The Hive has had a bit of a face lift and the bar/restaurant areas have now been separated, which I think is a really nice touch. The Christmas decorations are up, and everything feels so warm and Christmassy compared to the cold weather outside.
To kick things off, there is a selection of festive cocktails and I particularly liked the Autumn Rum Sour with The Hive’s blend of rums, creme de cassis, raspberries, blackberries, lemon, sugar and aquafaba. It has just enough caramel flavour from the rum to ensure it is not too sweet and is very moreish.
The dishes may look a bit different when you order them as we had sample sized portions of each one so we could try more. There are three starters to choose from; Roasted Celeriac Soup, Black Pudding or Smoked Salmon and Crayfish Mousse.
I love soup and it is often my starter of choice, but I would not normally choose celeriac if I saw it on a menu. I’m just not a fan in general, but this one is delicious. I’m so glad we got all the starters to try so I could experience this! The addition of apple adds just a touch of sweetness without it being sickly sweet and the coriander gives that earthy note to balance it out.
I don’t like black pudding so this dish was lost on me but my friend managed to polish it off in record time. The caramelised cranberry onions and marmite mayo manage to lighten the usual richness of the black pudding, meaning you have plenty of room for a main and a dessert. What is a meal without dessert? Certainly not one that I want to be part of.
The star of the starters for me is definitely the smoked salmon and crayfish mousse. The mousse is light with a touch of citrus that is wrapped in the smoked salmon and then served with a parsnip remoulade and lambs lettuce. It is elegant and light, just delicious.
Onto mains and there are five options to choose from Cod, Lamb, Turkey Burger or Butternut Squash. There is also a vegan imitation burger which, we didn’t try but The Hive do use a Moving Mountains patty and I really do rate them so I can only assume they’re a good option.
The cod loin has a herb and hazelnut crust and is then served with a potato fondant, winter cabbage and a champagne reduction. It really needs the reduction as without it, it is a little dry, but the crust adds a nice rich flavour to the flaky cod.
The lamb is a beautiful dish. rump and shoulder meat is served with an aubergine puree, ras el hanout and turnip. The ras el hanout could be so overpowering but it is used sparing to add flavour and a touch of heat, nothing too hot or spicy. The jus is rich to bring all the flavours together.
The butternut squash is a light vegan option with beetroot, garlic and coriander pesto and crispy leeks. The latter really adds some texture to the dish and the flavours are subtly sweet, light and punchy.
My favourite is the turkey burger which, like the soup, is not normally something I would choose from a menu but who can resist a Christmas dinner in burger form? The cranberry and bacon mayonnaise is a delight and I’d like a massive pot of it to dip fries into. There is a little blue cheese that I really feel makes the burger and it isn’t something I think you would ordinarily add to a festive dish. The salad is fresh and crisp, so a tasty addition alongside the pig in blanket floating atop the bun. Well, it wouldn’t be a Christmas burger without it!
Finally, the desserts! If you’re full and want a lighter option, there is the Affogato which features a vegan ice cream with a shot of amaretto and espresso. This seemed really popular on the night I visited and lots of people were enjoying adding the liquids to their ice cream to create a smooth and creamy sensation.
The Sticky Toffee Pudding is gorgeous, as it was the last time I visited. The toffee sauce is rich and then the Guinness ice cream adds a little bit of bitterness to cut through all that gooey rich sweetness. Just a delight to eat.
My favourite is the Triple Chocolate Brownie. Gooey, rich and decadent with the salted caramel goodness of dulce du leche and a cool hit from vanilla ice cream. It has that delightful crust and soft gooey centre that a good brownie should. Despite the amount of food we had eaten prior to this, I managed to polish off the whole thing.
To settle your stomach after eating such a sumptuous feast, you can’t really leave without trying the Chocolate Espresso Martini. I thought this would be a creamy cocktail but it’s really not. Amaretto, cognac, chocolate liqueur and fresh coffee is shaken to a silky yet boozy drink that is the perfect post dinner treat.
