Barnards is a restaurant in Denmead that I first became aware
of around 10 years ago. I took Rachel there. She had a cheese soufflé and was instantly
addicted. Thankfully, they still serve said soufflé, so every now and again, my
dear wife gets the craving, and today was a day where that craving had to be
satiated. It never takes much to convince me to go out for some good food, so
Rachel, George and I jumped in the car and headed to Denmead.
There are a few parking spaces outside Barnards, but it is usually
best to head for the car park just over the road. You are always greeted warmly
upon entering, before you are shown to one of the two dining spaces. There is
also a garden out back for when the weather is behaving. Options are vast and
varied when eating at Barnards, including breakfast, brunch, lunch, and afternoon
tea. A full English is still available at lunch time, which makes George happy,
this being one of his favourite meals on planet Earth. With George sorted, and
Rachel obviously feeding her cheese soufflé urges, that just left me. I picked
the grilled salmon on wilted spinach with carrot puree, new potatoes and a
chive hollandaise. Sounds rather good doesn't it?
Once the food arrived, it only took me one mouthful to
realise I had something special in front of me. I had been handed a good sized
peace of salmon that was cooked beautifully, with perfectly crisp skin. The
potatoes were of the small variety, comparable in size to a Malteser if you're
interested. The carrot puree was velvety and deep with flavour, while the hollandaise
was stunning, and a perfect best friend for the salmon. This plate of well
crafted food set us back £12.95. I don['t care what planet you are from, that
is a good deal. Rachel's soufflé was up to its usual high standards, and was
accompanied by sauté potatoes, perfect for dipping in the cheese sauce, . This
comes in at £13.75. George's breakfast was also a beautiful thing. Many is the
time we have taken friends and family to Barnards, often for the breakfast. One
of these will set you back £9.50.
I'm happy to say that we were tempted in to deserts. George
and I opting for the chocolate brownie with crunchie ice-cream, £6.50. Rachel
chose a coconut sorbet with a homemade biscuit, £6.20. After a brief
consultation, George agreed that this was one of the best brownies we had tasted,
and that the crunchie ice-cream was a touch of genius.
It is hard to find fault with our trip to Barnards. The
service is always friendly, the chef, David, is extremely talented, and the overall
atmosphere was topped by the cherry of a classy playlist including Jack
Johnson, who I like. I love the imagination and effort at work here, from the
home made scones to the freshly baked bread for the sandwiches. Everything is
done properly here and without fanfare. It's a lovely place to come with
friends or family, even on your own. It's a place where you can get a high
standard of restaurant food in a relaxed atmosphere. If you haven't been
before, I recommend that you give Barnards a try.
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Food 9
Value 9
Verdict 5*
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