The Sunnyside of Life!
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Recommendation added: 17/04/2006 23:00
By: dewberry (YSUK rating +816)dewberry has been thanked 9 times for this contribution
"When my sister was living in the halls of residence at Northampton University, my bank holidays were always spent travelling from Birmingham with a car boot full of shopping for her. While visiting, of course, I'd take her for a meal so at least if she didn't eat more than beans on toast for a week she'd be OK for vitamins. This was how I discovered The Sunnyside Inn.
Being directly opposite one of the University's car parks, it understandably attracts a very 'student' clientele. Think wall to wall rugby shirts and baggy jeans, and that's just the girls! Luckily, this also reflects on the prices and the beer is pretty cheap compared to other local Northampton pubs.
You order your food at the bar with your drinks, making a note of your table number before you go up otherwise you'll have to go back and check halfway through ordering.
Food is pretty much standard pub grub; Fish & Chips, Steak & Ale Pie, Scampi and the good old Sunday Roast being just a few examples of what you can expect to eat at Sunnyside. The last time I visited was with my sister, my partner and two children. I ate Scampi & Chips which was served with a small salad and peas. The scampi was succulent with a fresh taste and covered in good quality bread crumbs which weren't soaking in grease, as seems to be the trend with scampi in a lot of pubs at the moment! Likewise, the chips were more or less grease free and cooked perfectly. The large chunk of lemon really set off my meal, as we all know nothing goes better with scampi than a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice.
My sister had Lasagne & Chips, the lasagne looked absolutely gorgeous. The spoonful of this meal which I sampled (all in the name of research, of course) was delicious. The filling was rich and very meaty with a tomato-ey sauce; this was complimented by the thick and gooey cheese sauce which was sitting on top of the pasta sheets. There was a good portion of vegetables in the lasagne; including tomatoes and carrots. This lent a slightly crunchy texture to the otherwise soft consistency. Again, good chips and a small fresh salad were also served with this meal.
Mark had his usual steak, cooked medium rare. He commented that the steak was cooked perfectly how he'd ordered it, and the Peppercorn Sauce which was served with his meal had a healthy kick to it. He'd opted for a jacket potato, as Sunnyside offer to substitute the chips with either a jacket or boiled potatoes. The spud was absolutely massive, I mean it was huge! The skin was wonderfully crisp, while the potato flesh was fluffy and the large knob of butter gave it a lovely creamy texture.
Kids are catered for by way of a special children's menu, which surprisingly contains much more than your usual selection of Fish Fingers or Burgers. True, these are on the menu but for the more adventurous child there's also Chilli Con Carne, Chicken Curry or Fish Pie. Included in all meals from the children's menu are a drink and an ice cream for when they've finished eating.
My kids had Pizza & Chips, which they both loved. It was a whole pizza which both looked and tasted freshly made, rather than the frozen junk which a lot of pubs try to palm off on the kids. This was served with a choice of beans or peas, they chose beans and this looked to be a good quality brand with a good rich sauce. Their ice cream was a nice dessert, and also a bribe to get them to eat their dinners! It came with chocolate sprinkles and a choice of chocolate or strawberry sauce; it was a nice touch asking the kids which topping they wanted.
Adult desserts. Now you're talking. I nearly bit my tongue off while cramming hot Chocolate Orange Sponge Pudding & Custard into my mouth. This was without doubt one of the best pub puddings I've ever had, and believe me I've had a few. The sponge was light and fluffy, with a thick and ultra rich orange sauce inside. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. My sister shared a massive ice cream sundae with the kids; this huge bowl consisted of profiteroles, mashed up Crunchie, wafers, vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream and chocolate brownies. Way too much sugar for me to contemplate in one sitting, but those at the table with a sweet tooth (i.e. those of us not eating Choc Orange Pudding) enjoyed it immensely!
We didn't eat starters on this visit, but there's a great selection to choose from. We usually go for one of the Combo Platters (chicken wings, potato skins, battered mushrooms etc.), but you can also go for things like Pate on Toast or Soup of the Day.
All food is reasonably priced, meals average around £6 but you really do get a lot for your money as the portion sizes are very generous. The kid's meals have a flat rate of £2.99, while most of the desserts are £2.95. Exceptions to this are the selection of over sized sundaes which cost a fiver – for about a tenners worth of pudding!
The pub itself is lovely. Its one large room which makes the pub seem very spacious and airy. I love the fact that there is a lot of space between the tables, Sunnyside could possibly add a further 20 tables to the room and boost their takings but they haven't. There's room to walk around without having to say 'excuse me' after every third step as you bump into the back of someone's chair. Excellent. At one end of the pub is a pool table and pull down TV which is always tuned to the days rugby and football matches. This area is usually used by the customers who are simply going into the pub to drink rather than have a meal, and will be an ideal place to sit and watch England thrash Germany this summer…
In the pub grounds is a small kid's wooden play area, consisting rope walls to climb and poles to walk across/slide down. This is immediately outside the large windows in Sunnyside so it's possible to sit inside and still keep a close eye on your children playing outside. Also dotted around this area are wooden benches, complete with tables and umbrellas. This is a great place to sit in the summer; the well maintained greenery is really relaxing and makes for the perfect end to a lovely visit.
Overall, Sunnyside is always an excellent place to visit for all the family. Staff are helpful, parking is good and the atmosphere is usually friendly and warm. We tend to spend around £30 on food for five people, with drinks obviously extra. However, the food is what I really visit this pub for and we only usually have two or three drinks each so the bill usually totals around £50. Not bad for a few quiet hours in a nice pub with such delicious food.
If you're travelling by car, head for Northampton University and Sunnyside is a concealed entrance as you drive along Boughton Green Road. The large sign reading 'Sunnyside' is easily visible just as you pass it (ha!) so just carry on along the road and double back on yourself when you get to the next mini island – I always miss the entrance and have been coming here regularly for nearly three years! You can get a variety of buses from Northampton town centre, get on any you see which says Northampton University Campus on the front.
The Sunnyside Inn
Boughton Green Road
Northampton
NN2 7AG
Tel: 01604 713322"
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