Bite Sized Review

THE COCK (Wishaw)

30-07-2008

Looking for a good place to enjoy a family meal out? Andy Goff crows about The Cock.

The Cock at Wishaw is a pub I used to frequent many, many years ago as a drink driver, when that rather stupid combination was not so much frowned on as these days.

It was a regular drinking hole - even during lunch times from school in Four Oaks. You couldn’t beat double English Lit in the afternoon with a belly full of Double Diamond! Perhaps that’s why I failed my English A Level, or was it because I read the wrong books? Middlemarch just didn’t have much feel of adventure to it.

These days rural boozers have become gastro-pubs and The Cock is just such.

A visit these days is to enter an Olde Worlde country restaurant of the highest order.

Situated on the edge of Wishaw,  the restaurant is a converted barn on the side of the pub and is understated in style. No overcrowding of tables to pack ‘em in and the high ceiling adds to the sense of space.

The staff, I suspect, were of Antipodean extract; warmly welcoming yet not over-friendly, which suited me. No fawning. Excellent!

The varied  menu was both interesting and pricey, but then a good restaurant ain’t cheap.

Freshly made soup starter is £4. The Nicoise salad, which I had as my only course, came in at £10.50. The fillet steak was priced at £19. A side dish of Belgian fries (chips?) with mayonnaise would have added a further £3. The meal for we three adults and two children came to just over £60 including two bottles of water, an orange juice and half a lager – not mine I should add - I don’t drink drive anymore.

Nicoise salad

The food quality was, however, great. Probably the best Nicoise I’ve had and the child portion of chicken and chips was delicious – I know because I finished it off.

The cost wasn’t an issue as my Dad was paying but when I feel flush The Cock at Wishaw is a location  I would go to enjoy an excellent meal in a place of tranquil ambience at my expense.

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