Tipped

seasonal and british

October 08, 2008

I went here last night with some old friends and a good time was had by all. It’s a really nice venue, really spacious. The tables are really big, which is nice because there’s no brushing elbows and trying to find space for wine bottles and water jugs etc. More importantly the tables are set quite far apart so the loud, giggly table (us) don’t interrupt the rest of the diners too much.

The food is good seasonal British fare, but as the food is quite rich the portions could do with being a little smaller – not often you say that. There is a good vegetarian selection, but it isn’t that imaginative (I had spinach and ricotta tortelloni followed by a mushroom pie – with the most amazing pastry ever). Apparently the scampi starter is pretty good and two of my friends had the pork belly which came with black pudding and scallops (I did say it was rich). Even though we were all really full we managed to find some space to share dessert – the baked custard tart is so good.

There’s an adjoining bar so you can go and drink on sofas afterwards. They don’t stock Gordon’s gin which is always my litmus test of whether it’s a well stocked bar or not (I know that’s not a very good test).

The staff are really smiley and friendly and laughed at our rubbish jokes, which they should definitely be commended for. All in all a nice reliable place to go out, but not out of this world.

Tags: british cuisine, seasonal, cuisine: english