When it comes to dining out, my one pet hate is food on chopping boards.
It’s a pretentious trend that I wish would die a death, and admittedly it’s the sort of thing I was expecting from a meal at chef Ben Franco’s newest business venture.
The Barn, behind The Woolpack pub in Almondbury, is the popular restaurateur’s eighth business. You may know him from Mexican favourite Gringo’s, Franco’s Deli, and Nosh, formerly situated just around the corner.
And with his newest restaurant housing just five tables, you can forgive me for judging the book by the cover.
But I’m happy to report there’s not a crumb of pretentiousness to be found in The Barn. No chopping boards, either.
I had gone out with my parents as a sort of “sorry I missed my cousin’s wedding” thing. I had just completed a 14-mile race in the Lake District and I was ready for all the carbs.
We started with mussels in breadcrumbs, smoked salmon and a beast of a plate of nachos. All on good old-fashioned plates.
The mussels may not have been the most filling, but perhaps that’s because they barely touched the sides.
Because I’m that person that everyone hates, I had to try a bit from the other two plates. Those nachos were heaven.
Particularly as the last time I had nachos at a restaurant, the cheese was the same colour as a high-vis jacket.
On to the mains of our set menus - which I should mention are even printed with own names on the top.
Two steaks, and a plate of blackened monkfish medallions in a prawn and chorizo jambalaya (posh risotto, if you like).
The rump steaks were served with hasselback potatoes, kale and crisped serrano ham with blue cheese.
I’ve had better steaks - but those were pretty expensive ones. So for a main on a set menu under £30, I was impressed.
But the monkfish I tried, and I don’t think I’ve ever had fish that was cooked better.
It was true melt-in-your-mouth stuff and tasted so fresh, I’d have believed the chef if he said it had still been swimming in the sea while I was perusing the menu.
Speaking of the chef - hats off to him. He runs the restaurant hands on and is the sole person in the kitchen with just two front-of-house waitresses. But he still had time to pop round the tables and ensure guests were enjoying their meal.
The damage was more than you would pay for a standard meal out for three. But I wouldn’t call Ben Franco’s food standard by any stretch of the imagination.
Overall, I’d really recommend The Barn for snob-free gourmet food in a cosy setting.
Do it - and go for the monkfish.
The Barn
The Woolpack, 19 Westgate, Almondbury, HD5 8XF
Phone: 01484 350146
Website: www.barn-almondbury.co.uk
Opening hours: Thursday to Saturday from 6.30pm, and available for booking functions any night.
Children: Yes
Disabled access: No, due to the old building.
The bill: £108.50
Would you go back? Yes.
