written by on 18/08/2010
We went for lunch in August having booked a few days in advance. We were simply intrigued to experience Rick Stein's cuisine because of our enjoyment of his TV personality and attitude to seafood cooking. The location of the restaurant was OK but I expected Rick to have chosen a more "upmarket" location for his flagship restaurant at this picturesque part of the country. The decor is pleasant but could be improved for those "facing the wall" when seated by using mirrors in a judicious fashion. Staff were cordial, pleasant and efficient. We opted for the standard lunch (3 course) menu for£35. It was good by French, Italian and Spanish standards for similar cuisine but, as expected, more expensive. However, by UK standards, reasonable. Some pretentious London restaurants will cost more and provide less quality and quantity. Cheapest wine was £20 and once again expensive but typical of this class of restaurant. I suspect most people go to this restaurant because of Rick Stein's fame. We did and the experience was pleasant. I suspect that some connoisseur's might opt for the more expensive a la carte menu options and be disappointed. I have had far more interesting food abroad but no restaurant has the monopoly on the best food in the world (apart from Tour d' Argent in Paris).