Ian Waller and his family enjoy a delicious Sunday lunch in stunning setting
What a treat! A delicious Sunday lunch out with the family at the gorgeous setting of The Jolly Sailor in Saltford, and the sun turned out too!
Our early summer visit to this canalside pub had come about after rediscovering the venue after a recent family day out. It was one of those lovely summer’s evenings when a drink at a pub garden beckoned and I remembered The Jolly Sailor as somewhere we used to go with my mum and dad when I was a kid.
50 years on and the great news is that the pub’s beautiful setting has changed little, right next to the canal, with the barges gently chugging by and the stunning weir behind, complete with the old stone towers in the distance.
There’s a big car park, plenty of seats inside and out the pub, and our welcome from Harry and the team was warm and friendly. We took a canal side seat among the other families and couples, some of whom had arrived via the nearby Bath to Bristol cycle route.
It turns out The Jolly Sailor serves food throughout the week, lunches and evening meals, as well as occasional special events and menus – keep your eye on social media for details. For us, however, it was time for a Sunday lunch, with a menu that allowed us to choose between the traditional options of beef, pork, chicken and vegetarian roast, alongside a regular menu of fish and chips, sausage and mash, mushroom risotto, chicken tikka masala and more.
With our choices made and drinks served, we sat back to enjoy the sunshine and watch as a family expertly navigated the canal lock in their gorgeous dutch barge.
The starters for three of us were traditional and familiar – brie wedges service with sweet chilli jam (£5.95), king prawns with chilli, garlic and lemon butter (£7.95) and brandy chicken liver paté served with rustic bread (£6.95). Each dish was tasty and well presented, and just the right portion size meaning we wouldn’t be too full for the main course.
Which was just as well, as the mains were superb! Now we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy a few pub roasts out over the years, but I can happily say that this one at The Jolly Sailor was the best of the lot. While the generous portions were appreciated, it was the quality of each item that stood out. While my wife and I enjoyed the topside of beef (£14.95), our youngest went for the pork loin (£14.95), with his older brother and sister preferring fish and chips (£13.95) and aged Angus burger with chips (£12.95).
For the roasts, generous slices of beef and pork were very ably supported by perfectly cooked potatoes, cabbage, seriously gorgeous carrots, parsnips and a particularly tasty gravy. The result tasted freshly and perfectly prepared, gratefully consumed and I was happy to hoover up the veggies that my youngest couldn’t finish (well, we dads are good at that sort of thing…).
The fish and chips and burger and chips, while not reaching the standards of the roast, were by all accounts fine and good pub offerings. What they also meant was that there was something for pretty much all tastes, even if for some unfathomable reason roasts aren’t quite to a diner’s liking
During the meal, the team at The Jolly Sailor checked that everything was OK, including delivering a fresh round of drinks to our table.
With the mains finished off and the plates cleared away, there was still time to fit in desserts and tea and coffee. We went for two homemade sticky toffee puddings (£6.25), one chocolate fudge cake (£6.25) and a vanilla cheesecake (£6.25), all finished up in no time. Then with the bill paid and ever friendly pub team giving us a friendly wave goodbye, there was still time for a walk along the canal, a chance to explore that beautiful waterside setting and a game of ‘Wow, that’s a gorgeous house – I wonder how much it’s worth!’.
All-in-all, our Sunday lunch visit to The Jolly Sailor was a great success. It’s also a perfect venue for a summer’s evening drink after work or just somewhere to enjoy in the summer sun.