Home > Des Moines Restaurants > Editorial Review > Editorial Datebook Review: Royal Mile, The

By MARY CHALLENDER * REGISTER STAFF WRITER
December 13, 2007

Scene: Dim light and walls paneled in dark wood create the look and feel of an English pub. Scottish, English and Welsh banners hang from the ceiling, and the walls are covered with beer signs - but for Tetley's, Smithwicks and Harp rather than the usual Budweiser and Miller products. By 8 p.m. on a cold Thursday night (I probably should have thought twice about that table by the door), seats were at a premium and the smoke hung heavily in the air.

Food: The menu is straight from an English pub, too. Diners can order all the classics here - Scotch eggs, fish and chips, shepherd's pie, bangers and mash. But there's also some variety with entrees such as Thai Grilled Tuna.

We started with a Tetley's, a thick, rich English ale that reminds me of a lighter version of Guinness, and a Kahlua and coffee to take off the chill. The bartender originally forgot to add the Kahlua to my drink, but our waitress quickly rectified that. Unfortunately, there was no whipped cream to be found.

For an appetizer, we ordered Red Curry Cashew Chicken egg rolls, which had just the right amount of spice and flake to wake our taste buds without being too filling.

For dinner, I chose the chicken and leek pasty with a mashed potato side, and my dining companion ordered the Steak and Guinness Pie. Both came well-drenched in brown gravy. My dining companion was impressed with the fork-tender chunks of meat in his nearly two-inch-deep pie, while I liked the combination of flavors created by the chicken, chopped leeks, carrots and celery in my turnover-style pasty.

Service: Friendly and efficient but more of a breeze-by, bar-style waitressing than in-depth restaurant-style service. Then again, the prices at Royal Mile are bar food prices. The chicken and leek pasty was $6.25, the Steak and Guinness Pie $7.45.

Dessert: Judging from our waitress' surprise at our request for the dessert menu, I'm guessing dessert isn't a big sell at the Royal Mile. I got a chocolate muffin with vanilla ice cream to go. It was simple, but I think I prefer that to mountains of goo.

Leftovers: About half the mashed potatoes.

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