Eat My Words: We review The Hearty Goodfellow, Southwell

A great atmosphere and great food were served up at a classic pub.

The Hearty Goodfellow, Southwell, has the feel of a typical English semi-rural pub, with exposed beams and fireplaces, comfortable wooden furniture and welcoming decor.

But what really stands out is its delightful and varied menu, which offers both tasty, traditional pub grub of burgers, fish and chips and pies, and more restaurant-esque dishes including fajitas, pasta dishes and kebabs — including a variety of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options.

We opted for a starter of halloumi fries, which make my mouth water just thinking about them.

They were perfectly crispy on the outside, piping hot and served with a delicious garlic mayonnaise

There portions were aptly sized, with a hearty helping of six giant fingers of halloumi stacked onto the plate for £6.45 — which was perfect for sharing before our mains arrived.

I opted for steak fajitas at £20.95, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but what came to the table was quite a sight to behold.

One plate held tortillas, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and salsa, and a second, sizzling hot, plate held a nicely cooked steak, which came medium, and peppers and onions to be loaded into the tortillas.

While the accompaniments appeared small they were deceptive, and I even had some left once the tortillas were finished.

The steak wasn’t the most tender I’ve ever eaten, but had a delicious flavour and was certainly enough to fill me up.

I washed it all down with a pint of Inch’s cider, at £5, which I’m always pleased to see at the bar.

My vegetarian companion had plenty of selection, and found himself debating between vegetable lasagne or broccoli and stilton linguine (which could also have chicken added for non-veggies).

He picked the linguine, for £11.95, with a generous side of garlic bread at £4.45.

The pasta went down a treat, and was a pleasant change to the usual vegetarian options offered at many eateries, but was rather a large portion.

He found you got a lot for your money but almost too much to eat.

It was washed down with a pint of Guinness 0.0, at £4.20.

The meals were well presented with nice crockery and a tasteful garnish on the pasta and the drinks came in their respectful branded glasses.

Out of five:

Food: The food was tasty, seemed fresh and there was a good variety of dishes for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. There’s also deserts, a lunch menu and Sunday roasts. ****

Drink: While we both opted for firm favourites, the Everards pub also has a good range of tipples from big names and independent breweries, as well as non-alcoholic options. *****

Decor: The pub has simple but warm and welcoming decor, including lovely wallpaper, with a proper country pub feel. The tables are spacious and uncrowded, and the pub felt clean and fresh. ****

Staff: Service was prompt and polite, but there was limited interaction. ***

Price: Prices were on the higher side, erring more towards restaurant than pub — but this was reflected in the quality and size of the portions. Coming in at £53 for two, with drinks, a starter, side and steak felt like we were getting bang for our buck. ****