The Inn, Stonehall Common, Nr Kempsey

9:17am Friday 21st December 2007

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IT has seen service as the Organ Grinder and the Fruiterers' Arms (twice) and is now operating under yet another name - The Inn at Stonehall.

A colleague recommended it as a lovely place to spend a summer's evening. Don't wait that long. Here is a country pub and restaurant that ticks all the boxes - a light and airy dining area, an excellent wine list with the accent on New World vintages and an imaginative menu.

The inn re-opened under a new team a few weeks ago and a complete refurbishment has created a relaxing atmosphere. The seating is the most comfortable I have encountered in a long time and diners have an open view of the kitchen, yet are not assailed by competing food odours.

Find someone with a passion as well as the ability for the job and it pays to snap them up. It's obvious from the meals he prepares that the chef, the other creative half of the inn's new team, has that passion. A lot of imagination has gone into creating a menu that sets Stonehall apart from the run-of-the-mill pub restaurants.

All his food is freshly-prepared. No microwaves here. The meals are created to order, which means you will probably wait about 30 minutes for your main course. Be advised, it's worth waiting for.

My mother, with six children to feed, often made a cheap meal from belly of pork rolled around a stuffing. It was tasty and filling, but rather fatty and rich. At the Inn I ordered a meal of Gloucester Old Spot pork belly on spiced red cabbage with a tempura of calamari. It was priced at £12.50 and was worth every penny.

The pork, in a neat parcel with crispy coating, was by no means over-rich or fatty and the surprise was the way it was complemented by the squid. Other vegetables were available as side dishes.

I started with a tasty chicken liver and foie gras parfait with pineapple relish, coffee syrup and toasted brioche (£6.95).

My companion settled for a starter of Irish Kinvara smoked salmon blinis with lemon crème fraiche (£6.95), followed by a melt-in-the-mouth grilled seabass, with wild mushroom and roast garlic risotto (£15.95).

A classic crème brulée at £4.50 rounded off my meal. It was delicious and also a larger portion that you get in most restaurants, where they often come in a tiny ramekin. My companion voted her chocolate torte with blackcurrant sorbet and orange tuille (£4.95p) a winner.

Add two glasses of wine, a bottle of still water, a liqueur and two coffees and we ended up with a bill of £69.35.

It was a wonderful meal in a welcoming atmosphere and worth every penny.

As I said, why wait for summer to taste the delights at Stonehall Common?

THE INN AT STONEHALL, STONEHALL COMMON,
NEAR KEMPSEY
Tel: 01905 820462
SERVICE: ****
FOOD: *****
VALUE: *****
AMBIENCE: *****

For more information click here.