THE GREYHOUND INN - Midhurst

This was one of those pubs pointed out to us by the pub Gods. We happened across it whilst on our way to another pub, and promptly added it to our "TO VISIT" list. Every pub has its day, and this day was all about The Greyhound.

First impressions were fairly good as we entered. Greeted by the smell of an open fire, and wrapped in the warmth that fire can bring. The landlord was particularly friendly and cheerful as he lead us to an available table. It was then, on closer inspection, that the higgledy-piggledy nature of the pub became clear. A myriad of differently styled tables and chairs had found a home together, sitting atop the slightly tired paisley carpet. I suppose you could argue that this gives the pub its own particular charm, but you could equally argue that it could do with a freshening up.

Things looked on the up when we got stuck in to the menu. After having to get used to the average meal in a gastro pub sneaking up to £13, we were delighted to see some very reasonable prices here. Many meals coming in at £10 - £11. There were also several offerings on the specials board, but we both opted for something from the main menu. On the lookout for something a bit different, I chose leeks and parsnip in a tarragon sauce, topped with mash and cheese. Dad went for one of the pub staples in sausage and mash. Both of these were a fair price, falling under that £13 mark.

Other punters filtered in as we waited for our food, and it felt very much like an old school, traditional, locals country pub. This is not to be detrimental in any way, in fact I think that holds its own charms. When the food appeared it looked pretty good. My leeks and parsnip were hiding amidst a rich tarragon sauce, covered by a mound of well seasoned, smooth mashed potatoes. This was served with a separate dish of well cooked, fresh vegetables. Dad's mash was equally good, and the sausages were of a high quality. The dish was however crowned with a single onion ring, which wasn't too far from cremation. It seemed an odd gesture to proffer a lonely onion ring, surely three would make more sense. It also surprises us that sausage and mash is often unaccompanied on the vegetable front. This is not just the case at The Greyhound, but at many pubs across our great nation. Some peas, or a few spoons of red cabbage, would surely add an extra layer to a British classic.

We found it tricky to come up with the marks for this one. It is in no way bad, but there are just a few things holding it back. With so many pubs, the frustration is caused by the level of simplicity to rectify so many of these negatives. When we arrived, I could hear music, but it was only coming from a certain area. We later came to the conclusion, that that music may have been leaking out from the kitchen, that's not the way to do things. When you run a pub or restaurant, your first thoughts should be about the customer. Provide music for them, not second hand from the kitchen. Don't serve one onion ring, especially if it's overdone. On the other hand, the service was good, the prices very reasonable, and most importantly, the food was good. Although this might not be top of our list of pubs to revisit, we certainly wouldn't be put off coming back. Just a few simple tweaks, and this could be a really good gastro pub.

Atmosphere          6.5

Service                 7.5

Food                    8

Value                   8.5

Verdict                 4*

THE UNICORN INN - Heyshot, Chichester

This week, it was another trip to the golden slice of pub paradise, on the outskirts of Chichester. Today's subject would be The Unicorn Inn, a pub which we had tried and failed to review on several occasions. This time we weren't to be stopped, and here is the resultant ramblings.

As we stepped inside, first impressions were good. It was warm, light, pleasant music could be heard, and the smell of a log fire made for a wonderful start to our latest pub adventure. We took drinks and menus to a table bathed in the Autumn sun and investigated the options. Let's get one thing in early. This is a pub aiming for the higher end of gastropubdom, as is the case with many of their fellow country pubs in particular. But this is the true test. If you are going to charge above average, you need to deliver, otherwise you end up taking the, you know what. Starters here range from £5.50 for soup, to £8 for a prawn and avocado salad. The mains started with a few fishy offerings, starting with the ultimate pub classic, fish and chips, (£13), skate wings, (£14.50), and something you don't see too often, a John Dory sea food stew, (£16). Another classic, cottage pie, came in at £13.50. These pub classics are a useful gage to measure standards and prices from one pub to another. A standard meal in a standard pub will set you back around £10, so if you're going to turn the dial up to £13, the customer needs to see where that extra £3 is going.

Dad decided to go for the whole roast partridge with game gravy, served with game chips and bread sauce, (£16). I chose warming Autumnal meal, chicken and dumplings with mash, (£13.50. It seems that most pubs will decide on a basement price for their mains, stubbornly refusing to fall below that chosen price, in this case £13. We will pay that for fish and chips if it is a step up from your average fish and chips, featuring a beautiful piece of fresh fish. We aren't quite so sure if a cottage pie can be lifted to the point where it becomes worth a similar price. But the one that we really aren't sure about, is macaroni cheese with bacon, salad and garlic bread. We both know how to cook, and we both know how much ingredients cost, and we would honestly struggle to pay £13 for that. This is not just a dig at The Unicorn, but at many gastro pubs. Price your food on its individual make up.

