which I really enjoyed and found it went with the fish beautifully complementing both it's texture and it's flavour. Along with the fish, mushy peas were served which I didn't try because im never really a fan of mushy peas and chips which were delicious, slightly crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy in the middle they were the perfect paring the go with the fish.
Upon request I also asked for some pesto as it is my go to sauce recently, and there pesto did not disappoint, thick and full of flavour I was able to dip my chips happily into two different sauces. Though this dish is £15.50 increasingly more than the average fish and chips I think the price was true to the size and complexity of the dish as well as the setting of the restaurant overlooking the sea as it is near the edge of a cliff.
DESSERT- BROWNIE - 8/10
Now ordering this I was a little nervous as I am a true warm brownie lover and don't like it any other way, so when I ordered the brownie that did not specify its tempurature I was a little nervous. But the consumption of brownie is all for you guys so that we could achieve a holistic view of the cliff house and the dishes it has to offer.
I was pleasantly surprised when the brownie arrived warm served with ice cream, chocolate sauce and choclate soil. The texture of each component was so different they complemented each other beautifully, with the ice cream cutting through some of the sharp chocolate flavours so that it was not overpoweringly sweet or chocolatey. This particular brownie came to the price of £7.50 like most of the other desserts on there menu, I think that its price was definitely true to its size and flavours.
As well as being warm it was a super fudgey brownie which I love as caky brownies are definitely not my thing, why call it a brownie if it taste like a cake?
4- THE BEACHCOMBER
Last but certainly not least is the beachcomber cafe, offering both sit in meals and an ice cream from the ice cream parlour ( which does doggie ice cream, and the review from my chief doggie food taste testers reported it was very refreshing and a lovely treat but a little bit expensive so a 7.5/10, so there you go guys heard it here first).
So I only tried a few of there products that were gluten free, and some surprised me and some definitely disappointed so let's get into it.
SANDWHICH - 7/10
So there's a little story behind the choosing of this sandwich, so this was the first day that we arrived and had just been horse riding and decided to go and get something to eat and ended up at this cafe. Whilst the staff were very accommodating asking there manger to point out the foods that were gluten free I seemed to be having bad luck with choosing foods that they had in stock that day. Some of the gluten free options included omelettes, sandwiches, a bun-less burger and some prepackaged brownie and tiffin selections! I started by asking for a crab sandwich were there crab was out of stock, I then went on the ask about veggie burgers were the recepie was changed and now had flour in the mixture.
After a few minutes of confusion and indecision we came up with the option of a toasted cheese sandwich which they kindly agreed to after it wasn't really an option on the menu. And it was delicious, the cheese was super gooey with a well toasted and no soggy bread, it was highly enjoyed! Coming to £6 I'm not sure the price is accurate to the sandwich which was served with a few crisps however it was definitely accurate to level of help the staff gave us whilst choosing.
ICE CREAM- 6/10
Next over our time there I tried 4 of there ice cream flavours however they turned out to be a little disappointing, after trying the Judes ice cream on day two these ones were struggling to live up to my ice cream expectations. All of the flavours I tried had an overwhelmingly sweet flavour which most of the flavours being very indistinctive and hard to place.
Of course this is my personal opiuon but each ice cream was a few pounds so I don't think I'd spend that money on these ice creams again however I would go back for a lunch option as the toastie was thoroughly enjoyed.
JAMES MARTINS KITCHEN
Whilst I didn't eat here I thought I would let you guys know a really educational experience I had here that we booked before going on holiday. So we booked a cookery class for spices a few days before and it was fenonamel. Being able to use the professional equipment as well as pre brought ingredients and we didn't have to any of the washing up either. We were able to see into the restaurant and were taught by professional chefs making some of James martins recipes which included a lentil Dahl and buttered chicken curry.
(What we made)
So that completes my thoughts on some of the main restaurants located at barton on sea, they're all reasonably close to each other and have there own personal strengths and weaknesses. As well as one of my favourite activatys we did whilst we were away (I also suggest horse riding and charity shopping if your feeling adventures).
I hope you found this helpful in some way, let me know if you enjoyed reading or try out any of these restaurants and what you thought.
Ruby x
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