Styled on a Mississippi stern with a former life as a holiday cruise boat, the Oliver Cromwell Paddlewheeler’s sailing days may now be behind it, but a reincarnation as a floating eating and entertainment venue at Gloucester Docks provides a chance for county diners to get a taste of life on the high seas – well, canal.

Unless you happen to live aboard one of the beautifully-painted barges moored in Gloucester, dockside dining on the water is a unique prospect for most land lubbers – and one that instantly intrigued us. Walking the eye-catching cream and burgundy boat’s plank at the start of the evening and the fantasies of pirate adventures came flooding in, adding to the fun.

With the Paddlewheeler’s bar shamefully missing its supply of seafarer’s grog, we opted for a more civilised glass of white wine and climbed the stairs to the top deck to enjoy our drinks alfresco. The panoramic views over Gloucester Docks were simply fantastic, particularly as the sun was setting, and provided a memorable highlight to the evening – with fellow guests jovially clicking cameras and waving at passing boats with mounting excitement.

In the galley meanwhile, the ship’s cook was busy preparing the banqueting-style menu with conventional options that even the pickiest eaters would find appealing. On our visit the three-course dinner included deep fried brie – which proved a simple, but well-executed starter opposite – while I plumped for the ubiquitous prawn cocktail, served in generous portions with lashings of seafood sauce, as well as bread and butter.

Delivered en masse with speed and efficiency, and a couple of smiles, the three main course options included Thai pork with coconut coriander sauce, which sounded the most adventurous choice – and one surprisingly not favoured by more diners. The creamy and delicate dish packed with hunks of juicy pork was served with fluffy rice and the less conventional side of carrots and broccoli.

Opposite me at our table for two in the centre of the intimate dining room, my companion tucked into a baked fillet of salmon marinated in lime and coriander. While the dish wasn’t as powerfully-flavoured as he had hoped, he did commend the use of fresher than fresh ingredients – particularly the well-cooked veg. A helping of chocolate fudge cake with cream added to the calorie count for me, while a tasty apple and raspberry crumble of homemade quality was devoured opposite.

Just over an hour after sitting down to dinner and we were sipping steaming cups of coffee and tapping our toes to the jazzy sounds courtesy of popular local musician Peter Gill on the keyboard. The sea shanty-free evening saw Gill’s renditions cover an array of popular numbers, with song dedications to guests celebrating special occasions being a nice touch.

With the licensed bar staying open to 11.30pm and a diminutive dance floor offering a chance to burn off dinner, for many the evening was still young – with the dancing seeming to correlate accurately with the number of trips the waitresses made to deliver drinks to guests tables!

Looking around at the rest of the toe-tappers, energetic clappers and dance floor shimmyers, we agreed most of the clientele faired on the silver-haired side – with the good value traditional menu and live entertainment proving popular for retirees in particular.

On the whole the food may have been average and the decor a bit dated, but the entertainment made for a fun change. While the Oliver Cromwell may not be a destination venue for gastronomes, for a good old fashioned family evening out – particularly with Gran – it certainly makes a novel choice.

The three-course Showboat Night with live entertainment aboard the Oliver Cromwell Paddlewheeler costs £26 per person.

Michelle Byrne
20 February 2010