After several colleagues went, and raved, about Deer Park in Roundhay, Leeds, I decided this was the place to take Howard for his birthday dinner as a treat.
It was a lot bigger than I anticipated, but I was impressed by how cosy they had made it feel – not something many large restaurants are able to achieve.
I had received a voucher for free champagne for four or more people, but after speaking to a lovely waiter he told me not to worry and that although there was only two of us, a bottle would be on ice waiting for us when we arrived, and it was.
The menu was varied and it was quite tricky to choose what to go for. In the end I opted for tamarind lamb ribs with watermelon and duck salad for a main (as recommended by my lovely colleague).
Howard went for scallops of the day as a starter, followed by venison with beetroot and sweet potato.
Before the starters arrived we also treated ourselves to some very juicy green olives (can never resist olives on the menu!).
Both starters were amazing, with both of us thinking their own was the best which is always a good sign! There was a lot of meat on the ribs so three was more than enough and they were SO GOOD. I would 100% recommend them. Howard received three very juicy, large scallops on a bed of lightly dressed pasta – it did make a lovely combo, although not one I would of thought of as a starter.
The mains were also extremely yummy. The duck salad was very oriental tasting, the duck crispy and sweet, with spring onion and long strips of melon to accompany it, making it very fresh and easy to eat.
Howard’s venison was very rich in comparison but he still ate every mouthful and really enjoyed it.
By this point we had also ordered a bottle of Malbec which was smooth and a bit too easy to drink, especially as we had already had champagne and it was a school night!
Finally, we couldn’t decide which desert to go for so opted for the sharing board. This was a great choice and excellent value for money for £9.95 – you can see for yourself just how much you get! The cookie and ice-cream and the treacle tart were my joint favourites, but it was all delicious!
We had a £10 off voucher and the whole meal came to £77 – which to be honest we thought was very reasonable because the quality (and quantity) of food had been so good. The staff were also really lovely too, our waitress was very attentive and made the experience even more enjoyable.
Thank you Deer Park, we will definitely be back!
DeerParkLeeds.co.uk
*Since visiting, for my Sheffield friends, I have been told that the Prince of Wales on Ecclesall Road is owned by the same company, and has the same menu, although my trust worthy source says it’s not as good
Living Colourfully 