Joanna Biddolph
30/05/2010
|
When I want buzzy fun and good, unpretentious food this is the place for me. Though the pub bit at the front lacks charm (it's typical of its period), there is a good range of interesting beer and the wine list is much more imaginative than many wine bars. The dining room, with its high camp ceiling, always impresses and is as good for intimate one-to-ones as it is for gaggles, as I know from experience. On an unexpectedly hot and sunny May Sunday, a friend and I had lunch under an umbrella in the garden. We could have had Pimms but decided on a chilled rose which was exactly right (even though it wiped me out for the rest of the day). The food, as always, was excellent. Posh nosh, really, with a nice balance of Spanish-influenced dishes and modern English. Roast beef came pink or well done and the portions were generous. I had rook - a first for me - with lentils and a gloriously green salsa. It was unctuous and I hoped the chef was pleased to see I had gnawed the bones extremely efficiently. We didn't have room for puds - but ate them anyway. A rhubarb fool was the perfect antidote to the richness of the main course and perfect for a hot and sunny day. Have you been yet?
|