Restaurant Review: The Oat Sheaf, Fleet, Hampshire

The Oat Sheaf is a country style pub with modern ambience nestled in the heart of Fleet, Hampshire. Having recently undergone a refurbishment and change of menu, we were very excited to visit The Oatsheaf on their press preview night to have a sneak peek at the fresh new decor and sample some of the new items on their menu.

We were greeted by the friendly team who told us all about the refurbishment and new menu - they were all so positive and excited about the change, it was infectious! There was a make your own gin bar which looked amazing (and something I want to try and recreate at Christmas!) with fresh herbs and fruits, and a selection of gins. We opted for a mocktail though and chose a mojito which I know is one of mums favourite cocktails. It was delicious to drink, so flavoursome - and if a mocktail is good I really don't feel like I'm missing out on alcohol as a driver.

We enjoyed our mocktails in a super cosy nook of the restaurant - the decor and fireplace is perfect for rainy autumnal or winter evenings. Pick your drink, grab a friend, and settled down for the evening. I really loved the decor of The Oat Sheaf - modern with a twist of countryside chic. There was a place for all tastes - bistro style rooms, more edgy and modern decor rooms, a stylish dining hall which is perfect for private functions and parties.

Once ready, we were escorted to our table in the stylish dining room with mirrors. I loved the ambience - if there was a fireplace there too it would have been 110% perfect! But I'm a sucker for fire being a fire element sign, my mum on the other hand really enjoyed the cosy seating nook they had where I said a fireplace would be perfect.

It was time to choose our food pics. the menu at The Oat Sheaf was great - there was a lot of choice and catered for all tastes. The Oat Sheaf also has a vegan menu which I think is great as many country style pubs don't cater for vegans making it a hassle hosting dinners and booking a table for many people when vegan/vegetarians are present. Although The Oatsheaf don't partner with local food suppliers, the team were very proud to say that their produce is delivered fresh and prepared from scratch in the kitchen.

Our host for the evening, Lily, was so lovely and knowledgable on the menu and the drinks - we asked her for her advice on the new items on the menu and she was able to give us all the details we needed. She also helped us pick wines to our taste, and I have to say the Merlot I chose to go with my dinner was exactly as described: dry, but soft on the palette. Yum!

For starters we chose the seared wild Atlantic scallops with spiced tempura cauliflower, roasted cauliflower purée and micro coriander; tempura oyster mushrooms lightly battered, with a soy, lime & ginger dip; and caramelised goats' cheese with roasted pear, chopped hazelnuts, chicory, balsamic glaze and toasted ciabatta.

The scallops were incredible - so flavoursome and so big! I loved the pairing of spiced and almost curried cauliflower with the delicate taste of scallops, they balanced very well together. Scallops are one of my favourite seafood, but sometimes when you order them at restaurants and you get 3 teeny tiny scallops it can be a little underwhelming. I can assure you this portion won't leave you feeling conned out of the juicy scallop meat!

I ordered oyster mushrooms because I LOVE mushrooms but often times find them on the side rather than a main, and my friends can find them boring and sluggish in texture. I wanted to see mushrooms as the main event on a plate and paired with the soy dressing these mushrooms were far from boring. Packed with flavour and hugged in a crispy blanket of tempura batter, I think even those who aren't a fan would enjoy this starter. This was a delicious plate which presented mushrooms in a completely different and delicious way.

The goats cheese starter had a variety of flavours and textures - soft goats cheese paired with crunchy hazelnuts, now that's a combination! The bitterness of chicory cut through the sweetness of the pair - this dish was very well thought out. Flavours and textures contrasted but complemented each other, and the goats cheese flavour was balanced.

It was time for the main event. I always judge a restaurant by the quality of their meat - especially when it comes to steak and lamb. I like red meat pink and blue, and if the only option is to have a fillet steak well done then something just doesn't feel like quality to me. So we asked Lily how rare can we go with out meat - and she confidently replied that if I wanted my steak blue, it will be blue. Hooray! Now will the chef deliver it blue? I have been to restaurants and when asked for your steak to be cooked a certain way (blue, rare) it still came out medium to well done. With this in mind we ordered the rack of lamb with chorizo, butternut purée, roasted shallots, cavolo nero, dauphinoise potatoes, chimmi churri and red wine jus; fillet steak served with twice-cooked chunky chips (I swapped mine for fries), roasted mushroom, confit tomato, Bernaise sauce (I also added king prawns and garlic butter); and a side of halloumi fries with sweet chilly sauce.

I really liked that we could swap sides - we had this debate with Liam, who prefers chunky chips (and so does my mum as I found out!) but I prefer skinny fries (Lily agreed - we're on the same sane wavelength! What about you - chunky chips, or skinny fries?)

When our mains came out the plates were exactly as ordered and smelled so good! The rack of lamb was such a beautiful plate of food - always eat with your eyes first. The lamb was cooked pink how we ordered, and was so soft to cut through. The delicate flavours of the lamb were complimented by butternut puree and cavolo nero, with indulgent dauphinoise potatoes and the perfect red wine jus (plus my Merlot which was matched to perfection!). I enjoyed the chorizo in this dish, but honestly the lamb itself is so flavoursome that if I had to lose something it would be the chorizo in this dish.

The fillet steak was cooked blue, exactly how I like it, and was soft as butter to cut through. It melted in my mouth. There was the perfect amount of food on the plate, and I enjoyed dipping my fries into Bernaise sauce to finish my meal. If you're after a good steak, I would 100% say pop into The Oatsheaf and go for a steak because the chef will cook it exactly how you like it - and it shows the quality of their meat is top.

Lily recommended the halloumi fries to us and she described them as lightly battered and crispy finish - and so they were! The halloumi fries were light to eat and crispy, nothing limp around here. The entire meal was as my mum put it 11/10 - every bite was delicious.

Then came time for pudding. Save some space in your belly for pudding because you MUST try:
THE AMBASSADOR'S MELTING CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT BOMB which is rich chocolate ganache, hazelnut, crisp wafer and vanilla ice cream, encased in a dark chocolate sphere, melted with hot white chocolate sauce. Ohmygoshyes. The dessert looks stunning as it arrives, and the host pours hot white chocolate sauce over the bomb as you watch it melt into what resembles a giant Ferrero Roche flower. This dessert is not light - it's sinful, delightful, indulgent. And oh so yummy.

We also tried the caramel creme brûlée served with home-baked sultana & oatmeal biscuits which was a much lighter yet still oh-so-delicious dessert. Perfect to enjoy with a cup of tea by the fireplace!

I really enjoyed the experience provided by The Oat Sheaf in Fleet - the team were so friendly and knowledgable, the decor was fresh, cosy and inviting, and the food was top standard. We absolutely cannot wait to be back and try some more dishes from the menu. I would highly recommend visiting The Oat Sheaf in Fleet!

Find out more about The Oat Sheaf in Fleet - visit their website: The Oat Sheaf Fleet

*The food and drink featured in this post was complimentary for review purposes from The Oat Sheaf. All views are my own.