The Taste Trekker

What does the title mean? Is this a wrestling reference? Who are we reviewing today? So many questions, and I have no answers for you…just kidding, of course I do! Lets answer those questions. Firstly, we normally review 1, sometimes 2 eateries at a time. Today…we are going to do 8! Secondly, yes, the title is a wrestling reference. There is a match called The Money in the Bank match, and it features 8 superstars. Finally, who are we reviewing? They are as follows:

• The Royal Oak – Fishguard, Wales
• The Galleon Inn – Broadhaven, Wales
• Castle Coffee House – Dunster, England
• The Local Scoop – Dawlish, England
• St Davids Cross Hotel – St Davids, Wales
• Tiny Tasting Room – Exeter, England
• MamGu Welshcakes – St Davids, Wales
• The Bishops – St Davids, Wales

Will it be England or Wales on top? Who will win the battle of St Davids? More questions, and as of yet, no answers. These reviews will be more quickfire, so you don’t spend half your day reading. Lets go! *rings the bell*

The Royal Oak

The Royal Oak is a hotel and restaurant situated in Fishguard. We have stayed there as well as having lunch and dinner at the venue. Taste: 7/10. The food we had for dinner tasted very nice, however the sandwiches we had for lunch let it down slightly. Presentation: 7/10. For the majority of the dishes, the presentation was polished, apart from the lasagne, which looked like a complete mess. Ambience: 7/10. Warm and welcoming, plenty of seating as well as a huge outdoor terrace at the back with views of the sea. Service: 6/10. The service here was friendly, waitress got an order wrong. Value for Money: 7/10. The food was good, the price felt like you were getting a good deal.
Total Score: 34/50 – Worth A Visit! (Annoyingly, lost the images for this one!)

The Galleon Inn:

The Galleon Inn in Broad Haven seemed to be a great venue on the outside, but it wasn’t quite as nice as we had initially hoped. Food: 6/10. The food was decent, nothing to shout out about. Almost had “large restaurant chain” qualities about it, like Marston’s. Presentation: 6/10. It was neat, nothing spectacular. Ambience: 7/10.It had that warm charm of a local pub, it was slightly loud due to skittles (I believe). Service: 7/10. Had booked a table for 5 people, and when we turned up they tried to squeeze us onto a table for 4. Eventually they moved us. Value for Money: 6/10. It was reasonable, prices were good, but the quality wasn’t there.
Total Score: 32/50 – Worth A Visit

Castle Coffee House

This cosy little coffee house is nestled in the high street of Dunster, just outside Minehead. We stopped here for a coffee and cake during our exploration of Dunster Castle. Food: 8/10. The chocolate cake was delicious and the hot chocolate was an absolute treat! Presentation: 6/10. The cake wasn’t presented in any kind of special way, but it was neatly sliced and placed upon a white plate. Ambience: 7/10. The venue was small, with about 6 tables, wooden tables and chairs and some local artists prints on the wall. Service: 8/10. Attentive service, got an order wrong with a latte which should of been iced, but they were adement to change it. Value for Money: 9/10. The prices were cheap, especially for the location just outside a National Trust property, and the food was superior too! They could easily charge a bit more.
Total: 38/50 Worth A Visit!

The Local Scoop

A rarity here on The Taste Trekker, an ice cream parlour…although, saying that, I have a lot of eateries backed up from cruises, and I have been to a lot of ice cream parlours abroad, so this category will get packed soon! Anyway, this one is in Dawlish, along the south coast of England. Food: 7/10. Great selection of ice cream. The ice cream tasted good, but comparing it to the ones I had abroad recently, they were a different level. Presentation: 8/10. Elegant presentation. 3 perfect scoops with a branded wafer, colourful tub, and it was all recyclable. Ambience: 6/10. Not the most whimsical place. It almost reminded me of a fish and chip shop, but I can see according to IG that they have been improving it. Service: 8/10. Great service, friendly and informative with their choice of ice creams. Value for Money: 7/10 The price was a good deal. Good ice cream for a reasonable price.
Total Score: 36/50 – Worth A Visit!

St David’s Cross Hotel

Lovely little hotel in the UK’s smallest city. Food: 7/10. Good choice of food options. No issues, and nothing jumped out. Presentation: 7/10. Polished presentation, no residue on plates, all wiped before serving , nothing to write home about. Ambience: 7/10. A very popular place with indoor and outdoor seating. Very warm and welcoming. Service: 7/10. Efficient service. Recommended what the locals enjoy, checked back on us. Value for Money: 7/10. The food was a good deal. The price paid was fair for the area and the food received was good.
Total Score: 35/50 – Worth A Visit

Tiny Tasting Room

The 6th venue is located in Exeter, down a narrow cobbled street, tucked away from the bustle of the high street. Food: 8/10. We have visited here twice, once for cake, which was very good, and the second time for lunch, where we had chorizo, brie and chilli jam paninis. Presentation: 7/10. Polished presentation, nothing wrong, but nothing dazzling. Ambience: 7/10. Warm and welcoming. The downstairs is small but cosy, with the offerings of cakes on show. Upstairs it loses some of its charm. Service: 8/10. Attentive service, helping to recommend what drink was best, as well as bringing our food and drinks upstairs for us. Value for Money: 8/10. That panini was out of this world, and well worth the price we paid for it.
Total Score: 38/50 – Worth A Visit!

MamGu Welsh Cakes

What a little find this was. Amongst St David’s cathedral is a venue called MamGu’s Welsh Cakes, and…just wow! Food: 9/10. Most of us chose the beans on Welsh Cake, and oh my, they were out of this world, the food was excellent! Presentation: 7/10. It was polished, could of been better, couple of wayward splashes of bean sauce on the plate, if we want to be nitpicky. Ambience: 8/10. It’s inside a cathedral, enough said. However, it would of been higher if it wasn’t for the amount of wasps. Service: 8/10. The waitresses were attentive, making sure that all of our food was up to our standards. Value for Money: 8/10. I would happily pay a lot of money for those Welsh Cakes.
Total Score: 40/50 – Highly Recommended!

The Bishops

With MamGu leading the way for both the king of St David’s, as well as the winner of the Money in the Bank briefcase, it is down to The Bishops to dethrone them. Food: 7/10. Good food, your classic good village pub grub. Presentation. 7/10. The food was presented in a polished way, making the food look appetizing. Ambience: 8/10. A lovely venue. Small, compact, but it had that cosy-seaside vibe. Service: 7/10. The staff were friendly and helpful, would of scored higher, but you had to order at the bar, and because of the cosy nature of the venue, there wasn’t a lot of room to move. Value for Money: 7/10. The food was good, and the price paid was good. Good deal I’d say.
Total Score: 36/50 – Worth A Visit!

The Winner is…

MamGu Welsh Cakes! The little café, nestled amongst St David’s Cathedral has defeated 7 other opponents and has come out on top with a score of 40/50, putting them around the top 20 mark in our scoreboard.