Hello all, its a monday morning and im missing my weekend already!! I had a wonderful child free weekend (missed them like crazy but a welcome break). Saturday night I went out for a fabulous meal at The George Hotel and Brasserie in Buckden Cambridgeshire. Well, I was given the choice of where to eat and so living in St.Neots I thought it would be best to support our local restaurants and give a nearby one a go. I searched on the internet and after viewing a few websites and menus I decided on The Bridge House in St.Neots. It boasted beautiful river views an A star menu and friendly staff, so all dressed up I set off for my 7.00pm table.
They say first impressions are everything and by goodness they are not wrong!! I instantly felt out of place, the bar was grotty and smelly with a pool table and half drunk glasses everywhere. The people in there left little to the imagination, mainly students and old men. At the risk of sounding a little bit snobbish, I really wanted to do a runner but thought a soft drink by the riverside didnt sound that bad after all so ordered a drink and headed out to find a beautiful riverside view to relax and enjoy my child free time to. So feeling like Alice in wonderland in my floaty dress and hair flowing down past my shoulders in ringlets, my ballerina pumps all finished with my ever expanding bump, I felt like a person and not just a mum in my old clothes, scraped back hair and no make-up. That was until I went to sit down, the view was lovely, but the noise coming from the Drunken Duck next door was shocking to say the least. There was a hoard of students all dancing and drinking and enjoying a very smoky barbeque which was wafting my way! Trying to enjoy my converation and drink, I was becoming increasingly nervous about the type of person I was surrounded by and I immediately drank up, my eating partner visited the ladies and was appauled at the condition of the facilities and so we promptly left without as much as a thank you but no thanks!!
So we decided to call The George Hotel in Buckden, we knew we would have to travel there but didnt mind. They were extremely polite from the phone call and went above and beyond to book our table at such short notice. We actually arrived 50minutes early for our table but they still accomodated us when we got there, we were shown to a table at the bar where we ordered our drinks and were shown the menu. The decor was fabulous, very clean and expensive looking. The people there were all obviously out on a special occassion and were dressed accordingly (as we were luckily)!! So at first glance of the menu, we both couldnt decide as everything was so inviting. The starters ranged from the traditional smoked salmon to tempura crab and beef carpaccio with pomegranite seeds. The main courses made up the same delicious, mouth watering choices, coq au vin, sea bream, pan fried salmon and crispy pork belly were to name but a few, but there wasnt too many choices that it left you baffled and over whelmed.
So after about 15 minutes in the bar, we were shown to our table in the restaurant. The table was well laid and again the environment was clean and well presented, the staff also wore appropriate uniforms and were very polite, helpful, non-intrusive and friendly. Shortly after being seated and having our cloth napkins laid across our laps we were served bread and butter on a delightful old rustic wooden board, we had black olive bread and some granary bread both of which filled the gap before our starters. My friend had ordered the smoked salmon and I had bravely ordered the beef carpaccio. If speaking for myself, I was more than satisfied with my starter which was beautiful thin slices of fresh aberdeen angus beef with a peppery rocket salad, parmesan shavings and jewelled with pomegranite seeds, a rare treat (pardon the pun). My friend on the otherhand found that the smoked salmon had a fair few bones which is always off putting, but felt that this was this dishes only down fall, the small lightly tossed salad and fennel slices presented as a welcome marriage.
We were offered more bread which we greadily accepted and then sat back and relaxed while we waited for our anticipated main course. All things considered, it being a Saturday night and busy, we werent disappointed at the wait, which was probably about half an hour. It allowed us to take in the setting and slip into deep conversation, but when our main course did arrive we both fell into silent elation. My friend had ordered the crispy pork belly which arrived with caramelised apple slices and black pudding, along with a selection of vegetables all coated with a thick whole grain mustard sauce bringing the dish together in a supremely extravagant harmony. My main course didnt disappoint either, I had coq au vin, extremely tender peices of chicken slow cooked in a red wine and shallot sauce it oozed full bodied flavour and an intensity worthy of top end eatery. The small cut vegetables encompassing the meat and buttered smashed potatoes were glorious, very carefully sauted in butter but not overly greasy on the palate. The portion sizes were very generous and as hard as I tried I could manage all my main comfortably and still able to squeeze in a dessert!!
So a little stuffed around the edges, we ploughed onto dessert. As ever an over excited child within me surfaces at the mere mention of chocolate and immediately I plumped for the chocolate option but at a second read and careful consideration I opted for The Georges Eaton Mess, kindly allowing my friend to sample the sheer heavenly delights that is, was and will always be chocolate gateau with pistaschio ice-cream. We were given a array of dessert choices such as poached pears with cherry ice-cream, raspberry pannacota and the usual selection of local and more smelly varieties of cheese. Our order was taken and we were offered coffee at this point which we decided to order after dessert. As we waited we reflected our experience at The George and both came to the conconclusion that there was little to fault, although if we had to be critical (which by the way we really didnt want to), we both agreed that the position of our table directed our eyeline straight into the kitchen and its swinging doors, which swung back and forth all night long, wafting the kitchen hub bub into our conversation. That said, I did get a sneak at the kitchen which all appeared to be up to scratch and the chefs appropriately dressed and clean looking. Our only other small gripe was that as neither of us were not drinking, me with my bump and my friend nominating as driver, we were overlooked for top-ups on our drinks and as such had to alert a waitress to our thirst!!
But all was well with the world when our puds arrived, the chocolate gateau was first to be placed and it left me feeling a little bit food possessed as I eagerly stuck my spoon straight into the cold icy mousse followed by a thick dark dense chocolate base and greedily sucked my spoon several times to devour every last drop of the chocolate delight, but when mine was placed down I was pleasantly surprised. In true contemporary cookery style, I had serveral small portions all based on the eaton mess strawberry theme. A small delicate but truely chewy and perfectly sweet mergingue sat opposite a small rectangle morsel of cold sweet strawberry fudge. Then in a glass was some perserved strawberries topped with a velvety chantilly cream and lastly a truely outstanding cooling strawberry ice-cream sitting on some crumbled shortbread. I hasten to add, I wasnt quick to share my dessert and sophistocatedly scoffed the lot!!! So feeling like i had gained an extra stone (added to my bump) I admitted defeat and decided that the tempting floater coffee or baileys and hot chocolate was just a bridge too far and we settled up our bill, which came to a very respectable £75.00. We would have paid alot more for this meal, but as I pointed out earlier we didnt drink alcohol and didnt have coffee but other than that we left feeling well fed and extremely gready!!
Would I go there again? ..... that was a silly question!!! Of course!!!
It is also a hotel, so maybe next time i'll book a room .....
Please visit their website http://www.thegeorgebuckden.com/
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