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Carl and Julie Illies love to serve the best of food and wine to each person stepping in to Chardonnay, a warm and inviting restaurant in Old London Road. Carl's experiences in places such as the Lygon Arms Hotel in Broadway and the Savoy Hotel have earned him the skill and knowledge to run his very own venture.

Customers can choose to dine either in the lovely conservatory or head to the restaurant to enjoy dishes from an international menu of starters such as herring fillets with beetroot and horseradish cream and wafer thin Parma ham served with sliced melon.

Main course could include medallions of lamb with a turmeric crust served with an apricot and mint sauce; pork fillet with fresh mango, pink peppercorns and sun dried cranberries, and grilled Dover sole with lemon and parsley.

A rich silky chocolate mousse with an orange and Grand Marnier egg custard helps end proceedings magnificently.

The Old Forge, under the same ownership since 1988, has dedicated itself to creating interesting food served with an exciting range of both New and Old World Wines; their name has become synonymous with high quality cooking and value for money.

Here is a restaurant where the noble indulgence of the pursuit of gastronomic excellence is not confined to home base. Clive Roberts, the chef-patron, as well as running a kitchen producing interesting and thoughtful dishes, also presides over a wine business and runs excellent wine and food trips world-wide.

Another pleasing feature of the place is the sheer value for money, with a carte menu at around £30. House wine at £13 will hurt nobody, but if you insist there is ample opportunity on a wine list displaying the same skilled approach.

During the year they hold a series of their renowned Food and Wine Evenings featuring some of the best and most interesting areas of the world of wine, seated at large tables in a Dinner Party atmosphere you will be served a five course dinner of traditional food of the region, which will be complimented by six classic wines.

Sample 'A La Carte' Menu:

Starters:

Ballottine of duck with pistachios, slow braised prunes in armagnac

Ham hock and puy lentil salad, grain mustard and cornichon dressing

Char-grilled aubergine, roast plum tomatoes, parmesan parsnips and pine nut crumble

Pan seared shrimps on caramelised kale with smoked garlic butter

Main courses:

Fresh cod with salt cod brandade set on parmesan and walnut biscuit

Fillet of brill, artichoke puree, rocket and sautéed mushrooms

Scotch beef fillet, cabbage and braised oxtail, madeira jus

Sauté of guinea fowl with sweet potato, orange and honey

Slow roasted cured pork belly with apple and onion compote and fried sage

Rack of lamb with juniper crust, roasted shallot and balsamic reduction

Desserts:

Chocolate almond meringue with rich chocolate rum truffle

Marmalade and orange cream tart

Pear, star anise and vanilla clafoutis, spiced pear sorbet

"The platter" featuring a selection of the above desserts

Home made ice cream or sorbet

A platter of British farmhouse cheeses

Tremendous value at £25 for 2 courses or £33 for 3 courses - Filter Coffee and Assorted Teas are included with the above.