A trip to Wiltshire and Dorset( and Shropshire)

[Bapi]

As the masses arrive in London to help celebrate the Queen's Jubilee next week, we will be heading in the opposite direction at high speed.

First stop is the The Angel Inn (formerly The Grovesnor Arms) Hindon, Wiltshire and then onto The Fox Inn, Corscombe, Dorset.  Would someone be kind enouigh to offer a few suggestions for lunch, in either of those two counties please? Or even what to try at the above two places, if you have eaten there recently.

Last stop on this mini tour is the excellent Hibiscus, Ludlow. where we had a truly superb meal back in March. So should be ok with that destination, (rather sadly The Merchant House is closed).

Many thanks  

Bapi

[jayrayner]

Riverside restaurant, West Bay, Dorset for very good simply prepared fish dishes down by the sea. Not a picturesque seaside town; more of a small working fishing port. Though beware: I supsect it's th ekind of place that would overdose in bunting this weekend.

Anyway, think of me. I'm spending the bloody weekend in the West Midlands with the inlaws. In the Black Country eating out means a bag of chips scoffed while wlaking along the Hagley Road.

[Bapi]

Jay,

Thanks for that, The Riverside was one place I had thought of. The venerable Mr Stein recommended it in one of his books and one would assume he knows his onions.

The Black Country, crikey, I don't envy you that fate. But not, I think, quite as bad as when I venture up to see my parents next, in the culinary vacuum that is Rochdale.

[Mrs Woman]

My friend's said they went to somewhere in Rochdale that wasn't too bad, called Eight-something??? Said service was a bit crap but food (although not Michelin standard) was quite nice.

[Basildog]

and whats wrong with bunting???? :confused:

[Sarah74]

Excuse the resurrecting of an old thread, but I didn't feel that my review warranted a whole new one!

We had lunch at The Fox Inn, Corscombe, Dorset on Saturday and it was tremendous. Well worth the getting lost in the countryside and the completely stuffed feeling for the rest of the afternoon. It is a pub (a prize-winning gastro-pub no less) in most of the Good Pub Guide type books but it really is in the middle of nowhere. I feel it is worth a detour if you are going anywhere on the A303 through the West Country and I am thinking about holding my 30th birthday party there and trying the B&B accommodation.

I went with Himself and made notes so that I could bring a proper account to the eGullet altar of reviews!

I started with 'open cap mushrooms with garlic butter' which did exactly what they said on the tin. Very earthy, very garlicky and completely delicious. Himself had a 'gratin of crab, salmon and skate' which was good - like a fish pie without the potato. Not sure that the flavours of the various types of fish came through individually though but loads of food for a starter. We also had fresh bread and (local) butter which come with all starters.

To follow I had 'pan-fried fillet of seabass with sautéed mushrooms and chorizo' which was fantastic. Two large fillets, loads of different types of meltingly tender and delicious mushrooms (I definitely spied shitake and chestnut in there) and large chunks of salty chorizo. The mixture worked really well together and was satisfyingly chunky enough to really fill me up. I hardly needed the roast baby new potatoes, courgettes, celeriac, swede and carrot which came as a side (included in the price) for both me and Himself.

He had 'braised rabbit with olives and tomatoes' which was a really good, country dish (and relatively cheap at £9.95). It also had peppers, onions and bits of fennel in it. He had to pick the meat off the bones which I think satisfied some sort of primeval urge.....! Again, lots of food and we really should have stopped there.

But, in the interests of providing a full and honest account, we went for puddings which actually were a bit of a let-down. I had 'apple crumble' which was bland and was mostly apple with only a tiny bit of crumble sprinkled on top (but it did come with a dollop of clotted cream which was lovely). Himself opted for 'lemon crème brulee' which was okay but the crème was "too moussey and not enough like custard" to satisfy a complete crème brulee addict.

A filter coffee and a couple of soft drinks and the bill came to £55 (not including service) which is pretty impressive. Didn't look at the wine list - sorry.

Other bits to note: the pub is full of knooks and crannies which makes it feel quite intimate but I noticed a lovely light conservatory at the back with a large oak refectory table (which I eyed-up for my birthday party). There is no smoking in the restaurant until 10pm (unless the other visitors don't mind) which I think is a good thing but it might put others off. The menu lists the local suppliers and all the members of staff working behind the bar, in the kitchen etc.

The Fox Inn, Corscombe, Dorchester, Dorset DT2 0NS

01935 891330 / dine@fox-inn.co.uk (website www.fox-inn.co.uk doesn't seem to work)

[Bapi]

Sarah

Gosh- I had totally forgotten - I had posted about this. I am glad you liked it at the Fox Inn- I never did get round to writing anything up about it - partly as I wanted to keep quiet about it!. We have stayed there three times, when it was under different management. The previous owners- the Lee's- used to also own the Acorn Inn in nearby Evershot, as well. I think the young chef at the Fox Inn, is still the same as when we were last there on the trip I mentioned above. Both of us thought the food was excellent, if a little on the expensive side for rural Dorset, but it was certainly worth the money.

In its previous incarnation, the owner's proudly claimed that they used no microwave ovens and served no chips at all, an ethos which was borne out by the fresh ingredients and deft cooking exhibited. I had the best mussels I have ever had in my life there- spankingly fresh and cooked with buttered leeks and local cider, followed by very pink rack of lamb. Shame you didn't enjoy your puddings as I had a small portion of world class sticky toffee pudding- with that lovely clotted cream you mention.

Rooms are lovely and quaint as well- we had the large double room inside the Inn on one occasion. But on the other two stays, we took the annex room with its own private entrance, to the right of the Inn. It does have twin beds - but we always pushed them together and it feels just that little bit more secluded!

Totally agree about that conservatory. There was a large group celebrating in there, when we were there last time, and it looked very atmospheric with a large numbers of candles lighting up the place. A nice choice for your birthday Sarah.

[Sarah74]

Thanks very much Bapi for the B&B information.