As we waited for our food, it also became clear that the pub fundamentals that we had so quickly ticked off upon entry, weren't holding firm throughout the pub. Our chosen seat was in a branch section off the main bar, and we soon realised that music didn't live here. This brought home the uncomfortable nature of sitting in a quiet room with people you've never met, each painfully aware that every word can be heard by everyone. Extra speakers would be our suggestion.

When the food arrived, it smelt good and looked as we'd expected. We were soon struck by something on Dad's plate though, two something's in fact. When the menu said "Game chips", we were thinking of a homemade vegetable crisp type affair, but they seemed to be crisps, as in a cold crisp from a packet of crisps. Perhaps we are simply a bit naive when it comes to game chips. The second thing, was that the bird was served on top of a slice of fried bread. Not that there's anything wrong with fried bread, it just struck us as odd. That aside, the partridge was cooked well and the game gravy was delicious. My meal brought us back to some of my earlier points. The chicken was very nice, clearly casseroled, and the dumplings were nice, although my personal preference is for a crunchy top dumpling, and in the words of John Torode, the mash was a twist of seasoning away from being just right. But our main issue here, was that if I had got my meal in an average pub, and paid £10 for it, I would have been content, but when the stakes and the prices are raised, you expect more. You are less likely to forgive any short comings, you want value for that extra outlay. There wasn't a lot fundamentally wrong with our food, neither did it blow us away. We would say it was good solid pub food which belongs in a good solid pub, where it is served at a realistic price.

Our experience may not have lived up to our initial hopes, but we still enjoyed our lunch. This is a nice pub, and the food is pretty good. We can only proffer our thoughts, whilst accepting that others might disagree. If you've had any experience here, feel free to tell us about it in the comments section below.

Atmosphere          7

Service                 6

Food                    7.5

Value                   7

Verdict                 4*

THE CASTLE INN - 1 Finchdean Rd, Rowlands Castle

This was a pub on our, "TO REVISIT" list. We ate here several years ago, before we started reviewing. After passing through said pub for a few drinks at the weekend, I declared that today would be the turn of The Castle Inn.

This is very much an oldie world pub, with beams, scrubbed floors and tables, and two seporated bars. There is a garden out the back, next to the car park, as well as a few tables out the front, although this does involve sitting by the road. Although we weren't greeted with the warmest of welcomes, our drinks order and questions regarding lunch were rudimentarily answered. As the sun had chosen to shine upon the green green grass of Rowlands Castle, we took a seat outside to discover our foodie fate. This wasn't a bad menu, with several meals of interest. Mains were ranging between £10.95 and £13.95, not including the steak option. My choice was a garlic and herb chicken breast in a bun with skinny fries, (chips), and homemade coleslaw. Dad's lunch today was to be the pie of the day, which this day, was steak and ale.

The pub wasn't busy, so it wasn't long before our food was served. It all looked pretty good. I know you're wondering, and the answer is yes, the pie was a real pie, with pastry on all sides. It was literally a slice of pie taken from a giant round pie, which we both liked the idea of. We truly are simple folk. By all accounts, the pie was delicious, and was joined on its plate by new potatoes, carrots and broccoli, which were all cooked well. My chicken breast was very well done, by which I mean it had been prepared well. It was tender and juicy, filling the bun nicely. The skinny chips were as they should be, and I was also fortunate enough to have my very own little pot of homemade coleslaw, which was nice.

We certainly couldn't grumble about the food here, it was actually quite good. The general atmosphere in the pub could have been helped with a splash of friendly music, and the customer relations could do with a slight polish, but on the whole, we enjoyed our trip to Rowlands Castle, and in particular, The Castle Inn. At the time of writing, there are three functioning pubs in the village, all of them very different. It only takes a few minutes to walk past all of them, so see what you fancy and take your pick.

Atmosphere          6

Service                 5

Food                    8

Value                   8

Verdict                 4*

THE WHITE SWAN - Station Road, Bosham

We took a rather prolonged rout to our destination today. We were prevented from reaching our prime objective by a closed road with no diversion. Dad then remembered a pub which wasn't too far away, but that seems to have turned in to a housing estate. Determined not to be detached from our destiny, we carried on, eventually arriving at Bosham. The last time we attempted a trip to The White Swan, we arrived to see the roof being removed. We are happy to report that today, the roof was firmly in place.

