Credit Crunch Lunch: The Bluebell
The Bluebell
93 High Street, Henley in Arden, Warwickshire. T: 01564 793 049.
Why go?: Good food and service and totally mad interior decor: a “boutique” pub with Britain’s first candlelit, padded (leather) cell, for intimate dining.
Price: Before the price, the place, because you can’t ignore it. Purple umbrellas with silver, metallic fringing hint at the boudoir ambiance behind the Middle English facade of the Bluebell. You’ll either love it or hate it.
But even if the Posh ’n’ Becks marriage thrones and sunken golden lion heads aren’t your bag (is the decor ironic? is it a design statement? did Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen have anything to do with it?), sit tight because the Bluebell team, marshalled by fizzingly enthusiastic joint owner Leigh Taylor (she owns it with husband Duncan) put on a splendid show. Going to the Bluebell may be what they call a “lifestyle choice” but it is also a good food choice, too.
Oh, and the price? Starters from £4.50 for Jerusalem artichoke soup & Parmesan cheese croute to £7.50 for crab. Mains £9.95 to £14-ish, speciality fillet steak Wellington the exception at £24.95. Desserts around £5.95-£6.50. There are sandwiches too – poached salmon, beef and horseradish crème fraîche etc.
The meal: I flew solo with the starters, gliding past the crispy king prawn cocktail with brandy mayonnaise before nose-diving into the Brixham crab and avocado lettuce “roll,” served with a mango salsa. It didn’t entirely work. There were lots of pretty things going on inside the “roll” but when it arrived it looked like a parcel of iceberg lettuce, which isn’t visually exciting. The crab was fine if not outstanding but was perked up by the salsa.
Mildly deflated, I feared for an average meal. Thankfully, the stops came out for the main courses, which is where Rob Round, the new head chef, showcases his assured talents. One of our party went for the great sounding lemonade battered haddock with sauce gribiche, pea puree and chips, which provided everything you could hope for by way of light crispiness. The homemade Scottish beef burger was excellent – a lovely charcoal flavour, and a great tomato salsa. A burger to restore one’s faith.
I was torn between about nine courses (including most of the “comfort classics,” such as a twist on cheese and onion pie) but chose the roasted Old Spot pork cutlet. It was absolutely fantastic, one of the best dishes I have eaten for any of my lunch reviews: great flavoured meat, cooked on the button with creamed potatoes and wilted spring greens. The trump card was the braised pigs trotter gravy. Just divine, pig-packed perfection.
Puddings were good – in-house ice creams and a white chocolate panna cotta with orange caramel and fresh raspberries. Mine, though, was the daddy: a warm spiced Northern Irish cake with lemon curd and berry syrup. It sounds so wrong – but was so right, the cardamon spiciness running into the arms of the zesty curd.The addition of an Irish coffee felt entirely appropriate and topped off a fine meal.
Verdict: * * * * Design fright, or boutique delight? It’s academic because the place is warm, with seats, good beers (What The Fox’s Hat from Church End Brewery) and very good food. Ring the chimes for the Bluebell.
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