Who would drive an hour and a half out of London just to eat a splendid meal, one of the country's best - we'd eaten there before - we would, when we were offered one of their tasting menus, which work out a good price compared to a la carte. Spinning out of London along the M4 motorway in September sunshine, we admired the green belt, the green trees and fields of trees, towards Hungerford. Just after the Welcome to Wiltshire sign we saw another sign to Little Bedwyn. The road narrows like a tunnel between hedges into a funnel, twisting and turning, passing the canal which is crossed by small humpback bridges, bordered by static barges and a towpath, the only movement being small brown bobbing ducks.
Was it worth the drive? Yes. Other diners were enjoying shellfish from the a la carte menu, but I'm allergic to shellfish. My amuse bouche of a small cup of sweetcorn soup had not been adulterated nor enhanced by the crab which the others enjoyed.
The made in the house bread was two sorts, tomato, or seaweed. Both well flavoured. In fact the bread is best enjoyed eaten alone, so as not to swamp the flavour of the 'soup'.
This is the yellow sweetcorn soup with the orange crab in the centre. The amuse bouche.
The menu and the starter of salmon with cucumber sorbet.
Notice the lovely layout of the spoon between the two knives.
Two red wines (choices of different people) matching the main course of venison.
The matched tasting wines were £15 for 3 glasses.
Blackberry dessert.
The Harrow at Little Bedwyn
Marlborough
Wiltshire
SN8 3JP
Tel: +44 (0) 1672 870 871
email: reservations@harrowinn.co.uk
www.theharrowatlittlebedwyn.com
