The Dorset Arms is the new kid on the block in Compton Acres taking the place of the Old Colonial Pub. It ‘sells itself’  as having “been completely transformed into a Mediterranean restaurant with a large open plan dining room enlarged by a conservatory built where the outside tables used to be. The decor is light, airy and very contemporary with pine floors and comfortable seating. Now primarily a restaurant rather than a pub”.

I have to say that when we came in I was very pleasantly surprised, if I am brutally honest I always felt that the Old Colonial was … well it was a bit of a shithole. Sorry for that assessment.

Lunchtime basics

On this visit we were just looking for a spot of lunch, hopefully something quick, something tasty and something reasonably priced. That was the plan anyway.

The wraps were sounding good and I figured that we shouldn’t have to wait too long to get our chops on one of these babies. I ordered the Moroccan Lamb Wrap, Alison, my partner in crime ordered the Roasted Vegetable Wrap (I have nothing else to say about their meal except that she said it tasted really good!), all I have to say is about the Moroccan Lamb

Moroccan Lamb Wrap

The Moroccan Lamb Wrap at the Dorset Arms was described as “Spiced lamb kofte, peppers & red onion with minted Greek yoghurt, rocket, & skin on fries”

I did my best to take the ‘aerial’ picture view so that you can see what you are letting yourself in for when you take a chance on one of these. It is laid out well, but you know what? I just wanted a simple wrap with some chips, this was pushing the limits just a little or perhaps cynically adding a few more quid onto the cost 🙂

OK all jesting aside, I liked most of what I saw and I really liked what I got. I love rocket so I was happy to get a great big mound of it on my plate. I am not a massive salad person, I do try to include it in my diet, but often I fail, the ‘one saviour in my green leaf world’ is that peppery rocket! I can eat it all day!

The chips were really good too, once they were laid out on the actual plate and they had been taken out of that stupid pretend deep fryer wire basket, they looked ‘much’ better and they were much easier to eat. We both spent time banging on about that 🙂

But this is all fluff and frippery (maybe that should be the name of a blog?) the only important thing to talk about it the wrap itself!

Moroccan Wrap

The Moroccan wrap filled with that kofte sausage meat, sweet peppers and red onions was extremely tasty and pretty damn good. I could eat two or three of these in one go, actually I could eat them until I was so full I could burst!

If you just gave me a plate of the sausage I would be a very happy bunny. The lamb kofta is packed with flavour, more flavour than I expected, I was very pleasantly surprised. Maybe this is why I was paying basically 9 quid for a wrap, (9 quid!).

Now don’t get me wrong this was really a very tasty meal, I just had a concern that it was too much money for lunchtime, we had two wraps and a couple of cokes, and after I left a reasonable tip I had spent £25. That is a lot, even for the Bridgford Set!

More Menu

 

 

When we walked in and saw what they had done with the place, I really wished that it had always looked like this, but then I remembered that it is a pub and maybe it should be a pub, and that maybe all of our local pubs should actually all be for the local. Perhaps I retract my ‘bit of a shithole’ comment, I have no problem with a pub for the people, a place to go get a pint, watch some footy and eat some basic cheap pub food.

It is nice though now, perfect for the Bridgford set, but no good for the common man (and woman) who just want to get a pint in ‘their local’ I do worry that it may fall foul of the same thing that is happening to the Wilford Green (formerly the Maypole), sometimes people just want to go out for a pint!

Now I also read that this pub serves 2 regular beers, one of which is the Caledonian Deuchars IPA. This is one of my go to beers, whenever and if ever I can find it. This is a very good thing!

You see Beer is king in a pub, in all honestly I will just treat this place as a restaurant and forget that it was a pub, but I cant afford to come in too often for this level of food. It is kind of pricey

 

Located at

8 Compton Acres,
West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7RS

and within 5-10 mins of the Compton Acres Tram Stop!