To a pub on the Dorset-Devon border for lunch, a possibility of making notes for a future review for the paper I write for. Looks shabby from outside but it’s old and — hey, let’s be adventurous. We’ve spent too many times in the past nellying about, being unable to make up our minds whether we should go in somewhere or not. Now, we just do it.
Two things strike us as soon as we enter: it’s cold and the tables in both rooms on either side of the centre bar are set for eating with pink tablecloths, wine glasses with napkins tucked into them and knives and forks. As it happened we wanted some lunch and so snuggle in the corner by the fire. Service is friendly, the beer — Yeovil Ales’ Starstruck (there are also ales from Otter and Branscombe) — hits the spot and the food is ok in a pub-food sort of way. There’s a bar for boozers at the back with pool table, darts, skittle alley etc and the pub hosts various activities (as country pubs must do to survive), but the first impressions of the tablecloth-covered tables rule it out of contention. One side with ordinary tables would have been enough but I like a pub that looks like a pub… am I being unfair?
No, you're not being unfair. From the outside it looked like it had the potential to be a great country pub then you walked in the door and suddenly felt as if you had stumbled into a suburban restaurant. Shame as could have been fab. Flipping expensive food too.
ReplyDeleteThink the beer might have been Yeovil Ales Star Gazer @ 4.0% ABV
ReplyDeleteD.Teare — you’re right there, it was a good pint.
ReplyDelete