The former Tudor period mansion that sits just outside of Cardiff and on the outskirts of Penarth on the Cogan Spur junction has had many faces. It is best known for formerly being a Toby Carvery and has now been transformed into a new luxury dining experience called Courts.
And you would never be able to tell it was ever a Toby Carvery. The building now oozes luxury, from the bejewelled tree wrapped in fairy lights outside so you can't miss the restaurant even on dark and rainy winter nights, to the impressive entrance with a huge chandelier, to the cosy seating sections which are perfect for any occasion.
There is no hint of its former uses and it now feels totally luxurious. We managed to book a table on the third night the restaurant was open and as soon as we arrived we were led to our table in one of the upstairs sections by a friendly and chatty waiter.
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The restaurant has many different levels and has a mix of exposed brick walls and those decorated with ceramic patterns. They both contrast nicely with the high ceiling that has wooden beams. There's also space for what could be a dancefloor with a disco ball handily hanging above it.
The decor is simply stunning. In the area where we were seated there were white fake blossom tree branches delicately hanging from the ceiling and the lights as well as 'birdcage' lampshades and arched windows.
As the whole restaurant was bathed in purple light it meets the promise of being the place "where history meets modern luxury" as it feels like you have been transported into a traditional country home that's been given a modern makeover. The blossom continues to hang over the upstairs bar and behind it is another room.
This room has a more functional look, with geometric ceiling, stone walls and an eye-catching artwork depicting Welsh singing legend Shirley Bassey wearing a Welsh flag.
Music played in the background but it didn;t really match the vibe and the songs went from pop to club classics, neither of which matched the cool and luxurious feel of Courts.
While the decor is sumptuous, what about the all-important food? Is it style over substance here? Courts has three main menus - the lunch menu, the Sunday menu and the a-la-carte menu, which is served in the evenings. There is also a festive menu and a children's menu.
As we were dining in the evening we were given the extensive a-la-carte menu as well as an impressive wine list and separate drinks menu. The a-la-carte menu had a great range, with a whole section dedicated to dishes off the grill and an impressive list of sides.
To start with we opted for bread and olives costing £7.95. The focaccia was served with house butter and olives. The olives were very fresh and tangy in the best way.
They were also well seasoned with garlic and there was a good portion of them. Immediately after being served you could smell the warm focaccia bread which smelt as good as walking into a bakery.
The bread was warm and fluffy, ripping apart easily and well-flavoured. There was plenty of butter, which is always great as you never want to run out, which was also well-flavoured with garlic, making the whole dish a great starter.
For mains we chose a dish simply named 'sausage' as well as the beef ragu. The 'sausage' dish was just as we expected - bangers and mash. While this may sound pretty boring, think again. Wow, it was far from your average bangers and mash.
Costing £16.95 and featuring pork and leek sausages, chive and confit garlic mashed potatoes, sage peas and crispy onions, although this plate looked small when served, it was very filling.
The sausages were plump and juicy, nicely flavoured with leek. They were also perfectly cooked, neither overdone or too chewy and they did not have a dubious pink tone you can sometimes get with sausages. The mash was delightful - creamy, fluffy and perfectly flavoured with garlic that was suble rather than overpowering.
The peas had been well seasoned with the sage, and a hint of mint, making them so much better than the average frozen peas you may have at home for tea. There were not many crispy onions on the plate but they had a great crunch and flavour. My only complaint is there could have been more gravy. The gravy that was served on the dish was thick and deeply flavoured, meaning I mopped up every last bit. All the ingredients worked and tasted great together.
For our other main, the beef ragu costing £18.95 was made from 18-hour braised beef brisket, spiced tomato sauce, pappardelle pasta and 48-month aged parmesan. The flavours were amazing, however, the dish was served lukewarm meaning by the end the pasta was cold.
This did not take away from the great flavours of the ragu which was packed with herbs and garlic and the braised beef brisket was tender and juicy. It was all presented nicely on the plate and topped with 48-month aged parmesan.
When it came to desserts, as a chocolate lover I was pleased to see they served chocolate fondant but unfortunately it was unavailable which was a bit of a disappointment. Instead I opted for another firm favourite, the sticky toffee pudding (£7.95). Although the slice of sticky toffee pudding could have been bigger - you can never have too much - the pudding was perfectly sticky and toffee flavoured.
There were plenty of dates in the pudding, creating that rich sticky taste and it was served warm with clotted cream ice cream and miso caramel sauce. The ice cream was so well flavoured and the dish smelt delightful.
The only downside was the fact that there were nuts covering the top of the pudding and around the ice cream but instead of adding flavour they were quite overpowering and took away from the delicious taste of the dessert.
The second dessert was the rhubarb and custard sphere, also £7.95, which was served with white chocolate, granola, raspberries and pickled rhubarb.
The rhubarb and custard mousse was served in a white chocolate ball on a bed of granola, which we thought was an interesting addition to the dish which was sweet and tangy. There was less custard and more rhubarb flavour in the dish but overall a good dessert.
Courts is a place I would happily visit again and the transformation is incredible. We were very well looked after by our waitress and although some of the dishes might not be quite fine dining they were still very good. Overall, it was a very enjoyable and delicious meal in lovely surroundings.
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