Foodess' review of Sir Charles Napier

Set at a high point in the Chiltern Hills this charming country pub has an inviting exterior with pretty gardens. The olde worlde beamed interior is similarly charming at first glance, where the fine line between characterful and tired is now being breached. However, the artefact connection is worthy of mention both in sculptural and painted form. I would normally describe the food as mediocre plus, but the odd flash of delight does occasionally pop up. One such example was Saturday night : my starter of smoked haddock and cheese soufflé sat proudly in a delicate pool of creamy sauce flecked with spring onion and dotted with delicate pieces of fish – a texturally dreamy experience contrasting with powerful cheese and smoky flavours. Bread, wines and a heavily truffled risotto (it did come with a warning) were also very good. Mains of venison and halibut is where the dip occurred, and maybe the problem lay with over complicating in both cases. Sir CN is busy whenever we go and the menu always reads for wide appeal which probably helps keep ‘bums on seats’.