First impressions we are told, count for a lot. Our first impression upon entering was good. The bar is light and clean, with a recently refurbished feel about it. Nice wooden floors and nice wooden tables, forming that blend between contemporary and rustic which so many pubs strive for now a days. Although the pub wasn't busy, it seemed the staff had their hands full, and we had to wait a little while, but we were acknowledged and told someone would be with us shortly. We were told to take a table and that our drinks would be brought over, and indeed they were.

The menu read quite well. Presenting meals which appealed, (I like that), without really setting fire to your imagination. A main course here is between £10 and £15, most falling between the £10 and £12 mark. There were also a few offerings on the specials board, but nothing that jumped out. The pie of the day was pork in a cider cream, that was good enough to get Dad's vote. I was seduced by the supreme of chicken, and there's a little story about that. I can at times be a little bit fussy, but I also think it the mark of a good pub to accommodate such irritants as myself, at least to a point. I asked if I could have the chicken without the bacon, and with chips instead of new potatoes. I was delighted to discover that this was no problem at all, and I'm sure that made all concerned feel much better about themselves, you have to love a happy ending.

I should also mention that we asked for some garlic bread to start with, only to find out that it wasn't on the menu. After a quick word with the kitchen, our waitress informed us that the chef would make us some anyway, so far so good. After our garlic bread had come and gone, it was on to the main event. Dad's pie was a proper, solid pie. Home made with short crust pastry, a self contained little pastry parcel. My chicken arrived, and it looked lovely, but there was a slight issue. My wish for chips had been granted, only to be taken away. My chicken had made it's short journey from the kitchen in the company of.....new potatoes. I genuinely wasn't that bothered though, so in the best English tradition, I didn't say anything. The chicken was well cooked, the potatoes were as nice as new potatoes can be, and the stilton sauce was tasty, and had just enough stilton in it. As luck would have it, Dad's pie was accompanied by chips, and he kindly offered me a few so I didn't miss out. They were good and certainly homemade, they could maybe have been slightly crisper. We also had a bowl of vegetables to share. The bowl in question contained cabbage, carrots and runner beans, all of which were cooked well.

This may not have been our destination when we set out, but we often believe that we are guided by fait's foodie hand. We can happily tick off another pub from our list, and report that we thoroughly enjoyed our food. This is a nice looking pub inside, our waitress was very good, the prices are about right, the music playlist was spot on and the food was good. Can't say fairer than that.

Atmosphere          7

Service                 8

Food                    8

Value                   7.5

Verdict                 4*

THE VICTORIA INN - West Marden, Chichester

After a few weeks off, we got back on the trail, seeking pub perfection. Today's search would take us back in to that slice of golden pub paradise, on the outskirts of Chichester. The subject of today's review would be The Victoria Inn, a pub we had passed several times on our adventures.

At first glance, this is a classic country pub, set in the heart of a quiet village. There is plenty of outdoor seating, both in the beer garden and at the side of the pub. When we stepped inside, everything felt right. That rare pub x-factor which can be so hard to put your finger on. All the essential boxes were immediately ticked, with a nice bit of Jose Gonzales adding to the relaxing atmosphere.

Wanting to make the most of the sun, which has been lacking of late, we took a table outside and scanned the menu. It was excellent, with plenty of interesting meals, including vegetarian fish and chips, not really fish though. This was substituted for battered halumi. Sounds a bit unusual, but curiously, we had seen the same thing on offer in our last pub review. An average meal here will set you back £14, but it was clear that the food was aiming for a high standard. There was also a specials board, but Dad and I were both drawn to the main menu. What we particularly liked was the description of their pie of the day. Regular readers will know how we feel about pretend pies which only have pastry on the top. This was advertised as a homemade individual pie with short crust pastry on top and bottom, and probably the sides. That immediately made Dad's mind up. I picked the halloumi burger with sweet potato fries.

As we had luckily got our order in early, just before the pub became busy, it wasn't long at all before our food arrived. It's always a good start when your food looks good, and this did. After carefully removing the tomato from my burger, I got stuck in. There was plenty of halloumi, and the bottom of the bun was slathered with humus, I was also blessed with some slices of gherkin, which is always a good thing. My sweet potato fries were crisp, not an easy thing to achieve with sweet potatoes, and my coleslaw was a nice extra. Dad was very pleased in deed. His pie was amazing, and his mash, and I quote, "was the smoothest and creamiest", he'd ever had, and he's had his fair share of mash.

We knew from the moment we arrived that this was a special pub, and I'm glad to say our instincts didn't let us down. It's a beautiful, cared for pub, with excellent and friendly staff. The food is wonderful, and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. There is definitely some pub magic here, and we happily recommend that you give it a go.

Atmosphere          9

Service                 9

Food                    9

Value                   8

Verdict                 5*