THE TITCHFIELD MILL - Mill lane, Titchfield

This is a pub that oozes class. From the moment you step inside, you know you are in the upper echelons of pubdom. As you go through the process of taking in your surroundings, ordering drinks, reading the menu and taking a table, every box is ticked along the way. The interior is beautifully done out, the music has been thoughtfully matched to the concept of a relaxed atmosphere, and the staff are friendly and helpful.

The job of a menu is to get you excited about the food you are going to order, and this menu certainly did that. Not only were we massively impressed with what was on offer, we were also astonished at the value. Many higher end pubs, over the last year or so, have tried to sell food like this whilst getting the prices wildly wrong. That is not the case here. Main meals can be had from around £8, while most are nearer the £10 mark. There is also a set menu offering two courses for just under £12 or three for under £15. That would be a pretty good deal anywhere, but here it's an absolute bargain.

After struggling for a while to choose from the abundant options, I decided to go for the chicken and leek pie with spring onion mash. Dad went for the sausage and mash which not only came with three sausages, but had the wonderful addition of a onion and thyme fritter. After ordering, we both agreed that this was without doubt, the most interesting menu we have come across in our wide reaching travels. Any struggling pubs out there could do much worse than taking a leaf out of the Titchfield Mill's book.

We just knew the food was going to be good here, and when it arrived, our prediction was proved right. The pie was lovely and the mash was some of the best we've had, smooth and perfectly seasoned. Dad's was equally perfect, and between us we could find not a single fault.

If you were to organise a tour of the best food pubs in the South, you would be mad to miss out the Titchfield Mill. It's a wonderful pub in every way. It's also one of the few places where you will get such a high standard of food for such a good price. Put simply, this is one of the best pubs we've been to, and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to all our wonderful readers. So give it a go, you'll be glad you did.

Atmosphere          9

Service                 8

Food                    9

Value                   9

Verdict                 5*

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