The Four in Hand

Dinner at the Four in Hand

A pub-adjoined restaurant serving excellent, delicious, uncomplicated food- I can't believe it took me this long to make my way to this restaurant. Following a great review in the Good Food Guide, I decided I had to come and check the place out, and made my booking soon afterwards.

For me, there's something extremely satisfying about having a couple of quick schooners in a familiar pub setting, then ambling over to the other side of the room for a fine dining experience.

The chef, Colin Fassnidge, has stuck to what he knows, eschewing mod-cuisine foam frippery and bullshit, and been amply rewarded with excellent reviews.

To start with, the dining room, while small, is as unpretentious and as welcoming as you'd like. Prices are on the lowish side for a two-hat venue and there's a great wine list.

Scanning the menu, I elected for the richest, most red meat-heavy options, because, frankly, I love rich food. An amuse bouche and some great bread and butter later, my meal began with this:

12 Hour Braised Beef Short Rib with Roast Marrow, Carrot and Sherry Puree

How can you go wrong here? Spectacular, meltingly soft beef rib was paired with a lovely carrot puree, onion rings and a beef marrow and parsley salad no doubt inspired by St John's Fergus Henderson. Great flavours, and perfect entree size- not stingy, but still leaving you anticipating the next course.

Braised Beef Cheek, Tongue, Potato Dauphinoise and Eggplant Puree

Another wonderful dish- the beef cheek cooked to the point of gooey unctuousness, served with fat slab of carefully prepared dauphinoise and a smoked eggplant puree that leaves me convinced that if I continue smoking I may die young, but at least I'll leave a delicious corpse. And how can you not love that presentation? Seemingly simple, but everything in its place and where it should be- just like the food here.

The 4's Chocolate 'Magnum'

Despite not being quite sure what this dessert was by its ambiguous name, I decided I needed something chocolatey to round off the meal and so ordered this. And it was great- different textures of chocolate on the plate all coming together into an awesome whole.

So then, a great meal, faultlessly prepared, a great atmosphere, and most importantly, a great time. Good work, Four in Hand, I'll be back.