Traditional old pub with good food
A birthday celebration dinner out in the Chilterns, amongst low ceilings and old beams, fireplaces and creaky floors. This has been a place to go for the family for over 30 years, and on a busy Saturday night the dining room was full. We were seated in the bar for drinks and to choose from the menu, and that's when we noticed that the service seemed stretched. Queries about the menu were answered with some irritation, and rather strict manner - not the usual experience of the older members of our group who had been before.
Our table in the dining room was laden with a full set of all types of cutlery and glassware - much more traditional than we have been used to lately in London - and to be honest seemed too busy and cluttered for the size of the table. Food started well with good breads and home made butter, and starters of smoked salmon with beetroot and horseradish, pork belly and apple salad, mackerel with pickled carrots and scallops with cauliflower puree - we all enjoyed these prettily presented plates. Then we were served a sorbet which we didn't really want and took a long time to be cleared away, and we waited and waited for our main courses. Once the main courses arrived, the whole Aylesbury duckling for 2 to share was very good - the duck meat of breast and leg seemed slow-cooked and soft like confit while the skin was super crispy - this was jointed at the table. The sides of red cabbage, celeriac puree and a bit of broccoli arrived on a little side dish, and the stuffing, apple sauce and gravy brought round separately - these were all fine. Other choices of sea bass and brill were served in a more contemporary style being plated up, and were said to be very good.
Then we waited and waited for the dessert menus. Fortunately part of our party had already ordered the tarte tatin to be shared for 2, and in the end we decided we'd just have it divided by 4 to save time! The tart arrived on huge dinner plates, then the flambeed calvados came round, and finally a bit of ice cream was brought round in a little dish to be served by the waiter. It was good, but this was 3 hours after we had arrived. Meanwhile the next table who had been seated before us were still waiting for the dessert menu, and staff were reminded at least 3 times to bring it. We weren't in a rush, we enjoyed the meal and the company, but really on this evening the service was not up to standard. The service team seemed inexperienced and under-staffed, given the skills needed to deliver techniques such as carving at the table, flambeed dishes, and certain other aspects of of a formal silver service, and ended up putting water into a glass of wine, forgetting the ice asked for, and having trouble just keeping tables cleared and bringing menus.
While paying the bill it was mentioned that the staff were all new and an apology was given for the slow service, but overall, due to the poor service, the resulting feeling was not of value for money. I don't think this will stop any of the family going there again, but probably not on a busy Saturday night.