Telephone number: 01905 620552

Approx. cost per head: £26

Comments on wine list/beer: Interesting list based mainly on New world wines

Summary:

I am back with a group of friends for  Xmas lunch, I thought that it merits a new write up.

The set lunch – starter, main course, desert and coffee – is now £26.

I have been told that the chef was the head chef at the Worcester Golf and Country Club – a bastion of middle England, no riff rafts. However, his cooking was deemed too fancy so he was replaced. He then came here and along the way, recruited staff from Brown’s. This place is now deemed to be one of the top three restaurants around Worcester. The others being Brown’s and Glasshouse. They all get 2 knives and forks in the Michelin Guide.

We chose the Roquefort soufflé and confit of duck. The soufflé (all 5 of them) came same time as the confit and was light and well liked. I had the confit which was served with red cabbage, it was ok – I would have liked the cabbage to be less sweet and the duck skin crispy. There is a trick to this. If you want you confit crispy, cook it separately in a very hot oven and do not cook it in the sauce. This also squeezes out the fat from the confit.

For main course, we had the pheasant with faggots, sole, braised beef and wild mushroom and stilton tart. I had the tart which was top marks. The surprising thing was that it came with deep fried gnocchi which was a first for me and it is like a firmer version of croquette potatoes, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The sole was served as a cross (2 pieces) resting in a vegetable narge. The beef was a thick lump cooked untill it is just falling apart in a reduced red wine sauce. I tried a bit of the pheasant and the faggot and was slightly disappointed to discover that the caul was still fatty. Caul is used in a lot of French cooking to keep the bits together and to moisten it. It is basically a “net” of fat. However, the trick is to finish anything – pate, meat balls etc in a high temperature oven so the fat melts away.

For desert, we had the usual suspects – crème brulee, sticky toffee pudding. Cheese was £1.50 extra and it was a nice selection of local and French cheese.

The meal was washed down with house red and white – Chilean. Very drinkable at less than £20 a bottle.

Overall, I liked the place and it is extremely good value for money – I would however like the chef to check the temperature of his oven.

Eddie

Telephone number: 018886 833399

Website: www.bear.uk.com

Date of visit: 8 November 2009

Approximate cost per head: around £20

Comments on wine list/beer: Very good wine list for a pub and not a very good range of beer

Summary:
Went there with a few friends for lunch.

The first thing that struck me was that the pub was devided into two halves with a restaurant on one side and the “pub” side on the other – bar is in between. This is the first pub that I came across with “pristine white table clothes” in the restaurant.

The bar was serving only 2 types of real ales – as far as I can see – with about 4 other lagers and gassy beers. The real ales were London Pride and a“blonde” ale from Hobson. I had the “blond” ale –  from a hand pump and NOT a bottle. It tasted like a “summer” ale.

The food menu was extensive and although it was a Monday, it had a whole blackboard devoted to fish – sole, salmon, sea bass etc. I had the non-gluten fish and chips with mushy peas. Again, it’s the first time that I had a batter that had no gluten.

The batter was very crisp and the whole dish was priced at £10.75.

My friends has sea bass and the sole. I was pleased to see that it came with a large side dish full of vegetables and potatoes.

On the whole a nice experience but is this really a pub?

Eddie