| Ambiance: |  (4 / 5) |
| Service: | (4.5 / 5) |
| Value for money: | (4 / 5) |
| Toilet: | (3 / 5) |
My parents had generously told me that they were taking me out for dinner, with the only condition being that I had to choose where to go. How good did I get it?! Well, with someone with the decision making ability of a young child, combined with the magnitude of yummy restaurants Salisbury has to offer, I found this hard. Eventually, I settled on the Rai D’Or; an old English pub with a Thai run kitchen.
The Rai D’Or also happens to be one of my parents favourites. They like the landlord, enjoy the range of beers on tap and forever rave about the food. Situated in a great location, near the Cathedral and a huge car park, it’s not hard to find. Dad had phoned ahead and we were told there were few free tables, but being me, I said let’s risk it. Turns out, I should maybe have listened as it was packed. I was honestly shocked; for a Friday so close to Christmas, I thought town would be dead. Not the Rai D’Or!
Gigantic Portion of Prawn Crackers
The landlord, Simon recommended that we ate our starters at the bar while he found us space in the restaurant. Dad ordered a local ale, Mum a cider, and me a pint of water (currently doing that boring Dry January thing…. starting to think this may be why they offered to take me out this month!). We ordered some spare ribs, Thai fish cakes and prawn crackers. The latter arrived first, and were a huge portion – the only thing I’d say is I’d prefer more sweet chilli sauce, as we’d devoured that by our third cracker.
Thai Fishcakes
Both the ribs and fish cakes were beautifully presented, and arrived within ten minutes of placing our order. Both were nice enough, and were perfectly sized to share between three. However, this had given us a massive taste for food and hunger had well and truly hit. Time to order the mains. We went for Campbell’s Famous Duck, Basil Chilli Stir Fried Duck, Thick Chicken Curry and a Pad Thai.
Ten minutes later, as promised, we were seated at a cosy, tucked away table and our food arrived, steaming in front of us. It all looked beautiful but unfortunately, they didn’t taste as good as they looked. The chicken curry would have benefited from more chilli, as would the stir fry duck. However, the pad thai was delicious and I even managed to convert Dad from thinking spicy noodles were the best bet.
Our mains
The bill came, and for 2 rounds of drinks (for two people) and 2 courses for 3 people, Mum and Dad were set back nearly £60. Not too bad, especially given the freshness and authenticity of the food.
Recommendation
The atmosphere of the Rai D’Or alone is enough to sell it. Whether you just fancy a drink and a nibble, or a fully blown Thai feast – this lovely English pub is more than a safe bet as an option for a night out.
