Here’s a great meeting place (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Here’s a great meeting place

3:39pm Thursday 26th January 2012 in Eating Out Reviews

EAT AT: Swindon Rendezvous, 11-12a Theatre Square,

SN1 1QN. Tel: 01793 523570

BARRIE HUDSON had a happy new year at this restaurant

WE headed for Swindon Rendezvous in Theatre Square to mark the dawn of the Year of the Dragon.

Ushered down the steps to the large but somehow intimate dining area, we were pleased to see that almost every seat was filled.

Our fellow diners ranged from couples to families, and from groups of friends swapping banter to groups of colleagues from sales conferences swapping war stories from the commercial front line.

To be full or nearly full on a midweek night is no mean feat in a town where so many good restaurants compete for our custom, so our expectations were high.

We weren’t disappointed.

Having sampled the restaurant’s attractive ‘all you can eat’ deals on previous occasions, we decided to be a little more conventional this time, and restrict ourselves to a starter and main apiece.

Browsing the menu over an excellent white wine that cost a very reasonable £13.50 a bottle, I chose Pacific prawns (£7.40) to begin with, while my companion opted for that hardy perennial favourite, crispy quarter duck with Hoi Sin sauce, pancakes, cucumber and spring onion (£8.50).

The prawns, full of flavour without being in any way overwhelming, came delicately prepared in a crispy breadcrumb coating, and left me reflecting on the wonders of evolution. Nature was truly considerate in shaping their tails as convenient handles to use when eating the delicious creatures.

Crispy duck, like many staple restaurant dishes, is a barometer of overall quality beacause it is surprisingly easy to get wrong. The Rendezvous rendition, I’m pleased to report, was very good indeed.

When the time came for mains, it was my turn for duck, and the Peking barbecue variety (£7.70) arrived in its golden skin on a bed of lettuce, looking for all the world like a photograph in a cookery book – the sort your own efforts never seem to match. The taste lived up to the visual promise, as did that of the egg fried rice I had as a side.

My partner hedged her bets by choosing Can Ton crispy noodles with mixed meat (£7.50), pronouncing it a fine combination of tastes and textures. I can report that the noodles were tasty, as these were the only things she let me try – and even then it was under close supervision.

Our total bill, not including a tip we were delighted to offer for the speedy and friendly service, came in at a little under £50, and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the delights of this restaurant to anybody who has yet to sample them.