Hand & Flowers

This may look like a pub & feel like a pub with its bar, real ales & open fire, but the cooking takes you into a higher realm altogether. The Hand & Flowers is the first solo venture of Tom Kerridge, who gained a Michelin star at Adlard’s in Norwich, & he’s off to an impressive start here with a Michelin star awarded in January 2006, just a year after opening. He’s reworked the rundown old boozer, creating a mellow, softly lit space that makes a feature of beams, simply laid wood tables, & exemplary service (headed by Beth Kerridge). Respect for British ingredients gives the menu an edge – it’s not often that every dish listed appeals, but on our visit it was difficult to choose. Perfectly timed Cornish red mullet, teamed with fennel puree & risotto nero fritter & a main course confit belly of Suffolk pork with braised Puy lentils, superb pickled beetroot, honey roast apple & mustard dressing revealed appealing cooking at a rarefied level. And the standard continues right through to dessert, if a stunning Bramley apple crumble perfectly matched with a blackberry sorbet is anything to go by. For those looking for a cheaper, more pubby deal, pop in at lunchtime, have a beer in the tiny bar & choose something from the bar menu – say, the sensational fish & chips.