All images: DAISY DICKINSON
Nicola Foley enjoys an evening of comfort food at this newly reinvigorated Mill Road pub
Living, as I do, towards the end of Mill Road, I was beyond excited to get wind of the Royal Standard opening in late 2015. Not only were us Romsey towners getting a new pub – we were getting a new pub from the team behind the Cambridge Blue; surely one of the best watering holes in the whole of the city, never mind just the Mill Road area.
From the first visit my hopes were vindicated and I knew we’d struck gold; the fit out of the pub is beautiful; classy muted grey panelling, walls adorned with vintage bicycle saddles, a large, oxblood tiled bar adding a bit of old-school cool, huge squishy sofas and most importantly, a genuinely cosy, welcoming feel.
As soon as you get to ordering your drinks you’ll realise that the Royal Standard is a cut above your average boozer in terms of choice. Like its sister pub the Blue, there’s a great range of craft beers and ales, but even more excitingly (for me, at least), they offer a staggering 55 different gins to try, with appearances from lots of great distilleries.
Sinking into our seats on the chilly November evening we stopped by for the review, though, we decided a crisp Sauvignon Blanc would be the perfect foil for the seafood-rich menu. I kicked off with a steaming bowl of moules – a dish that pays homage to the Belgian theme that permeates the food and beer at the Royal Standard, and one which the pub is becoming known for.
Despite being presented with a multitude of internationally inspired options, from Thai style (mussels in a spicy green curry broth), to Spanish style (with chorizo, saffron, tomato and smoked paprika), I went traditional and selected the classic Moules Marinière – an indulgent treat with its juicy mussels and gorgeously garlicky, creamy sauce, complete with hunks of crusty bread for dipping.
We also couldn’t resist sampling another of the ‘small plates’ on the menu, the Pié d’Angloys – which actually turned out to be anything but small. Camembert-esque, this robustly flavoured and sinfully creamy baked cheese, infused with garlic and rosemary, was pure molten, melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness.
“The food is excellent and fairly priced, the service warm and friendly”
On to the mains, where I opted for some comfort food which felt befitting of the bitterly cold weather: a fish pie. The succulently fresh salmon and haddock, luxuriating in a velvety white sauce and topped with fluffy mash with a pleasingly golden topping, more than delivered. A further (perhaps unnecessary) dollop of buttery mash, plus veggies, completed the meal – and ensured that I was going to struggle to move for the next couple of hours.
Over on the other side of the table, my dining partner was happily tucking into a squishy brioche bun filled with charred mushroom, avocado and melty Emmental cheese, an option which joined various other lovely looking vegetarian dishes on the Royal Standard’s menu. Almost defeated, we shared a cube of sticky toffee pudding to round off our meal, a scrumptiously stodgy finale.
While the Mill Road community has welcomed the Royal Standard with open arms (and it really has, it’s buzzing every night), this smart pub deserves recognition beyond the neighbourhood. The food is excellent and fairly priced, the service warm and friendly and the vast drinks selection reason alone to visit. It behoves me to point out that their Sunday roasts are also superb, and if you fancy a festive feast with friends, they’ve got a special Christmas menu which runs throughout December, priced at £17.95 for two courses.
