Banbury restaurant offers Christmas menu to match its glittering surroundings

The restaurant is in a superb location, high above the canal, surrounded by gold and silver illuminations – perfect for a work, family or friends’ gathering to celebrate this special time of year.

Chef Kieren Munday has produced a varied menu with something to suit all tastes with choices that include a traditional Christmas dinner with Christmas pudding for those wanting to partake of the ‘real thing’.

However the list includes some other mouthwatering choices, some of which we tasted for ourselves. They range from vegetarian/vegan dishes to fish and family favourites such as a festive scotch egg and a specially seasoned bread and butter pudding.

We were greeted by the attentive front-of-house team with a most welcome glass of prosecco which we enjoyed before starting the meal. To start, I chose a tasty smoked salmon fishcake and my guest enjoyed a festive sage and onion scotch egg.

We bypassed the traditional Christmas dinner (which looks amazing) because the prospect of many upcoming turkey meals in the coming fortnight. I decided on a very tasty confit duck leg served with pommes puree, balsamic-braised red cabbage and topped with a hazelnut crumb, while my friend was very impressed with her highlight of the meal - herb-crusted Cornish hake, served with pommes puree, samphire and a parsley oil split beurre blanc.

For desert, my friend could not resist the 18-month matured Christmas pudding topped with fresh orange and walnuts, served with warm brandy sauce, while I thoroughly enjoyed a refreshing and satisfying red wine-poached pear infused with Christmas spices and served with a vanilla Chantilly cream – a great way to end the meal.

The menu includes a roasted cauliflower and gruyere soup and a confit squash with sage and orange among the starters and a delicious-looking main course of beet and red onion tarte tatin for vegans and vegetarians. Deserts include an appetising hazelnut tart among the choices.

We chose a delicious Sancerre white wine to accompany our meal. However The Greenhouse has a full, tempting and wide selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for aperitifs and to suit all courses and all tastes and celebrations.