Six of us went to The Moorings in early May. We went to try out the new menu over a drink and a good natter. It was a really enjoyable evening; one we will certainly repeat. The weather was fne but too cold to eat outside which was a pity because the riverside garden at The Moorings is a beautiful venue.

We were aiming to try as many dishes from the menu as possible (without pigging ourselves too much!) so we began with two veggie starters to share – Bang Bang Cauliflower and Garlic My Room with a plate of Paprika Hummus with Ciabatta. We all particularly enjoyed the cauliflower. Indeed, my highest praise – I want to have a go at preparing it at home. Attractively presented hunks of cauli cooked in a crispy batter and covered in a spicy tomato Bang Bang sauce. Coupled with creamy garlic mushroom slices and the hummus, it all made for a tasty shared starter meal.

Surprisingly, we all chose different mains.

David went for the Seafood Frutti di Mare which he described as full of sea food and “I couldn’t fault it”.

Nick had the Prosciutto pizza with Parma Ham. His comments: “very tasty, crisp and hot. It was too good to leave any”.

Karisa, our veggie, had the Quorn Smokey Burger. She particularly liked the crispy texture and the caramelised onion relish that went with the burger and noted the large plate of fries.

Susan asked if it would be possible to have gluten free fish and chips and was delighted when it arrived. She enjoyed the crispy batter and good texture of the chips. She also appreciated that The Moorings sell gluten-free Peroni beer.

Guy chose the Al Pomodoro but without chicken or prawns. In other words, pasta in a rich tomato sauce but that was his choice.

Always someone who goes for spicy foods, I really enjoyed the What The Nduja Pizza. It was an unusual combination of feta cheese, crispy bacon, nduja sausage (hot), tomato sauce and pesto mayo... I might try cooking that too!

We had eaten far too much to contemplate trying the desserts. We’ll have to go back another time for that!

So, thank you, Jemini and your staff. They were so welcoming and friendly. It all made for a most successful evening.

Judith Rodgers