Emma M.
Yelp
A friend and I ventured here last night in the rain for an fairly early supper. We had a 'BOGOF' on main meals voucher and thought that it would be a fairly cheap option.
The pub is split into three main areas - the restaurant at the back (or the front depending on how you look at it) which was deserted. There is the main bar that was 50% full, warm and a bit more lively, and then there is the covered outside part that I suspect smokers hang out in.
We sat in the bar, quite naughtily taking up a table for 6 with just the two of us - but then the other options were just too small or too 'in the corner' (I pretended I was Goldilocks). We ordered a bottle of red - the Zinfandel Shiraz, (£20) of which the bar tender gave us a pretty generous tasting amount before we committed. He also brought us a lovely big bottle of tap water and glasses with ice and lemon.
Having the voucher in our pockets gave us the courage to go for the rather alarmingly priced roasts - we both chose the lamb at £15. It was superb. It was falling off the bone in a delicious gravy with almost perfect veg, I could have happily had the parsnips roasted for 20 minutes longer (they were less 'al dente' and more 'ouch me dente'). I would have loved more roast potatoes and less aubergine (!) but all in all it was really nice and we ate everything on our plates.
Our thoughts then turned to pudding.... well, it would be rude not to at least look, right? It was a dark and rainy night, so bread and butter pudding and custard seemed the only sensible choice. Hmmm, it tasted ok, could have been hotter with less icing sugar dumped on the top (at least there was no aubergine this time) but my real issue with it was that it was tiny. Really really small and measly. (See photo). I mean, when I'm paying £5.50 for what is essentially stale bread and sultanas in custard, I expect a decent portion. It must have cost around 8p to make the slice I had - good mark up if you can get it!
The coffee was abysmal. In the usual inverse coffee rule, it smelt so wonderful and then tasted slightly better than dish water.
The loos were a frightful state, and when I alerted some woman who was walking around not doing very much, she was pretty defensive about it saying that she had not gone in there since that morning. I think that may be the problem, I said.
The chap that seemed to be in charge was good and apologised for the small portion and let the sous chef know, but it was impossible to get the attention of anyone else who seemed to be working there. I gave up trying to get anyone to come over to our table and just walked over to wherever they were if I wanted anything.
Even with the voucher, (which they didn't take off the first bill we were presented with) it came to £30 per head, which in retrospect was a lot more than I think the meal was worth. The lamb gets it two stars, but everything else looses the other three stars. Shame, as it looks like it has so much potential.