We tried this pub today; a pub that states it's a gastro pub on its sign out front. Walking in, one comes face to face with the local chaps lining the bar by the flashing fruit machines, but a look to the left sees a fairly promising seating area. It's all decorated by tat from the pound shop, but to be fair, they've almost pulled it off. Paper place-mats were a downmarket addition though (spoiling the illusion), because this was a pub wanting £10 or £11 for a pasta. And more for most other dishes. The two waitresses were very pleasant, I have to say. But the food was dire. My fettuccine pugliesi was a dreadful, if generous, bowl of slop. Tasting of tomatoes and nothing more, the sauce was watery, the broccoli was barely present and the sausage content was, I'm sure, just one regular sized cheap basic sausage sliced up: the type you'd have with mash and beans, and not at all what you'd expect in a £10 Italian dish. They'd even chucked the rounded ends into it. For a pub whose offerings were almost all Italian, (a surprise when we sat and read their tatty printed paper menus), there was no Parmesan or anything offered. My wife's bruschetta looked a lot better, but was merely decent, and in no way splendid. The chips looked interesting, all handcut and shaped like one's mother might have made them. But sadly, they were tough and 'chewy', as though they'd been reheated. So, I left mine unfinished. I wish I'd refused the dish from my first taste. When I told the waitress it wasn't good, she brought a comments card and told me they'd send me discounts if I left an address. I filled in the comments, but did not want any discounts (nothing was knocked off the bill). Would not return there under any circumstances. And that's a shame in just one way: the waitresses were very good. Everything else? Very poor. read more