We received a unique dining experience tonight as a pre-customer to the official opening night tomorrow (Tuesday) for The Marigold Tavern. It has only been open for 2 days on a soft launch. As the staff and chefs get used to their conscience menu to perfection.
Once the home to House of Feasts, this large building has been redecorated to accommodate the style and colours of India. You’re surrounded by some beautiful murals, figure paintings and a gorgeous shade of Marigold yellow on the walls. It’s a large restaurant with plenty of tables to choose from and a different feel to each area: bar area gives you a vibrant but enclosed feel, the raised restaurant area with its large countryside mural and bottom area. There are large TV screens available where, like tonight, you can watch the sport that’s on for a night off the sofa with your sporting friends or opt for the quieter area at the bottom end, if it’s not quite your thing.
No one was dining in at this time (6pm) but us, apart from a few takeaways – giving kitchen staff, chefs and waiting staff chance to get their feet and under going training as they’ve only been doing a soft launch for 2 days. Tomorrow is their biggy when there will be a full restaurant for people all wanting to see what it’s all about.
Sharon served up the popadoms on the table, as an appetiser, with the usual accompaniments of sweet pickle, chilli red sauce, onion mix and a creamy yoghurt sauce. Well munched and dipped as we browsed over the offerings on the menu. It’s refreshing to get a menu that’s straightforward and not pages and pages long. If you’re looking for a plain and simple style then the Curry Dishes section on the right is for you; with all our English favourites like: Korma, Madras and Vindaloo, along with the UK’s favourite Chicken Tikka Masala over on the House Specials listing. Other staff members on tonight were KT, Megan and Erin.
Tonight we wanted to mix things up from our normal order rather than being our same old boring… (Chicken Korma and Tikka Masala) so opted for the Small Mixed Grill: this is a dry dish including pieces of pakora, chicken tikka, sheekh kebab, chicken wings all sitting on a bed of onions. I would suggest adding a small bowl of one of the curry sauces to dip in (just ask) or simply have it all dry if that’s what you prefer. I opted for a portion of Tandoori King prawns, which were gorgeous king prawns curled up with a lovely tandoori taste, definitely worth having. On the side we had the Marigold aloo which were good sized nicely flavoured soft potatoes. Our second fabulous dish was the Butter Chicken – a really rich flavoursome dish with a creamy texture. Paired well with pilau rice and garlic naan bread to mop up all that gorgeous sauce.
Everything on the table was delicious. There are a few unique ‘Marigold’ curve balls on the menu like the Marigold chilli chips we tried – or should I say NOT tried… LOL… I warn you, go there if you dare as you receive a portion of chips smothered in a chilli sauce with plenty of chillis!
After all this we were stuffed! Not surprised? No, nor am I. You won’t go away hungry, the food is of a lovely quality and the flavours are really something. I’m not surprised to be fair as Taran has managed to scoop some top chefs from Peterborough as well as from Huntingon. He self confesses that he is no cook.
Tarun (19) has been running a successful chip shop in Eye and couldn’t resist the opportunity of taking this lovely building over and turning it into the Marigold Tavern. He’s excited at the prospect of bringing some great food to the area of Eye Green, where it’s located, Eye, Thorney, Crowland and beyond – an ideal location for a takeaway on the way home from work or for popping to for an evening out without having to traipse into the city centre.
We wish him and the staff all the success for the future, we’ll definitely be coming back to share the experience with our friends.
