The London Inn

The London Inn has the feel of a real village pub, still part of the community. Dogs are welcome, the people at the bar bring genuine warmth, and the menu has an honest, unfussy ambition. We ate in a lovely setting, with our dog made completely at home. Nothing we were served was bad enough to complain about, though the food didn’t quite live up to its promise. It felt more like a kitchen having an off day than a meal that caused real grievance. Two people seemed to be running front of house, and they kept the atmosphere going with such good cheer that we were happy to give the place some leeway. Our small gripes may seem trivial, too. An overdone burger and unmelted cheese hardly call for a scathing TripAdvisor broadside. My wife’s meal had a high and a low point. The triple-cooked chips were outstanding, properly crisp and so good they make you wonder why chips are done any other way. The gammon steak alongside them was pleasant enough, but couldn’t match them. I ordered the London Burger, £16.95, with a hand-pressed 6oz beef patty, bacon, cheddar, burger sauce, gherkins and house slaw in a toasted brioche bun with skinny fries. There was a solid idea there, but the bun overpowered the patty and the beef had been grilled beyond the point of pink. Bacon and a generous helping of burger sauce helped rescue it somewhat, but the cheese had been put on too late to melt. It sat cool and rather forlorn on top. We’d heard the Sunday roast has a strong local reputation, spoken of with the quiet reverence that can be more telling than a review. After chips that good on a Wednesday lunchtime, trying a hearty Sunday roast seems like a very reasonable next step. The kitchen might be able to do it justice.