REVIEW: Fondue night at the Hatton Arms
By James Smith
21st Feb 2023 | Opinion
New for this year, the Hatton Arms has launched its weekly fondue nights, served every Wednesday from 5-9pm.
We went to try it out - and were not disappointed!
Diners are given the choice of two fondue options; the cheaper of the two comes with garlic toasted sourdough, paprika potatoes and broccoli & cauliflower florets accompanying the melted cheddar, gruyere and white wine pot.
But we opted for the slightly more expensive offering which comes with an 8oz sirloin steak, which was definitely worth the extra spend.
Despite the restaurant being nearly full, our fondue was served very quickly by our attentive hosts - service was great throughout.
First impressions were that we were right not to order extra helpings for the dipping board, as there were generous serving of all three of the add-ons. But we were told that guests are free to order more as the evening goes on, should they need them.
The fondue was served atop a small stove and was thankfully not pipping hot, so there was no need to wait for it to cool before we could tuck in!
First to go into the cheese was the toasted sourdough. The saltiness of the bread and the added garlic cut through the richness of the cheese for an excellent combo.
The paprika potatoes, cut into small cubes, also paired well when dipped, and were very filling!
While I stayed clear of the cauliflower myself, my companion was very complimentary about it. We both also enjoyed the tender-stem broccoli which, like the bread, was quite salty to cut through the cheese.
Rounding the experience off was our medium-rare steak which was cooked perfectly. Cut into small chunks to ease with dipping, it was served on a bed of fresh spinach and the two dunked into the bubbling pot were an instant hit.
As often happens with meals like fondue, we were worried that we wouldn't eat enough - but that turned out not to be the case as we failed to finish all the cheese and left a handful of dipping bits, with neither of us able to eat any more!
But for those wanting to extend their evening, diners are more than welcome to order desert from the regular menu afterwards.
When the Hatton pub launched the fondue nights, general manager Steph Ward said she wanted to bring something different to the area - a "sharing experience" to "bring people together".
And from where we were sitting they definitely had succeeded!
Steph told us that the fondue nights have grown in popularity week on week, and it is easy to see why.
It was also clear they were appealing to a range of customers. While we visited there were couples enjoying a romantic fondue evening, as well as families and larger groups sharing more than one pot between them.
So if you are looking for something different to do one Wednesday night this spring, I can thoroughly recommend a trip to the Hatton Arms.
And as well as the fondue nights, the pub has also launched monthly wine tasting nights run by Fraziers Wine Merchants in Solihull.
The fondue menu is available every Wednesday night for £23 or £32 (for steak and fondue) for two people.
Click here to visit the website and book a table.
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