Curate's egg- good in parts
We've eaten here quite a few times, and at its sister-restaurants too, so we know that its never going to be poor; that sometimes it will be very good indeed and will turn out dishes that more highly rated restaurants locally will struggle to match- and sometimes , like this time, it will be right in the middle.
We liked our table in a quiet alcove where we could talk with our friends without a din, even on a Saturday night. The service was unfailingly pleasant and obliging, I did feel differently about each of my three courses though. The fish soup had a strange flavour and I couldn't taste fish. Personally I won't try this again and I'm not at all sure the dish is good enough for the standard they set. By contrast, my cannon of lamb was quite delicious and perfectly cooked. I had a single cheese – a piece of Vacherin- and it was delicious- but I'm not certain that I could have served quite such a small amount of cheese to a customer- literally served on a teaspoon. I know it was only a fiver, and I know how much Vacherin is, for we buy it at home- it just looked and felt a bit wrong. My wife gave her savoury tart starter and pasta with duck ragu about 7 out of 10. Our Puglian red was decent.
Our half of the bill came to £82 which seems about right for what we had. There was a long gap before our coffee, but we were chatting and it didn't bother us much. All told a good evening , and we'll certainly be back, but you know the Bel and Dragon at the other end of Cookham High Street is pretty good too. I eat at the Green Oak at Windsor more often perhaps, and I'm beginning to think I prefer it.