Swindon newbie Emma Lidiard pops in for a bite to eat at the The Kings

20 at The Kings Wood Street, Old Town, Swindon Tel: 01793 522156

 

SWANKY is the best word to sum up first impressions at the bar at 20 at the Kings, positioned in the centre of Old Town.

It’s one of those venues where the carefully thought-out colours of chairs, stylish candle sticks and white and black tiled flooring, makes a flawless impression as you sit down.

Our waitress, who was diving between serving at the bar and looking after eaters, was quick on our heels to offer us menus and drinks – always another good start to a meal.

Tables are peppered around the venue with the option of eating under a conservatory-style roof. And as many people seemed to flock to this spot to drink as eat, there was a lively atmosphere which can be rare to find at places only serving food.

When we arrived we were warned we had just an hour to eat at our table, which was placed on the dance floor, before the salsa classes descended onto our spot.

With this in mind we skipped starters, which included the chef’s soup of the day, shell-on prawns served with garlic mayo and field mushrooms with garlic butter dished up on ciabatta bread.

On offer on this eatery’s night time menu were a selection of meats and fish, and a small but impressive vegetarian section.

I opted for the wild mushroom risotto (£9.50) which appeared on the grill menu. This was served with balsamic vinegar round the bowl’s perimeter, a handful of rocket leaves perched on its centre and a creamy, thick sauce, with flakes of parmesan scattered on top. A selection of mushrooms, all cut to different sizes, kept the meal from tasting too similar throughout. The combination made for a very tasty meal.

My friend chose the calamari (£12.50), which came out on a wooden board and was served with homemade lemon mayonnaise and chunky hand cut chips piled into a metal cup-shaped dish. She said it was delicious.

For drinks I went for the house red, which complemented my meal perfectly, allthough there was a good selection of tempting ales lined up behind the bar as well.

I couldn’t spot any desserts on the menu but the first of the salsa dancers were arriving anyway, so we thought it was a good time to hot foot it out of there.

The restaurant is now under renovation and will be reopening as The Grill very soon. If the food stays as good as it was this time, I’ll be back for another helping.