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North Wales Live
a day ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
I visited laid-back wine bar with a touch of French sophistication
There is something very appealing about simple wooden interiors, which make me want to put down my coat, grab a pew and glug down a refreshing glass of wine. A rustic table and a wine rack, visible from outside, was proving difficult to resist, especially as the sun was shining on a warm Ruthin evening. In the seventies, wine bars emerged as a concept, often seen as a more relaxed and sophisticated alternative to traditional, male-dominated pubs. But what makes a good wine bar now? Well, there's the wine, for starters. Jacques offers a vast selection of classic reds from Bordeaux and Burgundy. Or, you can sip a white wine from the Loire Valley region or swig a fizzy rose from Provence. The bar was absolutely heaving with bottles of the stuff, along with sparkling champagne and a host of different Belgium or European beers. The atmosphere is relaxed; the lights are dim with soft jazz playing in the background. There are paintings of French streets on the wall with peacock art cushions on the pews. We were sat on mis-matched paint splattered chairs, which give off a shabby chic relaxed vibe, and noticed a small roof terrace upstairs, where a few people were chatting and taking advantage of the good weather. Jacques wine bar has gone for Parisian flair with a menu influenced by French classics, which don't really need re-inventing. They include baked Camembert, frog legs or French onion soup for starters or baguettes with various French cheeses for lunch. There are plenty of sharing dishes such as a charcuterie platter, with a selection of cured meats and pâtés, served with homemade chutneys, bread and crackers or a selection of French cheeses. For mains, there are French classics such as beef bourguignon with tender braised beef in red wine with garlic, and puree de pommes de terre or ratatouille with stewed vegetables in a rich tomato sauce served with a warm crusty baguette. We noticed that some customers on the next table ordered the 'Moules Marinières' which was flamed mussels in a bacon butter sauce, with pickled lemon and parsley. They used a crusty bit of their baguette to mop the sauce up and appeared to be really enjoying it. On a Sunday, Jacques offer a variety of roasts served French style, such as a half roast chicken, roast potatoes, seasonal veg, purée de pommes de terre. However, we noticed a deal chalked on a blackboard, which offered their signature Steak Frites with a pint of beer or a glass of wine for just £15. It seemed too good of an offer to turn down. We decided to choose a glass of house white and a glass of house red to go with our Steak Frites. The white wine was tangy and crisp whilst the red wine was fruity and bold. The steak was cooked to our liking 'Medium rare' and was juicy, tender and succulent. The steak knife cut through the pan seared steak like butter and all the juices and flavour sizzled throughout the meat in a perfect haze of rouge. The steak butter was absolutely delicious and we were later told it was a secret recipe, although it seemed to be a combination of bacon, paprika and sage sauce. We were both given a generous portion of French fries and they were crispy and very morish due to a little hint of seasoning. We had a simple mixed lettuce salad on the side of both our plates. We were too happily stuffed for dessert but could see that they offered choices such as lemon tart, served with shortbread and ice cream, salted caramel chocolate pot or cheesecake for around £9. Instead, we sipped our wine and let our food go down as we were in no particular rush to leave. It reminded me of the perfect Parisian evening after a day of sightseeing and winding down with a glass of red. I half expected a man in a stripy t shirt to cycle past the window with some onions over his shoulder. Jacques wine bar has live music at the weekends and also put on a terrific roast. We saw notices for bottomless brunches for £25, which promised cocktails and chaos and a little French mischief for two hours. Yep, this little laid back wine bar has a certain 'Je ne sais quoi' and will leave you feeling full, happy and perhaps a little bit tipsy. The Facts Steak Frites with a glass of wine £15 with a service surcharge of 10% (£3) bringing the total to £33 Atmosphere - Va-Va Voom Car Parking - Limited Street parking or public car park just off St Peter's Square. Service - Confident and laid backed.
Rhyl Journal
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Prestatyn runners take part in Manchester & London Marathons
Jonah clocked 3-06, and although it wasn't quite what he had hoped for, he was justifiably pleased. "I struggled from 18 miles and was glad to finish, but was happy overall," he said. On his marathon debut in the same race, Craig Smith finished in 3-37.09. Four club members were among the 56,000 who lined up in London, and another in-form athlete, George Williams, clocked 3-08.37, five minutes inside the PB he set in Chester last year. Andy Parry, Dan Liddle and Zack Webster were all making their debuts at the distance. Andy finished in 3-30.10 and Dan, about 40 years after his parents Graham and Susie, who were also club members, ran in London, clocked 3-50.34. Zack, who went through halfway in 2-25, was forced to pull out. Meanwhile, although she failed to gain a place in the actual line-up, Ally Reid completed the virtual London Marathon, finishing in 4-44-23 to earn her medal and T-shirt. The weekend's parkruns provided a boost not only for individual members, but for the club as a whole. In June, the club will be fielding a team in the Welsh Castles Relay for the first time since 2019, a reflection of the club's current strength and status. Only three of the 20 members selected for the team have competed in the two-day event in the past but hopes are high, and five of them produced personal bests in Saturday's parkruns. In total, 10 members recorded PBs on the day. Among them were Tom Carter, who chalked up another victory in the Nova race, and Arwel Jones, the club's most experienced Castles participant, who has run all but three of the race's 20 stages. Placings: 1 Tom Carter 17.15 (pb), 9 Jamie Betts 20.21, 10 Lewis Pierce 20.32 (pb), 59 Martin Cortvriend 24.50, 61 Arwel Jones 24.55 (pb), 283 Neil Davidson 63.46 (Parkwalker). Greenfield Valley: 5 Dave Ellis 20.36, 10 Darrell Jones 22.33, 13 Judah Eastwell 22.53 (pb), 17 Marc Jones 23.16 (pb), 23 Meg Lewis 24.12 (pb), 28 Helen Ashworth 24.59, 30 Steve Weedman 25.12, 38 Philip Howarth 26.10, 39 Vic Manley 26.19, 44 Will Lines 27.04, 45 Lisa Lines 27.04, 57 Sophie Johnson 28.01, 62 Cathy Wood 28.37 (pb), 70 Rachel Jackson 29.11 (pb), 74 Debbie Jones 29.21, 84 Debbie Weedman 30.58, 86 Mandy Cartwright 31.01, 89 Mike Davis 31.25 (pb), 97 Emma Birchall 33.25, 102 Clare Manley 34.16, 117 Steve Hatfield 39.36. Ruthin: 3 Darren Thompson 20.44 (pb). Dolgellau: 22 Helen Alefounder 30.00. The run of good form was not limited to the parkrunners, either, as seven members turned in praiseworthy performances in the latest event in the Tuesday Night Fellraces. The infamous 3 Hills race at Penmaenmawr is probably the steepest in the series, but the Prestatyn members were undaunted. Off-road captain Lee Bailey once again led by example, coming 18th in 36.18, and he was followed by Gareth Jones (38th in 41.05), Ben Thomas (61st in 45.22), Ceri Vaughan (71st in 47.52), Mark Dakeyne (109yj in 53.59), Martin Cortvriend (115th in 55.26), Nem James (129th in 71.07) and Nicki Triggs (130th in 71.09). After a successful trial last week the club will be hosting the Borders League relays at the Ffrith Park on May 7, and it is hoped that those members not selected for any of the club teams will turn out to help on the night. The race will be followed by the presentation of League awards.
