Black Boys Inn (Berkshire)
Ambience
Cuisine
Cuisine
Service
Value for Money
Value for Money
Black Boys Inn Exterior
Black Boys Inn Interior 1
Black Boys Inn Interior 2
Black Boys Inn Dish
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After a extremely pleasant day recently watching athletic chaps row up and down the Thames during the Henley Regatta, a couple of weeks later I decided to pop down the road to Hurley to check out a recommendation that had been made by my regatta host.
"Forget Henley" he said "other than the Hotel du Vin it's mostly overpriced or chain restaurants serving very average food". I'm not sure I'd agree (actually, there are one or two pretty good restaurants in the area) but nevertheless went for his recommendation and booked a table at the very non-PC named Black Boys Inn.
Now it's a toss-up whether the Black Boys is a small hotel with a restaurant or a restaurant with eight bedrooms 'of individual style and character' (their description); many with original features and gen-u-ine beams in what are described as either The Stables or The Carriage House. Whatever it is, this 16th century 'central-casting' restaurant/hotel is a lovely place to eat, with stunning views across the Chiltern Hills (note for twitters: red kites - whatever they are - can occasionally be spotted circling overhead).
The restaurant is light and airy and very comfortable. It has none of that "we went down to IKEA and kitted the restaurant out in half a day" look so often found in country restaurants who want to go all modern. Nor was it 'ye olde country inne' look with thirty years worth of fag ash ground into the carpet. It was...well, just comfortable.
BBI make great play of the fact that they source a lot of their food from local specialists (although I'm not sure that the fresh fish delivered overnight from Newlyn in Cornwall can be described as 'local'). Nevertheless they seem to be very proud (as well they might) of their Welsh Salt Marsh lamb, Gloucestershire Old Spot pork and local crayfish.
Now I make it a rule never to invite anyone to dinner who's on a diet. What's the point? He (or normally, she) is going to end up ordering a lettuce leaf and a glass of water and I'm going to end up reviewing one meal only. So I was quite pleased when an old school chum I'd planned on inviting said he was on a diet and I took the wife instead.
Our order was taken by someone I took to be the owner who went through all the dishes explaining what they were American style. You know the "tonight sir the chef's specialty is the roasted Idaho potato turd, braised with honey-infused calf's spittle" routine, usually at break-neck speed. Whenever that happens I usually ask the waiter after he has gone through his spiel what the dish was in the middle. He or she can never remember and has to go through the whole thing again. Not so at the BBI. Care, attention and a real desire to carefully explain dishes so that we made the right choices, was obvious.
Given that crayfish was in season I chose the Crayfish Salad with a lemon dressing while my wife chose Salcombe Crab Mayonnaise. Both were light, fresh and easy on the palate - perfect starters for a warm summer evening. We were both in a fishy mood so we followed that with pan roasted Halibut with vine tomatoes, herbs and shallots, and Grilled St Peter's Fish (John Dory) with a light Provencal stew. To finish we shared what tasted very much like home-made sorbet (I forgot to ask) although I was tempted by the Cherry soup with vanilla ice cream.
All in all we found the Black Boys Inn a very enjoyable and civilised experience. Thankfully, there were no coach parties (so often the case with country restaurants) and not a tattoo in sight to spoil the evening - although there was a table of suspicious looking elderly gentlemen in suits and ties (who my wife told me were local Rotary Club or Round Table or something - although I haven't a clue how she knew).
Just an hour from central London, the Black Boys Inn is a great place to enjoy good food, in a lovely setting at sensible prices. About £75 for two with wine and service. And if you want to stay the night rooms are from £65, including a proper English breakfast.
Now it's a toss-up whether the Black Boys is a small hotel with a restaurant or a restaurant with eight bedrooms 'of individual style and character' (their description); many with original features and gen-u-ine beams in what are described as either The Stables or The Carriage House. Whatever it is, this 16th century 'central-casting' restaurant/hotel is a lovely place to eat, with stunning views across the Chiltern Hills (note for twitters: red kites - whatever they are - can occasionally be spotted circling overhead).
The restaurant is light and airy and very comfortable. It has none of that "we went down to IKEA and kitted the restaurant out in half a day" look so often found in country restaurants who want to go all modern. Nor was it 'ye olde country inne' look with thirty years worth of fag ash ground into the carpet. It was...well, just comfortable.
BBI make great play of the fact that they source a lot of their food from local specialists (although I'm not sure that the fresh fish delivered overnight from Newlyn in Cornwall can be described as 'local'). Nevertheless they seem to be very proud (as well they might) of their Welsh Salt Marsh lamb, Gloucestershire Old Spot pork and local crayfish.
Now I make it a rule never to invite anyone to dinner who's on a diet. What's the point? He (or normally, she) is going to end up ordering a lettuce leaf and a glass of water and I'm going to end up reviewing one meal only. So I was quite pleased when an old school chum I'd planned on inviting said he was on a diet and I took the wife instead.
Our order was taken by someone I took to be the owner who went through all the dishes explaining what they were American style. You know the "tonight sir the chef's specialty is the roasted Idaho potato turd, braised with honey-infused calf's spittle" routine, usually at break-neck speed. Whenever that happens I usually ask the waiter after he has gone through his spiel what the dish was in the middle. He or she can never remember and has to go through the whole thing again. Not so at the BBI. Care, attention and a real desire to carefully explain dishes so that we made the right choices, was obvious.
Given that crayfish was in season I chose the Crayfish Salad with a lemon dressing while my wife chose Salcombe Crab Mayonnaise. Both were light, fresh and easy on the palate - perfect starters for a warm summer evening. We were both in a fishy mood so we followed that with pan roasted Halibut with vine tomatoes, herbs and shallots, and Grilled St Peter's Fish (John Dory) with a light Provencal stew. To finish we shared what tasted very much like home-made sorbet (I forgot to ask) although I was tempted by the Cherry soup with vanilla ice cream.
All in all we found the Black Boys Inn a very enjoyable and civilised experience. Thankfully, there were no coach parties (so often the case with country restaurants) and not a tattoo in sight to spoil the evening - although there was a table of suspicious looking elderly gentlemen in suits and ties (who my wife told me were local Rotary Club or Round Table or something - although I haven't a clue how she knew).
Just an hour from central London, the Black Boys Inn is a great place to enjoy good food, in a lovely setting at sensible prices. About £75 for two with wine and service. And if you want to stay the night rooms are from £65, including a proper English breakfast.
