Haven Gastropub is a British-Irish restaurant located in the depths of Orange Circle. This restaurant claims to be a public restaurant that specializes in high quality food and I couldn’t agree more. Their various choices of authentic British comfort food leave my mouthwatering by just looking at the menu. The restaurant has a hip and modern décor and inside or outside seating areas that are very accommodating.
Haven Gastropub’s dishes are definitely meant to be shared family-style. Everyone is going to want to try each other’s dishes and the portions are perfect for sharing. Their French Onion soup is made perfectly with it’s strong, savory onion flavor. The melted gruyere on top brings all of the elements of the dish together. The Shepherd’s Pie is made with a combination of ground beef and lamb, root vegetables, cream, rosemary mashed potatoes, and cheese. The mashed potatoes are smooth and pair very nicely with the richness of the meat and vegetables. To top it all off, the Shepherd’s Pie is covered with baked on cheese.
My absolute favorite dish at this gastropub is their Beef Cheek Poutine. The red wine braised beef cheek and Port Salut cheese is served on a bed of seasoned fries. This dish is packed with tons of flavor and the textures match pleasantly. The crunchiness and crispiness of the fries go deliciously with the tender beef cheek and the melted Port Salut. To end my visit at Haven Gastropub, we ordered a Bread Pudding. Made with brioche and rum-soaked raisins, this bread pudding seemed pretty standard and original, but topped with this delicious salted caramel ice cream, it was heaven. The bread pudding was crispy on the outside but warm and gooey on the inside; I couldn’t think of a better combination. The sweetness of the caramel and the bread pudding itself paired wonderfully with the salt in the ice cream.
Now, if you’re down in Orange and have no clue where to go or what to eat; go past the round-about and stop at Haven Gastropub. It is so worth those troublesome round-abouts. I rate this restaurant a 4 out of 5 stars. Pleasant eating!
190 South Glassell Street
Old Towne Orange, CA 92866
