Kings Head

Finally a pub which has managed to redecorate in a non yuppie way — lovely leather furniture in nice colours — it’s both clean and modern looking while having a somewhat genteel style.
Staff very nice and it’s great for lunch because the food comes very promptly. I had a yummy sausage baguette with tasty chips for only £6.95 (although unfortunately I was a bit too enthusiastic with the mustard and spent most of the meal crying/​sneezing, much to the amusement of my friend).
Full range of soft drinks in fancy bottles — ideal.

Part of the White Brasserie chain, which is in turn part of Raymond Blanc’s burgeoning empire, this is a vaguely French take on the now-​traditional gastropub. The front of this establishment is a traddie pub, while the back is the dining area, with a partially open kitchen. You can order a la carte, or from a small but well chosen set menu. There are also daily specials.
I enjoyed a guinea fowl rillettes with pickled vegetables as a starter (£6.90); my main of dressed crab and chips (£13.50) was tasty it’s a suprisingly good combination but marred somewhat by the shrapnel-​like specks of crabshell concealed in the crab meat. My dessert was some sort of mango and something gratin (£ can’t remember); this was less of a gratin, more a fruity morass, but toothsome nonetheless, as underlined by the fact that at least three other members of the party felt the need to nick a bit. House wines (I wasn’t allowed near the wine list) were unexceptional but wholly inoffensive vin de Pays d’Oc (both red and white).
All in all„ I’d have to say: good but not great. The sort of place you’d bring your visiting in-​laws if you didn’t want to appear too flash.