A reader recently contacted this page recommending we review the restaurant at The Glynne Arms in Hawarden. So, always happy to oblige, my wife and I decided to give it a try one Saturday evening. This historic hostelry, once a coaching house on the old main road from Cheshire to North Wales, couldn’t be in a more picturesque setting, right next to the world-famous St Deiniol’s Library and opposite Hawarden Castle. But if you are expecting the dining room to be of the same old-world style as the facade of the building you’re in for a surprise as you step in from the street. Granted, it all looks very Victorian up to the point where you enter the doorway topped by a ‘restaurant’ sign. But, first, you come upon a little waiting room equipped with a low table and a squashy sofa. Then it’s into the restaurant itself, which has been fitted out in modern bistro style. There’s a small, cream-panelled bar/reception area which leads on to a compact dining area. Beneath your feet is a striking blue/green tartan carpet – I’m not sure which clan – more cream wood panelling around the walls, which are adorned with contemporary pictures, and a dusky rose-painted ceiling. Tables and chairs are functional and there are no tablecloths. The whole place is pleasantly and softly illuminated by several wall-lights. It’s all very welcoming. Even more so are the two young ladies staffing the restaurant who turn out to be a model of politeness and efficiency. One of them shows us immediately to our table and takes our drinks order. As it’s my turn at the wheel it has to be apple juice for me while my wife tries a small glass of house red. It’s French, light and pleasant, she tells me. Oh good. There are two menus available from which to make your choice – à la carte and, unusually for a Saturday night, a deal where three courses come for just £14.95. That looks good but we go for the wider choice on the ‘full Monty’ version which offers a comprehensive selection of meat, fish and veggie options. There’s also a ‘specials’ menu, which one of our young ladies holds up for our inspection, featuring a fish salad starter and a sirloin steak main topped with melted cheese. In the event, we both stick to the main card, I select a starter of asparagus in a spicy sauce served on a bed of shredded leaves at £3.95 and my wife plumps for one consisting of roasted vegetables in a sweet chilli sauce which comes with substantial slices of goat’s cheese at £4.50. Mine’s good and hers turns out to be even better. I know because I stole a bit from her plate. Now for the mains. My rather predictable choice was the £13.95 sirloin and my wife’s was a little more adventurous, the lamb pieces in, yet again, chilli sauce at £11.95. There’s a wine bar we regularly go to in North Wales which serves the most consistently superb steaks I have ever tasted. The boss there attributes their tenderness and succulence to the kind of high-quality beef he buys, implying with a nod and a wink that he’s tracked down some kind of secret supplier. Well, after tasting the sirloin at The Glynne I’d have to say its chef must either have found the secret purveyor of beef or one just as accomplished because it was every bit as melt-in-the-mouth good. Although veg came as an inexpensive side-dish, I didn’t order it because, well, I’ve never been all that keen on my greens. But there were the obligatory onion rings, a large mushroom and a tomato for garnish – and chips. Ah those chips – big and light, perfectly cooked and definitely among the best I have tasted for a long time, so much so that I sent my compliments to the chef. My wife reported that her lamb dish was also extremely tender and was perfectly complemented by mushroom and a portion of rice laced with vegetables. The sauce was excellent, as I can testify after pinching another dollop from her plate. To accompany all this we chose a bottle of house white– a nice Chilean chardonnay at a very reasonable £8.45. After a few minutes’ digestion it was on to the desserts, my wife opting for the mango and coconut mousse at £2.95, while I ordered the cheeseboard at £3.95. The mousse was offered to her with an ice-cream accompaniment, although my wife decided against this to keep down the calories. She said the pud bore the hallmarks of having been bought-in rather than home made but was none the worse for that. My cheese and biscuits was good basic stuff – two nice hunks of cheese, one of Stilton and one of Brie, with a little selection of biscuits. I was a little apprehensive about ordering coffee as I couldn’t help noticing it came from a vending machine right behind my seat. But I needn’t have worried because it was perfectly drinkable at just £1.50 a cup. The Glynne is quite a distance from where I live but, if it were closer, I’d definitely be a regular diner because it is welcoming, inexpensive and offers very good food and first-class service. My thanks to the reader who recommended it. FACTFILE The Glynne Arms, 3 Glynne Way, Hawarden, Flintshire CH5 3NS. Tel: 01244 520323. Price: Three-course meal for two, drinks (one apple juice, one small house red wine, one bottle of house white wine and two coffees) £55.95. Best thing: Welcoming, pleasant ambience. Worst thing: Being nominated driver and staying off the booze. Would suit: Someone looking for an enjoyable, not-too-formal meal out at a decent price. Wouldn’t suit: Food snobs. | 
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