We visited the Bulls Head for lunch last Sunday with our good friend Danny who had advised that this was by far the best pub in the locality. This was the second example of the "village pub and inn" offering from Mitchells and Butlers (massive pub and chain food operator in the UK) that I have visited recently and it was much more successful than its sibling in Sussex.
The Bulls Head is a nice old building which has been restored with some care and retains plenty of period charm. There is a seating option to suit all tastes so it's good for couples, with plenty of intimate nooks to get romantic in, and it also works well for larger parties. There is a spacious terrace out back for when the weather is a little more pleasant than on our visit.
There was a decent choice of beer on offer with Doom Bar, Bombardier and 6x on the hand pump; all in fine condition, crystal clear and served at a good temperature. B was drinking the house White which she said was ok if a little bland.
With the "village pub and inn" brand it's obviously all about the food and they are trying to attract an older crowd who want to have a meal and a couple of drinks rather than the "wet" only punters. The menu was a bit war and peace which is always a warning sign but our choices were well executed and presented (although for many dishes this means it's, at the very least, part prepared and then reheated). The roast selection, you get a decent size portion of three meats, was pretty tasty although you could easily have shared this between two people.
Service was fine although you need to keep on top of your servers; they are all quite young and seem well trained in avoiding eye contact if they are in a busy spell.
All in all we had a very pleasant Sunday lunch here and we would not hesitate to return. A well-deserved, rather than a grudging, 3 stars. read more
