Merijn H.

Wanted to go here ever since knowing of the Michelin star gastropub concept and I absolutely loved this place. No posh at all, just the best Scottish egg, ham and leek pie and all other sorts of pub grub prepared to perfection I would say. The details, the crusts, the pudding the flavours but also the staff and the wine list show why it is more than the average pub, much more! Highly recommended, even the pub part with some great beers, gins and whisky.

Chantee F.

I was anxiously awaiting my lunch at Heston's pub and upon arriving downstairs was surprised at how casual and traditional the pub appeared. It was well cared for but lacked any sort of fancy decor aside from the Christmas wreaths, thus jeans was a welcome dress for the occasion. Service was extremely off for the entire experience. It took staff awhile downstairs to acknowledge us and seat us upstairs with our booking. Then we waited a very long time for our drink orders and they forgot to bring water upon our initial request. The longest wait was for our mains, having arrived over 15 minutes after our first entrees. Clearly there was something wrong in the kitchen. The pub was busy but mostly cleared before our mains were due to arrive. It seemed like they got their B staff to work the holiday. Thankfully the food was completely on point. The scotch egg was perfectly cooked and the scallops were well seasoned atop a bed of blood sausage and cauliflower. It was a lovely start to the meal. The complimentary bread was good but could have been served warm, as it was difficult to get the cold butter across it. When our mains arrived, we were both happy with the generous selection - braised pork belly with potatoes, sausage, cracklings and a side of roasted vegetables; and a stone trout topped with crispy skin, mayo dressing with mushrooms, celeriac and a side of leafy greens. We were warned about the uniquely prepared Bloody Mary - yellow tomato juice which sounded intriguing was unfortunately masked by an abundance of Worcester sauce, enough to cover the bottom half of the glass. A little less would be preferred but it helped to curb my hunger whilst we waited for our dishes. Overall it's a quaint place that seems like a casual place to grab a beer downstairs or have a quiet meal upstairs. Their service needs work, especially with a reputation like Heston's, otherwise keep the creative dishes coming.

Elisa T.

If you're looking for the usual pizzazz of a Heston Blumenthal restaurant this is probably not for you. But if you're looking for good food at kind of reasonable prices then step right on in. I was surprised how easy it was to book a table on a Friday night. Arriving half an hour early we were told our table was already ready. We ordered a scotch egg and pork terrine to start, the duck and pie for mains and a hot chocolate wine for dessert. The portions are very stingy so it's not somewhere you can share a hearty plate of food or think about ordering just one course but the food we did get was good. The stand out dish for me was actually the milk and cookies cocktail I ordered which came with some pebble shaped chocolates and popping candy. I really wish it was a bigger portion though considering its £10 price tag. The Hinds Head is what I consider a real gastro pub with good food, delicious drinks, and a relaxed atmosphere. Will definitely be back for a fancy occasion.

John B.

Set in the beautiful village of Bray is this quaint little pub . Mind your head , duck ye nut the doors were made for hobbits . Have to say I was a little disappointed that they weren't offering the set menu as per the website . As was the table next to me and the table next to that . Started with the scotch egg of course, be rude not to and tastes just as good as it looks , great start . Home Made Spiced Goose Ham with Foie Gras, Port & Orange . Not sure why these 2 are paired together and not sure if they work . Raw Highland Estate Venison, Horseradish, Turnips and Shallot Dressing which was ok but nothing memorable . Oxtail and Kidney Pudding is a winner , especially on a cold day , bur be warned it will fill you up and leave little room for dessert . Over all service and dining experience was terrific but a couple of dishes were average . And what's going on with the prix fix lunch menu ? Come on Hinds Head is it on or off the menu ?

Michael U.

Items Selected: White Fizz - Chase Gin, Apple Liqueur, Lemon Juice, Egg White, Popping Candy Devil on Horseback / Scotch Quail Egg White and Wheat Bread with Salted English Farmhouse Butter Potted Shrimp with Cucumber Relish and Grilled Bread Smoked Guinea Fowl and Foie Gras Terrine with Apple Chutney and Brioche Hash of Snails Triple Cooked Fries Shepherd's Pie Banana and Custard Quaking Pudding Warm Chocolate Pudding with Orange Marmalade Ice Cream Having joked with my dining companion at The Fat Duck that we should head over to The Hinds Head afterward for some more of Chef Blumenthal's superlative cuisine I'd be lying if I said I ever figured I would actually visit the Michelin starred gastropub and yet with a bitter aftertaste lingering in my mouth after walking out of Waterside Inn it was immediately to the 15th Century pub that I turned, the lone walk-in table in a fully-reserved dining room serendipitously waiting just for me. Apparently once a residence and subsequently a pub before being renovated into a full-fledged restaurant under the direction of Heston and his team it was within moments of ducking my head to gain entry that I was greeted by a young woman and with menus in hand and a cushy seat beneath me I quickly felt at ease, the heft of a room laden with wood and history standing in stark opposition to the pleasantries offered at every turn by a staff so well trained that it could just as easily have served right across the street. Every bit a pub in its styling and offering nearly two-dozen English classics spruced up with techniques dating back to its Chef's earliest days of culinary intrigue it was admittedly with wide eyes and a surprising number of questions that I perused the food menu first and with a 3-course prix-fixe as tempting as the options a la carte a plan was devised - one set-menu and an a la carte section paired with each, plus a duo of meaty yet balanced bar snacks to compliment a clever cocktail amongst the best of my trip. Again chasing away comments from my young server that what I'd ordered would prove to be 'quite a lot,' it was with little delay that my meal began and doing my best to not overindulge on the same great bread from Dinner and The Fat Duck my first course arrived, a duo of spreadable meats paired simply with exemplary condiments plus even more irresistible bread in portions not at all dainty. At this point debating a second cocktail but mindful of what was to come it was perhaps good fortune that the packed house kept my server away and with water kept brimming by back-staff it was not after only a short delay that round two would arrive, the snail-hash tinged in a tantalizing herbal pesto atop yet more bread while Heston's famed chips proved absolutely irresistible next to a textbook Shepherd's Pie served so hot that it required at least five minutes to cool, the lamb inside somehow still a gamey perfect medium. At this point almost happy that my Waterside misadventure had led me to The Hind's Head it was finally in dessert that I partook and although neither may have struck me at first as particularly 'British' I'd be hard pressed to name a better version of either to ever pass my lips; the tired concept of 'lava cake' reinvented into something harkening brownie batter inside a chocolate cookie shell while the Quaking pudding somehow achieved the structure of panna cotta without an ounce of gelatin, the result far smoother and light like the base of a soufflé rather than that of a crème brulee, the later hinted at not in heft but rather by the boozy caramelized banana.

