The White Lion, Hampton in Arden

Avoid at all costs.
Visited this pub after seeing it in the good beer guide and seeing their website. First disapointment was finding only two real ales, never mind came here to dine anyway. Moved out the back to the restaurant, got a table no problem, the restaurant was barely half full on a Saturday night, alarm bells should have rung. Menu seemed overpriced, a lot more than their sample menu on their website. Went ahead and ordered lamb shank on rosemary mash with red wine jus and confit of duck in orange sauce, both at �15.95. Sounded good. We were told if we wanted any vegetables there would be an additional cost. Declined the veg, thought that if this was needed it would have come with the dish at that price.
When the food arrived there was no rosemary in the mash, just plain old mashed potato, the red wine jus appeared to contain no red wine and seemed more like a gravy made from granules with no flavour to it, certainly not a jus. The confit of duck was just a roast duck leg, I don't think the chef understands the term 'confit'. The orange sauce resembled the gravy on the lamb shank but with some orange segments thrown in for good measure. It was all edible but not what it was claiming to be. It was just simple pub fayre and should have come with a price to reflect this. I made my complaints known when asked after the meal and was told my observations would be passed on to the chef/cook, I received no comeback.
I won't even start on the cleanliness of the toilets.

6 Dec 2009 09:54