We had a long and dull drive down the M4 to Bristol on Saturday, and what better way to break the journey than by stopping for lunch in Bray?
The Hind's Head is a pub. Heston Blumenthal's pub to be precise. An expensive pub, but still just a pub. It is charming and quaint, with beams and smiley waitresses and awkward family gatherings and Japanese tourists and screaming babies. We were seated upstairs where we had a great view of the Range Rovers pulling up outside, the smart people coming inside and the slightly smarter people heading down the road to the Fat Duck.
We skipped starters as we had accidentally gone out for an impromptu tasting menu at the Dining Room the night before. Instead we dived straight in to mains of grouse (me) and blade of Scotch beef (him). We also ordered sides of the legendary triple cooked chips and the broccoli with anchovies and almonds.
The chips were divinely crunchy on the outside and velvety on the inside. I could have happily eaten the whole bowlful, but was forced to share. The broccoli was more bog standard, but being an anchovy freak, I still enjoyed it. My grouse was savoury and pink. I was particularly excited to find myself chewing on some real shot, proving that my bird was indeed a wild beast who had been gunned down in his prime.
Puddings were equally top notch pub fare. I tucked into treacle tart with a silky milk ice cream, while hubby tried his luck with quaking pudding, a quivering jelly/custard hybrid speckled with nutmeg and cinnamon.
It's not the Fat Duck, but that's not really the point. It's great pub grub, service with a smile and well worth a detour if you're on the M4.
The Hind's Head, High Street, Bray SL6 2AB
Telephone: 01628 626151
Monday, September 28, 2009
The Hind's Head
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5 comments:
Spot on - it's a lovely pub with good food and service. Expensive for a pub, yes but a better standard of food than most too.
But oh I'm intrigued by your little comment that you "had accidentally gone out for an impromptu tasting menu at the Dining Room the night before"! How does that happen by accident? :)
Well, it went a little like this...
I'm knackered, shall we go out? We could go to the Vintage Tearoom now they're open in the evenings. We could have something small.
We go out.
The Vintage Tearoom is closed.
I suppose we could go for a bit of tapas. Tapas bar is full.
How about the Dining Room? says hubby, looking naughty. We could have the £18.50 set menu.
Set menu looks nice, but there's no harm in just *looking* at the tasting menu is there?
Ooh, goat's cheese mousse with Lavender, ooh, scallop & crab cake, ooh, Moroccan rump of lamb, etc, etc.
Easily done!
Definitely on my to-eat list! But first I have to find my way to Bray...
Oooh this place looks good. Thanks for the tip. I'll be hanging out in the Bray area a lot over the next 7 months because we're getting married nearby, and I can't think of a better diversion to Bridezilla moments than a meal of shot-peppered grouse with triple-fried chips.
Lucky you - what a lovely part of the world to get married in!
Su-Lin - yes it is a bit tricky to get to. Worth it though (and I think they have rooms...)
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