26/6/19
On a
beautiful and sunny Wednesday lunchtime, Rachel, George and I paid a visit to
The Bird in Hand in Lovedean. A reliable source of food, is always a good
starting point, and it seemed rude not to take the opportunity for a Gastrohub
refresh and review. So here we go.
There is a
good sized car park at the back of the pub, so parking should never be a
problem. There is also the recent addition of a new garden to the rear, and this
is where we chose to sit. After a quick sip of ice cold Coke / Pepsi, it was
time for a good hard look at the menu. The lunch menu offers a selection of
sandwiches and light meals, but I fancied fish and chips, so that's what I had.
George chose the steak sandwich, while Rachel went for a good old ploughman's.
My love of
this pub is no secret, and yet again, I wasn't let down. George's steak
sandwich was wonderful, I should have mentioned, he ordered a side of fries
which were also very good. Rachel thoroughly enjoyed her ploughman's. It
included some, and I quote, "very good ham", cheddar, bread, pork pie
and pickle. My fish was of good quality and protected in a suit of crisp batter
and the chips were from the top draw of the chip cabinet. The crushed peas and
tartar sauce were also very good.
I've probably said all this before, but you really can't go wrong with The Bird in Hand. The food is always excellent, the service is good and very professional. If the sun is out, one of the gardens can wrap you in that majestic pub garden feeling, and if you spend your time inside, you will be surrounded by that perfect pub magic. A place which is equally special, whether you are eating or just out for a drink. The price for our three meals, with a side of fries and three pints of Coke / Pepsi, came in at just over £43, which I don't think is too bad at all. If you haven't been here before, you should correct and address.
Atmosphere 9
Service 9
Food 9
Value 8
Verdict 5*
Older review.
Before we begin, I must confess this is one of my favourite pubs. We've both been here plenty of times, but never in a reviewing capacity. Knowing that the food is of a high standard, we just hoped that today wouldn't be the exception.
On a cold
blustery day, you need a warm and welcoming pub, and thankfully that's what we
found. When we ordered drinks, the barman was very friendly and chatty, and
upon choosing a table, we were told that menus would be brought to us, which
was a nice change. One of the reasons we like this pub, is that it serves two
purposes very well. On the one hand there is a restaurant section for more
formal eating, but if you just want a drink, the bar feels like a proper pub,
complete with open fire. You have several options when ordering food, including
the main menu and a lighter version. Dad plucked his choice from the lighter
menu, his attention grabbed by the pork belly. I ordered roast chicken with gnocchi.
Another perk of eating at The Bird in Hand, is that you are given a bread board
after ordering. The homemade bread is kept company by a flavoured butter, in
this case, olive.
This was one
of the busier pubs that we had visited in recent months, which certainly helps
the atmosphere, but wasn't detrimental to service. It didn't take long for the
food to come out and when it did you could tell it was going to be good. The
food at The Bird in Hand is in a different league to many of its fellow pubs.
Dad was very impressed with his pork belly and considering it was from the
lighter menu, the size of the portion was more like that of a standard meal. On
the other hand, my chicken which was ordered from the main menu, was smaller
than Dad's meal. There was enough gnocchi, but the chicken breast was a touch
on the small side, although it was cooked perfectly with beautiful crisp skin,
something you don't see too often. The food was of the highest order at The
Bird in Hand and couldn't be faulted. We were left wondering about the
discrepancy in size and price of meals though. Dad's lighter pork belly cost
about £8.50 and was an absolute bargain, where as my meal was nearer £15 and
left me wishing there was a bit more chicken. Some of the main meals here are a
touch on the pricy side, but this is one of the few exceptions we have found on
our travels. It's worth paying the few extra quid because it really does make a
difference here. I'd rather pay £13 or £14 for something stunning than pay £10
for something forgettable. If the penny's are an issue, you can simply order
from the lighter menu and the odds are, it won't be too much different from the
main menu anyway.
Atmosphere 8
Service 9
Food 9
Value 8
Verdict 5*
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