Nic C.

We landed in London two days ago and are still trying to find our feet as the jet lag has taken a series toll on our ability to sleep well. Pushing through nonetheless - the first food destination on our itinerary was in a small village called Bray - probably best known as the sleepy little place that houses The Fat Duck - the number five restaurant in the world (it was number three in 2010 - Spain continues to reign supreme on the leader board). Bray has two pubs and two restaurants - the pubs are both owned by Heston Blumenthal as is The Fat Duck. The other restaurant is The Waterside Inn, which is run by the Roux brothers and is also one of the best restaurants in the UK. For such a fine dining destination it is interesting to note that Bray is literally one street surrounded by green rolling fields. To celebrate being back in the UK we invited WordMonkey's parents and my brother and his girlfriend to join us. And before I go on, WordMonkey said I shouldn't keep banging on about it, but all I will say is AU$40. I will explain more later. Pre-dinner we went for drinks at Heston's newest purchase - The Crown at Bray. The Hinds Head was built in the 15th century and although the building's original function is still the subject of speculation (some say it was a royal hunting lodge, others that it was a guest house for an abbot), we know that it was converted to a hostelry around 400 years ago. In more recent history, The Hinds Head has attracted both the famous and notorious, from King Hussain of Jordan to Errol Flynn and Walt Disney. It has also provided hospitality to the British royal family, entertaining Queen Elizabeth II in 1963. It is said that Prince Philip held his stag night at the Hinds Head before his marriage to the Queen in 1947. It has seen the likes of many a celebrity and hosted the wedding reception for Kate Winslett and (her now ex-husband) Sam Mendes, who is directing the next Bond film. Through the front doors you will find yourself at the bar, where Heston has been known to hang out as he also lives in town. Being winter, there are numerous fires roaring in different parts of the building. Should you have no booking it is possible to rock up and have the barman pull you a few pints while you gorge yourself on Heston's limited but excellent choices of bar food. We were escorted to the second floor I never knew they had and instantly I recognised the room from Heston's TV program Little Chef Big Chef. We were seated in Heston's boardroom in which he held meetings to be told he needed more 'blue-sky thinking'. The room is usually reserved for private parties and important meetings but otherwise the table is broken up and used as part of the dining area. Now comes the exciting part. To everyone I know, including myself, London has always been known to be a pricey-son-of-a-bitch. So my question to you is where in Australia can you go and have a three-course dinner to the standard of a dinner by Heston and it cost less than AU$40? Keep in mind this was offered during both the weekday and weekend over the Christmas break so there was no shortage of customers. I decided upon the set menu as two of the three dishes offered were going to be what I was going to order off the al a carte menu anyway. I was also amazed that two glasses of wine and two pints of local ale which would usually cost around $35 came in at only $15. And this wasn't exactly the local bowls club either. How the hell is Australia still able to trade with these crazy prices? But this is a conversation for another blog post. But what I will do is show the Australian equivalent price. We started with Heston's bar food, which we had previously had on a visit a few years ago and have since ben unable to match anywhere else in the world. Just good basic beer snacks of devils on horseback ($2.40), where prunes are wrapped in bacon and grilled. Not bad, but the real deal is his perfect scotch eggs ($4.60). It is funny how many Aussies are yet to have heard of this dish, but for those of you who do not know what it is - a soft-boiled egg is left to cool, then wrapped in sausage meat, then coated in breadcrumbs before being deep fried. The difficulty is ensuring the egg is still runny in the centre after two bouts of cooking. As you can see this was no problem for the maestro. Heston is one for offering what sounds like the most basic of dishes but then wowing people once the plate hits the table. The bog standard-sounding pea and ham soup ($10) was elevated to another level with the subtle ham flavour in a sea of bright fresh green soup. Perfectly balanced without being too thick and filling as a first course. I have heard much about The Hinds Head tea-smoked salmon with soda bread ($12) and was not disappointed. I received a good-sized serve of salmon, which had gentle tones of tea infused within it. This matched perfectly with the lemon butter, which was spread liberally on the dense - yet thinl

Popped in for a drink the night before and enjoyed the feeling of the place and promptly booked for lunch the next day. We had an excellent bottle of wine and the food was amazing.