ON THE night of April 14 1912, the Titanic sank and more than 1,500 people lost their lives at sea.

On Thursday night, the Ruperra Arms, in Caerphilly Road, in the Bassaleg area of Newport, held an evening in remembrance of all those people.

In a beautifully decorated venue, guests were able to enjoy a fantastic night with six courses, live music and attentive staff.

The award-winning restaurant’s head chef Steve White said this was the second edition of the Titanic-themed meal.

He said: “It was such a good experience last time, we had to do it again, especially because it was the 105th anniversary of the Titanic.

“Tonight’s courses were inspired by the 15 courses they had in the last meal in the Titanic. We deconstructed it into six while bringing it into the 21st century.”

He said they made the same courses as last year, but with twists to it.

“Tonight was about showing people what we do, giving them an experience so they come back,” he said.

The evening started with a glass of champagne and a range of original and flavoursome canapés, followed by the first course, Consommé Olga.

The consommé consisted of a veal consommé, spring vegetables and scallops – which was a unique combination of flavours.

The second course was a Salmon Mousseline – a salmon, crayfish and dill terrine with textures of cucumber and an oyster a la ruse. This luxurious dish was a taste of the sea, made for those who love fish and seafood.

The third course, Game and Apples, captured your senses straight away with its amazing smell and gorgeous presentation. It consisted of smoked duck, pan fried squab, apple puree, caramelised apple, fresh peas and red wine glaze.

The last savoury dish and fourth course was the Fillet Beef Mignons Lili. It comprised of an excellent fillet of beef mignon which was perfectly cooked and had a beautiful colour, mouth-melting foie gras, Anna potato, carrot puree, asparagus and a Madeira and cognac reduction.

The pre-dessert or fifth course was Punch Romaine – champagne, freshly squeezed orange juice and strawberry foam.

It was deliciously refreshing and the ideal course before the last and sixth course, Assiette of the Sea. This dessert consisted of Irish cream choux, peach in chartreuse jelly, Waldorf pudding, French ice cream and mango caviar.

Sally Owen-Morris, from the Rogerstone area of Newport, attended the meal.

She said: “Tonight was superb, creative and innovative.

“I think my favourite was the first course – the Consommé Olga.

“We have been to the Ruperra Arms before, this place has lots of character.

“It is quite intimate and the food is of a very high standard. They have made so much effort, there was such detail in all the decorations.”

Cerys Coghlan, from the Bassaleg area of Newport, attended the meal with Mrs Owen-Morris.

“It was an excellent night, I can’t fault it,” she said. “It was beautiful food and so well-presented. They have really made an effort with the Titanic-theme.”

Mrs Coghlan said she goes to the restaurant regularly because it is a sociable place with a good atmosphere.

She added: “I always feel welcome. If anybody is thinking of coming, you do need to book in advance – but it is worth the wait.”

Caerleon chef Gareth Lee, whose restaurants include the Rock and Fountain, in Penhow, attended the night at the Ruperra Arms.

He said: “It was good food which was well executed.

“I like the different aspects of the food, it is not an ordinary restaurant. It is like a small country pub, but with good food attached to it.

“I think tonight was a good idea for a Thursday night, it was a nice experience – it was something different.”

The restaurant was decorated, filled with props, pictures and copies of old newspapers.

“It is like stepping back in time,” said Steve White. “The decorations add to the traditional and nautical theme, we wanted them to feel the restaurant was like a ship.”

Quartet -The Hairpin Bend- played music throughout the night. They played dance songs, including some from the Titanic film itself – The Kesh, Blarney Pilgrim and John Ryan’s.

Most of their music were Irish songs, inspired from the fact there would have been many Irish migrants on board of the Titanic.

Singer Phil Edwards said: “It has been a lovely night, I would love to come with my wife and enjoy the food.

“Having people play music for you is nice. Live music is better than something recorded because it is immediate.”

The Ruperra Arms will be holding a Caribbean night on Saturday, May 27, with stalls and street food. They will also be holding a Food Festival on Saturday, June 24, from noon to 6pm. There will be entertainment and 60 food and craft stalls.

To find out more visit theruperraarms.co.uk