The Masons Arms Knowstone

[erica graham]

We stopped in at The Masons arms yesterday for lunch. It was lovely.

In all terms.

Kowstone is a teeny tiny village- we had been staying on Exmoor, and as a final treat went for lunch on our way back home. The pub is a chocoltae box vision of a Thatched Cottage. I say pub with reservation, because its obvoiusly not really when you get in. There are commemorative plates from the Waterside, Clivedon, the normal engraved magnum of Ladouette, all housed in a very pretty and welcoming building with seriously low ceilings. There were only really diners there, but perhaps the locals will mailnly go in at night for a drink.

We were a party of 4 adults and three children, and were made very welcome, even though the rest of the clientel that day were a good 20+ years older than us.

We had drinks in a cosy lounge, and went through to the restaurant at the back, with amazing views over very lush green rolling hills.

If you go, don't forget to look up at the ceiling, a mini michaelangelo fresco is there in a simply decorated stylish dining room. No cloths, but good quality napkins (one slight irritation is the habit of replacing with a new napkin every time we left the table- anyone eating with 3 kids can tell you how many time that will be!!) good glasswear etc.

I ate seared tuna with an oriental style salsa, lovely sesame seed tuilles and enoki mushrooms, followed be pork belly with red cabbage and apple. Hubbie had a terrine with pistachios followed by seabass, daughter no1 Salmon with Potatoes and Broad beans and Majoram Sauce.

All the food was very prettily presented, with lovely clear flavours and no pretension. Good breads and no amuses at all meant that the simplicity and qualty were allowed to shine through.

As we had cooked a monster full English that morning, we were unable to make it through to pudding, although if had I would have had the orange and mascarpone mousse with passion fruit. Still, ther's always next time.

Mark Dodson and his wife, who was looking after out front have a lovely place, and although we too live in a beautiful area of the Cotswolds we couldn't help driving away with a wistful sigh.

[lapin d'or]

We also had a very good lunch there a few weeks ago. Only marginally spoilt by two rather loud ladies that lunch. I could have done without the graphic details of how their first husbands had passed away.

I had a really good guinea fowl dish as my main and I cannot remember the name but the beer was very good too.