Butterflies Bar and Kitchen
Butterflies first came to my attention when a close friend, Tom, moved to Blaenavon several years ago and made them his local eatery. In the time that has passed since then, Butterflies’ reputation has soared, and they are consistently mentioned in conversations regarding the better restaurants in the Abergavenny and surrounding areas.
I try not to read too much into TripAdvisor reviews, due to some of the nonsense that people are able to post and negatively score, however a rating of 5* from 1,096 reviews (at the time of writing) is seriously impressive, and testament to the popularity of this place.
You wouldn't expect to find this much admired restaurant nestled amongst terraced houses in the tiny hillside town of Blaenavon, and we actually walked straight past the front door upon arrival without realising it was the entrance (stupid I know).
Once we had managed to locate the door, we were greeted by a small hallway with colourful and quirky decor, before being seated. The atmosphere is cosy; with multiple dining rooms, wooden tables, a blazing fire, and a small bar area. The place has charisma.
What strikes me about Butterflies is the diversity of their menu. They are renowned for their steak, and more specifically their sharing steak experiences, however there is a great deal more than only this available. The menu regularly changes and there is clearly a vision to incorporate unique dishes (especially starters) with hearty portions in a gastro style. Some may describe it as a ‘proper’ meal!
Images of the menu above have been obtained from the Butterflies website. I was unable to take a pretty picture myself, due to lighting, reflection and the actual size of the physical menu. It’s massive!
I could have ordered five of the starters; namely the fried fish tacos, Korean beef short rib, chicken tenders, gyozas, or ox cheek croquettes (all £8), and found it difficult to made a decision. I ended up opting for the fried chicken tenders with chipotle sauce and gravy.
I’m glad I did. Large strips which were cooked as fried chicken should be; crispy coating on the outside and juicy on the inside. The chipotle sauce added a lovely kick, the heat level was just right which left my mouth dancing but not suffering. Smothering the strips in gravy felt indulgent and was a nice addition to the dish. The portion was substantial, yet I did not feel full. Well worth the £8 and a great way to start the meal.
Thankfully, my fellow diners ordered some of the other starters which I found appealing.
Xialongbao (gyozas), filled with duck, hoisin & chicken, with beetroot kimchi, and a soy, sesame & ginger sauce. I was able to bargain and strike a deal of swapping a chicken tender for a gyoza. This was a thin dough parcel packed with filling, yet with the ability to maintain its shape and not burst, brimming with flavours and texture.
Another starter ordered was the Korean braised beef short rib with Asian slaw, barbecue sauce, spring onions, and sesame. The portion was huge! I watched across the table in envy as it slid away from the bone with consummate ease. The envy was short lasting though, once I’d tucked into my chicken tenders.
The main, for me, was an easier choice. The taste of Welsh beef stood out as an offering which seemed like a show stopper, and not a dish which I’d seen the likes of before. Clearly my 3 friends agreed, as we all ordered the same.
A mini steak & ale pie, 5oz fillet of beef, ox cheek croquette, seasonal vegetables, pommes purée, and a beef dripping & rioja jus (£24).
It was everything I’d imagined (and more). The fillet of beef was cooked to perfection as you can see from the image below, pink and rare as promised on the menu. The ox cheek croquette possessed a crisp outer layer, then contained a soft and fluffy interior. The miniature pie had rich flavours of red wine running through. The pommes purée was smooth and buttery. Seasonal veg was an intriguing component which I was unsure of at first, but I came to realise that the baby carrots, peppers, fennel, red onion, tomatoes, amongst other things, were a welcome accompaniment to the heavy, dense flavours of all the meat and sauce. The beef dripping & rioja jus tied everything together.
I even managed to tackle a dessert after this feed. A classic sticky toffee pudding (£6.95) served with a choice of cream, ice-cream or custard. I’ve got a massive sweet tooth, and this was exactly what I needed to finish the evening. My only ever so small piece of feedback would be the sauce could have been sightly warmer!
Well if it wasn’t apparent enough after what I’ve written above, I can see why Butterflies has such a fantastic reputation. Service was excellent, every member of staff was warm and friendly, the portions are large but there is no compromise on flavour. This is a venue for all, on my visit alone there was tables of families, couples, groups of lads, and a gentleman at the bar sipping on a pint on his own.
Their new menu goes live next week (week beginning 12th of January). There was a suggestion by a member of staff that there could be a similar dish to the taste of Welsh beef I had on the mains, but substituting the beef for lamb. I will certainly be looking out for the menu with keen interest.
Such is their popularity, they are fully booked on the weekends until Friday the 3rd of March. They are fully booked for Christmas Day 2023 and have already had to turn down 450 further requests!
If you haven’t paid Butterflies a visit already, then I recommend that you do. I will be returning in the future.