The Black Cock Inn – Tasty but uninspiring

The Black Cock Inn, just north of Cardiff, 029 2088 0534, theblackcockinn.com

I had heard some really good things about the Black Cock and I was expecting great things. Sadly when I walked in through the door and picked up the menu my enthusiasm fell flat. The 70’s pub decor has managed to miss retro and vintage and go straight to old fashioned and I have to say the same about the menu. With a selection including burgers, lasagne and fish and chips I was underwhelmed. I picked the most exotic thing on the menu because as Barnabus says I am wild at heart. When my mussels arrived I was pleasantly surprised and I have to say they were very tasty and had a real home cooked feel about them. But somehow it just wasn’t enough to make me feel like I would ever go back. I don’t think you would have bad meal here but it won’t fire your passions either.

Lottie x

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The Black Cock. Not just an excuse to say cock in public but also an impressive looking pub from the outside. Maybe it was the location but I was hoping to find the equivalent of The Travellers Rest on the inside but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectation. The menu lacked in both choice and inspiration but I am nothing if not resilient when faced with a potential food disaster so braced myself and crossed my fingers before ordering.

I am a lover of big flavours so picked the half roasted chicken in barbeque sauce.

When it arrived I thought they’d drowned the chicken, not roasted it, as it was swimming in a veritable lake of brown goop. This wasn’t looking good. However, amazingly, the sauce was really good (for BBQ sauce). Often these sauces can be really heavy, sticky, and sweet; you wouldn’t want a gallon of it on your plate, but this went really well with the chicken and I lapped it up. The garnish / salad on the other hand did not benefit from coming into contact with the sauce, which was inevitable given the quantity of it.

After washing it down with a pint of real ale, I left no longer feeling hungry but I wasn’t tempted to return.

But then there were the bunnies! Round the back of the pub is a little playground and pets corner which provided a few moment of entertainment for myself, Lottie and Little Lottie. Ah well, watch out if there’s rabbit pie on the menu when you visit.

Barnabus