Edit 21st June 2008:
Downgrading this to 1 star after…read moreanother visit to The Inn at the Pond resulted in a fetid-smelling and tasting burger being served.
After a really good first meal (I'm leaving my original meal in for fairness), this meal was a massive let down. We found ourselves entering the restaurant wondering why there were so few people in it for a Saturday lunchtime and left wondering how they were still open, with a sample of food taken to provide to Environmental Health.
Service was terrible: after waiting at the entrance for a couple of minutes, we had to wander around the (mostly empty) restaurant to see ourselves to a table, despite the fact that the waitress has clocked our arrival and said 'hello'. Drinks, which you'd think they'd be pushing hard, given the massive mark up, were really slow in being offered and topped up.
The food (the edible element) was average. Nothing special, particularly considering the premium prices being charged. If you're silly enough to visit, please don't ask for the burger. For one thing, the texture is all wrong - it's obviously been over-mixed (almost certainly by machine) and the burger my wife tasted and smelt foul. When we complained, the management claimed (without smelling our burger) that the smell was due to the addition of cumin and herbs. So, first off, the smell of the burger served was definitely not just cumin. Secondly, any chef who puts anything but beef, salt and pepper (and, at a push, onion) into a burger better know they're doing. The chefs at The Inn at the Pond don't.
I don't know what's happened since our first visit, but I'm really disappointed that this place hasn't lived up to its potential. It's not even average at the moment.
Avoid, avoid, avoid.
Original review:
The Inn on the Pond's recently been refurbished, and our visit happened to be three days after opening.
The Inn's decor and furniture has a lovely warm feel to it, and the management have done well not to be tempted into the trap of going for a retro-rustic feel.
The food is posh pub grub (I wouldn't call this a gastro-pub). Between us we ordered the minute steak ciabatta, the honey roast ham and cheddar baguette, and the thai-spiced fishcakes. All the dishes were excellent, with my fishcakes giving enough of a kick to be noticeable without drowning out any of the other flavours. The chips that accompanied the sandwiches were nicely crunchy on the outside. I'd have preferred them in a thicker cut but to be fair to The Inn they do advertise them as 'frites'.
Service was attentive and relaxed (in a good way), and the staff were very friendly towards my 16 month old daughter. I'm not sure the layout of the restaurant will cope with too many young families, but the lack of a children's menu and high chairs probably shows that The Inn on the Pond isn't really geared towards that part of the market. (Luckily for me, my daughter is quite happy eating normal food that hasn't been dumbed down for children.)
The Inn's currently in a 'soft launch' period -- as The Inn's website puts it, so we do not do a 'Terminal 5' -- and the menu on offer to us was supposedly limited. Personally, I think it was about the right length, and I'll be interested to see how they cope with the extensive menu currently being touted on their website.
Recommended, although I hope this place doesn't become too popular, since it's my local and I'd like to be able to get in without too much trouble.
