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The Hind's Head, High Street, Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AB

The Hind's Head, High Street, Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AB

High Street, Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AB

01628 626151

A sunny Friday in May and what better way to spend a lunch date with the wife than a trip down the M4 to Bray. Even at 12.00 we just about managed to squeeze our poor ''little'' Honda in between the Bentleys and Porsches vying for car parking space in this oh so perfect Thames side village. We popped in to the restaurant/pub and booked a table for 12.45 and then strolled the lanes of wisteria clad cottages to pass the time. The Fat Duck opposite was filling up and outside shiny suits with mobile phones and spiky hair were taking a last gasp fag.Having glanced at the menu I was glad to have chosen Heston's more down to earth options at the Hind's Head. Having spent much of my career on the technical side of the food industry, blowing liquid nitrogen into soup cappucinos, and the like held no attractions for me.

The so called ''perfect'' pub/restaurant had a pleasant welcoming atmosphere. In fact Mr Blumenthal was on duty supervising most of the time. The dining room is beamed,light and airy and traditionally furnished. On to the food. Fine British food cooked accurately and with care. Portions were very good and just right for such solid fare. I had the potted shrimps with watercress salad. Nice brown shrimps with a nutmeg butter served with home baked bread. My wife had rabbit and bacon terrine and cucumber pickles served with toasted sourdough bread. For mains I opted for the Suffolk free-range pork chop with mustard mash. Pork can become dry if not cooked correctly but this was spot on-tender and juicy. My wife chose the whole sea bream and fennel. It was fresh and perfectly cooked. Amazingly we still had room for a dessert and chose the ''quaking pudding'' a sort of British panna cotta served on a board and wobbling all the way to the table,and a sticky treacle tart with milk ice-cream. Good espressos to finish. There is a good wine list also served by the glass, but we opted for chilled wheat style beers from the local Marlow brewery. Service was attentive,charming and discrete. A post prandial walk over the common was definitely needed to aid the digestion. Excellent all round. al Imentada


www.thehindsheadhotel.com