THE BAKERS ARMS - High street, Droxford.

This is a lovely pub which has a reputation for locally sourced food. We thought it time we see for ourselves exactly what they're doing with said food.

The Bakers Arms has the immediate feel of a quality traditional pub, but that somewhat belies what's going on in the kitchen. It only takes a quick look at the menu to see this is more than your average gastro pub. The inclusion of wagyu beef, duck and snails, makes it clear that you won't be in for the run of the mill scampi and chips here.

You will also notice whilst scanning the menu that the prices are a cut above the average pub, but don't run away just yet. As we've said before, sometimes the extra pounds can be validated, and this is one such occasion. The mains average between £13 and £17, but an experienced foodie will be able to see some of that cost in the menu. All the ingredients here are of a high quality, this may cost more, but will result in a better experience for your mouth and stomach. As well as the ingredients, there is a high level of thought and skill which go in to the food you eat here. Furthermore, if you are keen to save the pennies, they offer a bargain set menu. Two courses and a drink will set you back just £15, you can't go wrong with that. Even if you use the set menu as a starting point, you will want to come back and try more of the food on offer. 

Even though the sun was shining, we decided to leave the garden and head for a table indoors. The staff were very friendly and the pub itself had just the sort of atmosphere you long for when pub lunching, or plunching. As an example of the heightened levels of service, our drinks were brought to the table, along with a jug of water, that's a gastrohub first. After ordering our food, we were also treated to some warm homemade bread with butter and balsamic oil dip. A tip for any publicans reading this, you give me fresh bread and I'm yours forever.

Unusually for us, we ended up having a starter. Dad had English rarebit, that's not a mistake, it wasn't Welsh. I picked chicken liver parfait, one of my favourites. For our mains, Dad chose liver and bacon, while I went for griddled chicken on noodles with a satay sauce.

Glad to report, the staff here work on Goldilocks time. The food all came out at just the right time. It didn't take too long, neither did it arrive too quickly, just perfect. The easiest way for me to summarise would be to say, everything was very good indeed. We didn't see any fault in the food or service. No glaring errors, basic or otherwise, no laps in seasoning or frozen soggy vegetables. You can trust the food here. What you order is what you get, that may sound obvious but it is rarely the case. I've just tried really hard to think of anything that we would suggest and I can think of just one thing. This is not a floor in the Bakers Arms service, more a national problem which should be addressed. As is the case with every pate I've ever ordered, there's simply not enough toast, that's it.

If you're looking for somewhere new to eat, your search is over. If you like food and you like pubs, you have no choice. It truly does tick every box and we would happily come back and happily recommend it to you.

Atmosphere          9

Service                 9

Food                    9

Value                   8

Verdict                 5*

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