Eating out

The Verve
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The Verve Grill, Village Hotels in Farnborough

September 16, 2010

On a beautiful warm evening last week, my husband, Lance, and I and our 14 year old boys, Conor and Cameron, were thrilled to be invited to dine at the Verve Grill which is located in the stylish Village Hotel, Farnborough and opened in March of last year.

This hotel has become one of the most popular venues in the Rushmoor area for comfortable accommodation, contemporary dining, entertainment, excellent health and fitness facilities plus where better to unwind after a busy day than in this buzzing, trendy hotel.

The Verve Grill, which is situated to the left of the grand entrance to the hotel, serves exceptional food and fine wines. Decorated in plush colours of coffee and cream with a traditional wood floor the interior is very welcoming indeed. On entering the restaurant, we were met by Iain and shown to our table when we sat and relaxed over a cool drink and read through the extensive menu which had plenty of enticing dishes on offer.

The choice of food ranged from a variety of Flat Breads (baked in a stone oven and great for sharing), Salmon Fishcakes and Whole Camembert baked in its box for starters and for the main courses a selection of Salads, Gourmet Hamburgers (freshly made on a daily basis), Pasta, Steaks and Grills (all served with a choice of fries, hand-cut fat chips or mash and your choice of vegetables of the day or salad) and the Verve Specials which included the Chef’s Catch of the Day (always fried on a Friday).

One of the unique things about the Verve is their ‘Hot Rock Grill’, for a supplement of £1 you can have your own personal Hot Rock brought to your table on which you actually cook your own meat or fish dish (only available when you order fillet steak, tuna, ostrich, duck breast, Chateaubriand for two or fillet steak/chicken skewers).

The Hot Rock is baked in a special oven to a temperature of 460 degrees so do be very careful if you order one! The menu really was full of mouth-watering dishes and the prices very reasonable, even more so if you choose to dine in the restaurant before 7pm as the Verve offer an ‘Early Diner’ set menu for £8.95 for one course, £10.95 for two courses or £11.95 for three courses.

Smelling the gorgeous aroma around the restaurant soon got our taste buds tingling so we eagerly picked our starters. I chose Chicken Liver Pate, served with toast and a delicious plum and ginger chutney (which I shared with Cameron), Lance chose the Garlic Mushrooms on Toast and Conor decided on Classic Prawn Cocktail served with brown bread.

As usual, we all had a little taste of each others food and agreed they were all yummy. For our main courses, I ordered a Verve Special, Chicken Primo which was topped with Italian ham, fresh tomato sauce, melted mozzarella and parmesan, served with a side order of spaghetti with fresh tomato and basil sauce or if you prefer, your choice of potatoes.

Lance selected from the Steaks and Grills section, Stilton Crusted Prime Fillet with vegetables and mashed potatoes. The steak is cooked to your liking and can be served with a selection of homemade sauces. Conor chose from the same section of the menu, Grilled Rump of Lamb which was served with a mint gravy and he choose vegetables and mashed potatoes to go with it while Cameron chose a Gourmet Cheese Burger served with coleslaw and hand-cut fat chips.

The meals were beautifully presented, which Cameron actually commented on, served piping hot on pure white contemporary crockery and of course tasted superbly. Desserts were also on offer although I declined but both Conor and Lance selected hot waffles with maple sauce while Cameron chose Sticky Toffee Pudding with ice cream. I relaxed with a cup of hot coffee afterwards which finished my meal off nicely. The atmosphere in the restaurant was relaxed and friendly and nothing was too much trouble for the dedicated staff, they were always at hand if you needed them but were not at all intrusive.

The Verve Grill has been offering a ‘Girls at the Grill’ promotion on a Thursday evening where you can enjoy 2 courses for 2 girls plus a glass of wine each for just £25 but during the World Cup, this offer will be open every single day and will be known as ‘Wags at the Grill’. What a great way to catch up and have a gossip about football or just to get away from it!

Fancy a Carvery? Sunday lunch at the Verve is another sociable way of eating out with family or friends plus you’ll love their new Pasta station and the ever popular American Waffle Station which enables you to watch the chef preparing delicious waffles right in front of your eyes.

The restaurant is the ideal venue for a cosy meal for two, a family meal or perhaps a celebration. We found dining at the Verve Grill was an amazing experience and one not to be missed, try it for yourself, you will not be disappointed. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful and the service was exceptional. For further information on the restaurant or the hotel itself log on to their website at www.village-hotels.com or contact the hotel on 0844 980 0078 to book your table.