THE SQUARE COW - The Square, Wickham

It's not very often that you get the chance to try out a new pub, as in a pub that hasn't been a pub long. That was the case today, when we visited The Square Cow in Wickham. We found out about it a few weeks back, and promptly slid it up to the top of our pubs to visit list.

At first glance, this doesn't seem like the biggest of pubs, but then you find out the truth, there is another floor. In fact there are three, but the second floor was roped off. Not sure if there are plans to extend the pub over three levels. This is a very old building in deed, dating back to the 16th century, and it's history is in evidence. From the oak beams to the medieval preserved art on the first floor, you can sense the time that has passed here.

The foodie element of the pub is focused on the first floor, so up we went. We were given our menu's, including a special one, and the time to ponder our short term foodie futures. We were first struck by the very reasonable pricing, mains ranging between £8 and £12 on average. There were plenty of options, including jackets, salads and a range of burgers. I was originally drawn to the goats cheese and red pepper quiche on the specials board, only to find out I was too late and it had sold out. I defaulted to a classic chicken burger with cheese. Dad went for the pie of the day, today that meant lamb. Pies are served with a choice of mash or chips, Dad obviously went for the mash. We also thought we would treat ourselves to some garlic bread to start, giving us some extra time to take everything in.

The pub was fairly busy, and therefore, so were the staff. This however did not detract from their quality of service, which was friendly and slick. There was a comfortable feel to the pub, with music playing at just the right level. This made it easy to relax and enjoy our time. The garlic bread came before too long, and was of a generous size. It was also a good quality of garlic bread, crisp and moist in all the right places. Then it was time for the main event. Dad's pie was a very good pie, full of tender pieces of lamb. The mash was smooth and well seasoned, and the vegetables well cooked. My burger was very tasty indeed, the juicy chicken held between a nice toasted bun. My salad was fresh and well dressed with some extra effort going in to the spiralised cucumber. I had the option of chips or sweet potato fries, I went for the latter. They were also good, but as is usually the case with sweet potato fries, they weren't home made.

We had a lovely time at The Square Cow. We had no issues with the food or the service. The pricing was very good, with a good selection of food on offer. We should give one more nod to the quality service we experienced, this is so often missing or overlooked at many pubs / restaurants. We would happily return here, and are delighted to welcome a good new pub in to the fold.

Atmosphere          8

Service                 9

Food                    8

Value                   8.5

Verdict                 4.5*