Traditional and cosy were the first words that sprang to mind when we entered the Peacock Room in Rochdale for our evening menu review. Named after the character infused birds of the same name, which befittingly used to call the area their home before being relocated, the Peacock Room takes inspiration from it’s buildings past to build a personable environment.
Set atop the end of a winding country lane on the border of Heywood and Rochdale, the Restaurant is attached to Crimble Hall, which boasts a separate dining area with its own menu to go with. Not to be confused with its sibling restaurant, the two venues are kept labelled as separate entities but remain accessible from adjoining middle-ground corridors.
Ornate and lavish yet refreshingly inviting, the Peacock Room made us of clashing interiors and comfortable chairs in the seated area. Two Chandeliers stand apart as showstoppers in the interior design and our host told us an interesting fact that the centre piece lights were actually sourced from the Titanic’s sister ship The Olympic, bringing a little chunk of history to the dining venue.
Before dining, guests are invited to enjoy a casual drink in the lounge area, making use of the old fashioned arm chairs and sofas laid out in relaxed manner. The Cocktails on offer include classic favourites such as the Manhattan, which was sampled and the Classic, a strong and premium drink made up of Cognac and Champagne. Non-surprisingly strong, the Classic was nursed throughout the meal by this editor as not to overwhelm the flavoursome meal ahead.
After a leisurely drink, guests are lead to their table and given accommodating space to feel an enclosed and personal to their guests without unwanted noise from the surrounding tables. We chose a bottle of the house red Merlot to accompany our three courses which we allowed to breathe before tasting and approving.
A pre-starter dish is served to open the taste buds before the main event. We sampled a Pate Palate Cleanser to kick things off, just a tiny teaser of the quality of food to expect. Offered on a rather big plate for such a small snack, this went down well received and made us anticipated of our starters to come.
The standard accompaniments of bread and butter was left to have alongside dishes throughout our meal and came in white or brown varieties.
The starters available offer high end restaurant choices to appease the more seasoned diner. Our selections were the Slow Cooked Pigeon Breast and the Terrine of Rabbit and Ham Hock. The Duck was small in portion but appetising and delicious. The Rabbit and Ham was a little much and the texture was not to suit all tastes, however it was presented well and did the job to begin our meal.
For the mains, the menu does leave the diner spoilt for choice with an all-inclusive selection of dishes to satisfy all palettes. As lovers of a good Steak we kept it simple and went for the Fillet and Rib Eye offerings. Side options included Pomme Puree in Red Wine Sauce, Homemade Chips in Beef Dripping or Shallot and Chive Hash Brown, of which we selected the middle option on both dishes.
The Steak was succulent and tasty, cooked just as requested to my Medium-Well Done preference. Both parties were left full and content with our food choices, the only side note would be that the dish comes served with a lot of salad dressing, which made it tricky to locate my steak underneath, this however did not detract from the overall taste.
For Sweet Toothed Dessert Fans, the A La Carte Menu provides adequate servings taking on traditional classic. We tried the Rich Chocolate Delice and the Quartet of Desserts, which included; Vanilla Creme Brulee, Blackcurrant and Liqourice Parfait, Raspberry and Pistachio Trifle and Chocolate Delice.
Overcome by chocolate overload, the Delice was sugary sweet, in a mousse like texture on top, balanced out with a biscuit base. Filling and delicious, the Chocolate dessert was a hurdle we could not overcome after such a feast of a meal.
The Quartet offered smaller snippets to sample, giving just enough to have a good idea of each dish included, Mixing the sweet creamy options with the more zesty berry flavours gave an interesting palette. Again this was filling to finish but was so delicious it was worth the perseverance.
Visit the Peacock Room to see the full menu and book your table.
