Mouth-watering lunch at The Ram Bar & Brasserie

On a beautiful sunny afternoon we visited Newark, a picturesque market town with charming streets full of character, inviting cafes and restaurants. We were excited to pay a visit to the stunning The Ram Bar and Brasserie, a hidden gem that stands close to the town’s famous castle. The Ram has a colourful history of offering the perfect place for people to meet and enjoy good food and wine, right back to the 15th century when a coaching inn opened on the site where the current 18th century Georgian building stands.

After years of neglect, The Ram has been renovated and rejuvenated, restoring it to its former elegant Georgian glory, in the heart of the historic town of Newark. The Bar & Brasserie has an air of Georgian coaching inn with a bespoke and elegant twist, serving a wide selection of drinks from real ales through to fine wines. The menu is mouth-wateringly tempting, offering choice for all diners on any occasion. Read what we thought of our visit to The Ram, and discover this great restaurant with us:

Kinga – The first thing that appealed to me was the smell of burning wood when we walked in through the door. It felt like Christmas in the middle of spring and made me feel relaxed and comfortable. The décor didn’t disappoint either, warm colours and stylish furniture gives the restaurant a modern feel.

For the starter, the soup of the day was recommended, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. It was a creamy pea soup with a hint of mint - and it was hard for me not to name it a mushy pea soup – served with fresh homemade bread with smoked butter which complimented the soup perfectly. I’ve decided to have wild boar and chorizo burger for my main course with Manchego cheese, Serrano ham, red pepper relish, triple cooked chips and Harissa mayonnaise. I classify having this burger for my main course as the best decision of the day. The meat was tender and full of spices that blended well with it. The bread was freshly made and chips went extremely well with the Harissa mayonnaise, so yummy!

It was my first meal in Newark, and if all restaurants there are as good as The Ram I want to move and stay forever!
 

Alistair – Having booked ourselves in for a late lunch, it’s fair to say that I was in desperate need of refuelling when we arrived at The Ram, a stylish pub and restaurant, conveniently located close to both the centre of Newark, and the ruins of its historic castle.

Even though my stomach was rumbling, I decided to be sensible and avoided the admittedly tempting Bang Bang Chicken – smoked chicken breast with peanut butter, and coconut dressing – and play it safe with the Warm Breads – my theory was that this would leave plenty of space for my main course.

That plan quickly went out of the window when the delicious starter arrived with a selection of different types of bread, served with a luxurious selection of dips and spreads, from rich olive oils infused with garlic, to pucks of tasty smoked butter. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting anything too spectacular from what was probably the simplest and cheapest starter option on the menu - so it was a welcome surprise to enjoy it so much.

Knowing what was still to come, I somehow managed to stop myself from polishing the lot off, and sat back, eagerly awaiting the arrival of The Ram’s flagship burger.

I’m always intrigued when a restaurant puts its name onto a dish, as this is often a stamp of approval from the chef, and The Ram Burger certainly didn’t disappoint. Stuffed to the brim with Lincolnshire cheese, juicy beef, crispy bacon, and a slightly tangy Bloody Mary mayonnaise, the burger went down an absolute treat.

By this time my stomach, which had been desperately crying out for sustenance when we arrived, was begging for mercy, so we decided to forgo dessert – even though the amaretto cheesecake was whispering in my ear – and head back outside into sunny Newark.

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Newark is a lovely place to explore, and it lies in a privileged position between Lincoln and Nottingham. It’s easy to reach by road or rail, and with so much history on offer, you should certainly add a visit to your to do list.

While you’re there, do yourself a favour; stop off at The Ram for a drink and some food!

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This blog was written by Kinga Kapias and Alistair Webster of Visit Nottinghamshire