Menu of the Month - Carew Inn, Carew, nr Tenby
Carew Inn, Carew, nr Tenby, Pembrokeshire
STYLE: Situated opposite the ruins of Carew Castle, this friendly, busy village pub offers a broad menu and a number of Welsh dishes. It's also a popular watering hole.
DECOR: Inside, it is a warren of simply furnished rooms, with a small, panelled public bar and an extra upstairs dining room. The rear garden is covered by a marquee for regular summer barbecues.
WHAT'S ON OFFER: As well as the short blackboard of daily specials, the menu is divided into "favourites", rice and pasta,starters, vegetarian, main courses and children's meals.The favourites section ranges from a selection of salads, priced from £5.95 (grated Cheddar) to £7.95 (prawns, tuna and anchovy) to heartier dishes such as 16oz rump steak (£12.95) served with a choice of chips, garlic potatoes or new potatoes, and fresh vegetables or salad.
Starters are all under £4.95, the most expensive being a pint mug overflowing with shell-on prawns with a wedge of lemon. Main courses are priced from £8.95 (Mexican pork - pieces of pork braised with chillies, tomatoes, kidney beans, peppers and sweetcorn wrapped in a tortilla and topped with cheese and crème fraiche) to £11.95 (swordfish steak grilled and served with a choice of sauces, sautéed potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables).
From the specials board on the day we visited, two hake fillets in tempura batter (£8.95) and local dressed crab served in its shell (£4.95 as a starter) were generous, excellent value and very fresh indeed. Children's meals include the usual fish fingers, sausages, pizza or chicken nugget option, but also spaghetti bolognese (£2.95) and roast chicken and gravy (£2.95).
CHEERS:Well-kept Welsh real ales such as Tomos Watkin and Brains' Rev James, and a small wine list, plus a selection of bottled lagers and beers.
JUST DESSERTS: Dessert choices feature homemade puddings, such as fruit crumble (£3.50), syrup sponge pudding (£3.35), bread and butter pudding (£3.50), and old favourites like jam roly-poly (£3.50).
AND ANOTHER THING: The pub overlooks a 9th-century Celtic cross, which is a tourist attraction in itself.
