As summer is wrapping up and further education is on the horizon, we headed for a family day trip to Arundel, West Sussex and discovered a quaint and beautiful town.
We headed straight for a big lunch at The Black Rabbit – my previous foodie research promised a gastropub in an idyllic location by the river Arun – and it definitely delivered!
About 3 mins drive from Arundel High street, is the Black Rabbit nestled in the willows, with views of the river, outdoor seating and charming interiors.
We all went straight for mains as a big lunch, and from a varied menu two of our party of five went for the ‘Nduja stuffed chicken with white bean mash and spinach and sunblushed tomatoes.
Our chicken dishes were delicious to look at, the chicken was mostly tender but the mash was under seasoned. Sadly, though stated as stuffed with ‘Nduja sausage on the menu, this was not to be seen on the plate. It made for a flavoursome but heavy dish, so the sunblushed tomatoes were a welcome lift.
Two of us ordered the Pan-fried Salmon pave with new potatoes, leeks and peas. These were mostly enjoyed – pan-frying gave the salmon a nice crispy skin but the dish was lacking a sauce or could have benefitted from simply having creamed leeks instead.
Finally, one of us (the best choice) went for the Steak frites (rare) with a peppercorn sauce. This was thoroughly enjoyed and flawlessly cooked to order – a definite favourite for when we next visit!
The portions were hearty all round so we were far too full for anything else (although for future reference the dessert menu looked homely and indulgent.)
We then walked towards the high street, passing the fairy-tale Arundel Castle (filming location of BBC’s Merlin) tucked away behind the trees.
The high street has a quintessential English-village feel and is studded with local, independent food stores and clothing boutiques, including Pallant of Arundel (fresh bakery and delicatessen).
We browsed around all of these before straying onto Tarrant Street with tiny shopping arcades and the modern Sparks Yard homeware store.
On the top floor was Sparks Loft, a cafe and bar where we stopped for a needed cuppa and cake. We shared sticky toffee cake and a white chocolate brownie. While the space was fresh and vibrant, the cake was less so – must’ve just been the last few slices of the day.
My brother went for the freshest option possible – a watermelon, strawberry and pink grapefruit smoothie, complete with watermelon slice!
In all, Arundel is a beautiful town, richly scattered with tearooms, cafes and upmarket restaurants (for the foodie) and art galleries, independent clothing boutiques and homemade jewellery stores (for everyone else!). As for us, we will definitely be returning to explore more of the town and castle.
The Culinary Carousel 