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The Porterhouse Pub in Willingham has always held a certain mystery for me. Driving past it countless times every day, I have often wondered what the pub was like on the inside. Luckily, I was invited to explore their menu recently, so I was finally able to find out.

🅿️ Free parking at the back of the pub

Walking in, you will immediately notice that the interior meets the expectation given by the exterior – as a warm country pub. I was immediately greeted by not only the friendly staff but with a comforting rustic feel that was emphasised by wooden tables, a mounted gun, and a giant hip flask proudly displayed on the wall.  The pub also looks like it has just had a fresh lick of paint, making it feel pristine and clean.

There are two outdoor seating areas ready and waiting for the summer. A greener garden part out the front of the pub and a patio area around the back equipped with a 9 meter tall “tipi”.

The tipi has its own heater and blankets inside, making it perfect for cold winter evenings. In the summer it doubles up as an Al fresco set up for plenty of daytime drinking 👍😂

The pub itself is divided into two areas – the main bar and restaurant area, meaning you can dine in peace or have a beer while watching the football.

The Porterhouse Pub is a free house, so ales are where it really shines. There are options from all over the country that are all gravity fed from the cellar and kept at an optimal 11-13 degrees celsius. Lager options are pretty average, with Neck Oil being your best bet.

Mixed platter

We opted for their enticing mixed platter. I thought this would give us a good chance to sample lots of different things from their menu and a general idea of the quality provided. It featured a delightful array of cured meats, cheeses, olives, falafel and halloumi. Alongside this, a generous selection of sauces and dips; including classics like tzatziki, hummus, and a chutney for that added sweetness.

The mixed platter was absolutely rammed and arrived overflowing with an abundance of colorful and enticing treats. It was undeniably one of the most impressive looking selections I have encountered in some time, offering a spread easily capable of sharing between two to four guests.

Considering the platter’s sheer variety, I would struggle to go through everything individually. My personal highlights were the delicate slivers of Parma ham, the feta cheese, the crispy cubes of falafel, and the absolutely beautiful chutney.

Menu

The menu had a wide selection of the traditional pub classics (link). I was quite fond of the colour coding on the menu that made it easy to tell whether things were gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, or contain nuts.

Pizza

One thing that caught my eye was the pizza menu. It came with a selection of 12 varieties.

The pizzas are 12″, thin-based, and cooked in their dedicated pizza oven.

For my main course, I opted for the enticing combination of chicken and chorizo. The first aspect that struck me was the crust – it was incredibly thin and crisp without being dry, exactly how I like it.

There wasn’t a huge cheese presence on the pizza, allowing the tomato base and toppings to take center stage with the flavour. The tiny cubes of chorizo offered a vivid pop of savory richness with every bite, while the long chicken strips provided succulence you wouldn’t find from tiny chicken bits found on other pizzas.

This execution made the pizza feel more balanced than others. It was one of the strongest examples of a thin crust pizza I have encountered in a while but I will admit, it  felt a little small. It may fail to fill up people like myself with bigger appetites but I can’t argue with it on everything else. 👍

Steak

In my opinion, the best way to tell the quality of a restaurant is to try the steak. There were four options available on the menu,

• 8 oz fillet

• 12 oz sirloin

• 14 oz rib eye

• 21 oz porterhouse.

We couldn’t make up our mind on what cut to choose, so we opted for the sirloin for no other reason than we hadn’t had one in a while.

It came with a good selection of sides, which induced a portion of chips, onion rings, mushrooms, tomatoes and rocket.

We asked for the steak rare. I thought it looked closer to medium rare myself, but it wasn’t far off. The steak was a lovely cut, thick, and juicy, with a char grill flavour on the edges.

I was joined by Cambridge Foodies moderator, Gerry, who really knows his steak. We were both in agreement that this would serve anyone proud. I know I’ll be back to try their take on my personal favourite cut, rib eye – Watch this space!

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Dessert

We ended the evening with a block of milk chocolate cheesecake served with a jug of cream. The plate was beautifully presented and covered in chocolate sauce with a small piece of garnish for extra colour.

The portion was generous and perfect for sharing. The texture was light, almost like a thick mousse and the milk chocolate flavor was smooth and decadent without being overly heavy. A noble crowd pleaser, no doubt, but certainly a Simon pleaser.

Conclusion

I have finally unraveled the mystery of The Porterhouse Pub. After years of driving past, I now know what it has to offer and in a lot of ways it was exactly what I was expecting…And that is by no means a bad thing.

The Porterhouse Pub provides a friendly service in a warm rustic atmosphere. I can see it being a great place to go for a drink in their garden in the summer (or winter – thanks to their giant “tipi”).

I’m a big fan of their thin crust pizzas that take a more mature attitude towards preparation, rather than the rather heavy thick-based pizzas with a ton of cheese loaded on top. It made a refreshing change in a very competitive pizza market.

The steak was a real winner and I can see it being my ‘go too’ in the local area. I look forward to revising and trying the other cuts, especially that monster of a 21 oz porterhouse!

For anyone looking for classic British pub grub then The Porterhouse Pub is an all round crowd pleaser that executes everything well.

I’ll certainly be back, for sure!

Thanks for reading!