Amol Rajan reviews

Sunday, February 12, 2012 - My girlfriend's cold-beef platter (7.95) contains some exquisitely moist offerings, and comes with a sour pickle that gets the best out of them. There's not a lot wrong with the Dartmoor-sourced sirloin steak (18.95), and plenty right with the aromatic peppercorn sauce it comes with. The fish pie (10.50) has all manner of delights swimming within it, from haddock and salmon to succulent king prawns...The uninspiring pun in its name aside, this inn gets very little wrong. That is probably why the place is nigh-on full, despite being in the middle of nowhere.

Sunday, January 22, 2012 - The meaty mains are expensive, from 18.95 for a loin of pork to a fillet of beef for 26 pounds. The beef, though, is terrific, and comes with a brandy-and-green-peppercorn sauce - yet even that is not a patch on the duck with a caramelised orange jus, which is much better value at 21.50...All these come with that appalling English appendage: bland, lifeless, steamed vegetables, in this case carrots, potatoes, butternut squash, sprouts and broccoli, with nothing but salt, pepper and butter to rely on.

Sunday, October 30, 2011 - The food is executed poorly, which is surprising given how highly rated head chef Adam Page is. The home-made chive-and-red-onion bread is inedible, oversalted to the point of tasting as if marinated in Persil. The scallops on confit vanilla potato with gazpacho salsa are anodyne, and the manchego cheese parfait with citrus brioche and stewed tomato - glorified cheese and biscuits - is unremarkable. The pigeon breast with shallot confit tartlet, sweet potato and buttered spinach is better, but lukewarm. Easily the best starter is an excellent braised beef cheek tart in a crispy exterior - think spring roll - with beetroot puree, hazelnut and delicate, flavourful pickled mushrooms.

Sunday, July 24, 2011 - Among the mains there is a wild-mushroom raviolo with perfect poached quails' eggs and mushroom veloute; a lemon sole with ragout of asparagus, broad beans and a white-wine and tarragon sauce; and, best of all, squab of pigeon with pea puree, wild garlic and a Madeira sauce...It's all Michelin-worthy - but the wine list, too, is extortionate. I'm sure that for diners who don't feel the pinch when settling the bill, this is an excellent way to waste money. On food alone, this would score nine out of 10. But a family meal here will cost you more than a standard weekend to, say, Prague.