Review of the White Hart at Fyfield

The strange thing about the White Hart at Fyfield was that I thought I had already been.  In fact, I thought I had already been at least four times.  It turns out I had been going to a different White Hart in Oxfordshire, at Wytham, while always somehow thinking I was in Fyfield.  I am not entirely sure how I managed this, especially considering I can't get myself anywhere without the help of a sat nav, so surely I would have entered the postcode when going to a pub for the first time?  It remains a mystery. 

I had actually ticked off the White Hart at Fyfield in my Michelin Guide, and worse still, I had recommended it to people!  When I realised I'd been going to the wrong place, my biggest concern was that I had recommended somewhere which might not be very good, so I resolved to try it out as soon as possible.

I went on Wednesday night, so didn't bother to book.  It turns out they do a Wednesday night Supper Club, so it's probably always a busy night, but we managed to get a table nonetheless.  There was a nice buzz from other diners and drinkers, without it seeming noisy.  Service was friendly and attentive from the minute we walked in the door, and as soon as we were at our table we were asked if we wanted a drink, water, or indeed if we wanted left in peace while we settled in.  We opted for drinks and a jug of water, and I thought it was an promising start when I was offered a choice of three different types of gin.

The drinks arrived quickly, along with some 'welcome bread'.  Surely all bread should be called welcome bread?  I thought calling it that was a nice touch.  The bread was great - two different types, and still warm.  It was served with oil and balsamic, which isn't my preference, but when I asked for butter it was brought to me straight away.  The butter was served with some salt on the side - another nice touch.  The gin was disappointing because it only had a couple of cubes of ice, and the tonic wasn't chilled.  To me, there is no point in ice unless it goes at least two thirds of the way up the glass.  Otherwise, it just melts and dilutes your drink.  However, it had been a long day, and I was planning to drink it in the next three minutes, so I didn't bother to ask for more ice.

We didn't go for the Supper Club menu and chose from the a la carte instead.  I started with the chicken liver parfait, which was served with apple and vanilla chutney and toast.  He had the chargrilled asparagus which came with a deep fried poached egg (this was a marvellous thing), Parma ham and hollandaise.  I should also mention that I really want to try an aspect of one of the other starters, the wild garlic mousse, but didn't fancy the rest of the starter (I think it involved salad or something else too healthy).  I decided to brass neck it and ask for a taste, and was delighted when our waitress brought me far more than a taste.  Everything was delicious, especially the apple and vanilla chutney.  The vanilla really added a new dimension to the sweetness of the chutney.

I had chicken for my main course, which came with a risotto of wild mushrooms, asparagus and savoy cabbage.  He had rib eye steak, which came with fat chips, a cooked tomato, mixed leaves and a sauce which I can't remember.  I can't vouch for the steak because I didn't taste it, but the chicken and risotto was superb.  It was a chicken supreme which always seems to lock in moisture and flavour, and there was loads of it.  Best of all, it had some crispy skin on the edges, mmmmm.  The texture of the risotto was spot on and the flavour of the wild mushrooms really came through.

The service was excellent throughout our meal and the staff seemed to be genuinely friendly.  Empty glasses were removed, we were asked if we wanted refills before our drinks were empty (these things seem simple but definitely don't always happen) and no one hesitated for a second when I asked for extra things.  

We were too full up for pudding, but had coffees, which came with a mini cheesecake, so we still had a taste of something sweet.  The bill, which didn't include service, was £92, which included two courses each, four alcoholic drinks, two coffees and freebies of bread, garlic mousse and mini cheesecakes.  I appreciate this might be more than people want to pay for a mid week meal, but I felt it was definitely worth it for the quality (and volume!) of the food, and the excellent service.  I would count the White Hart at Fyfield as a destination pub, i.e. worth the trip for a meal.

http://www.whitehart-fyfield.com/index.php

Seasalt - review

I felt it was my duty to try the new restaurant in St. Clements.  After all, it has been open for three weeks, and I go past it every day.  I went straight after work, which meant I got there about 1630, which I suspected would be too early.  I was delighted when they said that they wouldn't dream of turning a customer away, did a quick check with the chef and invited us to take a seat.

The menu had four or five starters and main courses, as well as four or five vegetarian options.  There were also a few specials which included whole lemon sole.  I always feel it's reassuring when there aren't too many things on the menu; hopefully it means things are fresh and cooked to order.  

I started with a very reasonably priced glass of fizz and an oyster.  I had been craving oysters since reading a book by a French author which entailed the protagonist going to lots of brasseries and eating lots of oysters.  It lived up to my expectations and came with all the trimmings you'd expect.

I'm always disappointed when bread and butter is something that needs to be paid for, rather than automatic.  We steered clear of the bread because it had a hefty price tag of £3.95.  It was described as a 'bucket', but I still thought that was too expensive.

My starter (yes, the oyster was a just an amuse bouche) was baked dressed crab.  It was something I'd never had hot before, and to be honest I think I prefer it cold.  Still, it was rich and tasty, and covered with cheese, so by no means unpleasant.  I preferred my companion's starter of monkfish cheeks with chilli and lime which was delicious.

My main course was the real winner: a surf and turf.  Priced at £25.95, this comprised fillet steak, a half lobster, French fries, leaves and an abundance of garlic butter.  It was perfect.  The rare steak was charred but bloody, the lobster was moist with butter and easily accessible (without tools) and the fries were hot, salty and plentiful.

We couldn't manage pudding, but forced one down in the name of research.  We shared a pavlova with strawberries, raspberries and cream.  The fruit was sweet, the meringue was chewy and there wasn't too much cream so I told myself it was a very light pudding.

For the most part, the service was excellent, but it could have been slightly more attentive.  I'd have had a third glass of fizz if I'd been asked a bit sooner.  Water was replenished without asking though which I love - this sounds simple enough but rarely happens.  Seasalt is very new though so I can allow for service not being perfect.

I will be happy to return.