The Hinds Head

My husband and two of our friends went to the Hinds Head in Bray for lunch yesterday. I have never been to a restaurant owned by Heston Blumenthal so I was not sure as to what to expect.

The restaurant is in a beautiful old cottage, very cosy. We were early for our table so we all had a Gin & Tonic at the bar. One of the best G & Ts I had for a long time, it came with a slice of orange and a twig of rosemary – the flavour was amazing.

We were then taken upstairs to our table, nice and spacious. For starter my husband and myself had duck, quail and asparagus salad and our friends the snails. Both were delicious, in particular the snails.

For main course three of us had the pork which was divine, it had a really big amount of tasty crackling. It was accompanied by delicious roasted potatoes and amazing buttery vegetables. Our friend had the roast beef which also was declared very tasty. The portions are very big, make sure you are hungry! We ordered one helping of triple fried chips to taste – you don’t really need them since the food is accompanied by all you need which was pointed out by our waitress – but I recommend to try a portion, they are divine.

For sweet I had the Banana Quaking Pudding - heavenly. My husband and our friends had chocolate tart with shortbread and ice cream – also great. We followed this by four very hot and tasty espressos.

The service was charming and very efficient. The bill was a pleasant surprise, not expensive and a very reasonable wine list.

We definitely return to the Hinds Head.
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Claudia - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Monday, April 23, 2012

Went there for lunch today, what can i say??? flipping outstanding...

The pea and mint soup we had was lovely, very nice with bread.

For me though the dish that stood out was my main course, i could happily go back weekly just for the bubble and squeak, outstanding outstanding outstanding. The triple cooked chips were excellent to.

The staff are very friendly and accomodating, very courteous and respectful.

Heston's onto a winner :-)
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Mitch
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, December 23, 2011

Went last Sunday for lunch and we had a splendid time with lovely service from cheerful staff and wonderful food. I'm surprised there has been so many disappointing reviews here on London Eating, perhaps we have just been lucky so far. And I have had far worse food (and service) than here, so possibly they have taken on board people's concerns with haphazard service and iffy cooking

in the past for as I say, last Sunday the staff were knowledgable of the menu and its ingredients, how a dish was cooked, etc. Everything we ate was delicious, from old favourites such as the chicken, ham and leek pie to the finely shredded buttered cabbage with crumbled bacon to the corking Royal Trifle, with its champagne soaked strawberries, custard, cream chantilly, meringue crown, topped with toasted almonds, popping candy and freeze dried strawberries. Scrumptious.
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KikLondon
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Are we forgetting that 'The Hinds Head' is a PUB!

A POSH PUB serving posh pub food and does well enough at that fine thing. A recent trip in early December proved that the place is worth a visit. Our Starters were tasty, the mains great too. athough the lobster was only offered as half portions and said whole or half portion on the menu. The Beef with bone marrow sauce was very flavourful. The potted Stilton dessert was recommended by Olive critics .... personally it was tasty but theres bigger delights to be had such as the choccy orange tart with gold dust and popping candy.

The new female manager is friendly, helpful and accommodating, only one male waiter let the side down by having to be repeatedly asked can you open our champagne! This is a nice place to go set in a lovely village a few doors down from the fat duck, which offers good free parking directly opposite. OVERALL - good food, great surroudings, great dining room atmosphere, lovely setting, not good value for money but would i go back? yes but only for a drink or set menu.
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Lorraine Kouridis Camberley
7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 6
Wednesday, January 05, 2011

It was a visit organised by my wife to take along two guests luckily they were old friends. On arrival we were informed that we had actually arrived a week late and that my wife had confused the booking by ringing back several times with changes.My wife stated that she had not actually done this, we were not believed and our telephone number taken so they could check if we had been contacted at all. Agrieved by this welcome and all within easy listening of our guests and any other patron.From there the service was a shambles and the food not even warm,there were plenty of other failings which i wont bore you with but needless to say a return visit will not be made .i would recommend somewhere that welcomes you and makes an effort to avoid insulting the guests. What a terrible experience.
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mike
1 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Monday, September 20, 2010

Second visit to The Hinds Head and it pretty much confirmed my thoughts after the first visit. Reputation over substance.

The staff are ok and the food at best is average. There are now many pubs turning out food much better without you having to pay the premium for HB's ownership reputation.

It was hot in the restaurant and the waiter said the Air Con was about to be switched on (That was at 8.15). IF they did we didn't appear to get any benefit from it.

We were rushed to order as the waiter said the kitchen was starting to run out of certain courses and then they managed to deliver one wrong and no plates for two others until prompted.

The meals themselves were ok but nothing special. 100% mark up on a bottle of champagne is a bit OTT.

I doubt we will try for 3rd time lucky here. The fat duck may be the best restaurant in the world, but the Hinds Head is certainly nowhere near the best gastro-pub in the world.

Maybe I should drive down to Popham next time!
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Roger
5 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 3
Sunday, July 25, 2010

Food was very disappointing. My friend was given the wrong meal. They took it away and only returned with the correct one about 10 minutes later. Hugely over-priced and very much a let down. On the upside, the staff were very friendly. We won't be going again.
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Natalie Dance
4 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 0
Sunday, April 25, 2010

To keep it simple, the food was a complete let down, the basics were not even covered as both my starter and main course lacked seasoning.

High light for me was the staff, outstanding. Friendly, approachable and caring.

A special thank you to 'Priya', you are a credit to your company.

As this was our second poor experience in the las 10 days we have decided not

to return.
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Mitch
6 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Sunday, December 06, 2009

Our experience was the exact opposite of the last reviewer's. We'd been talking about it for at least a couple of years and finally went last month.

We felt cossetted from the minute we entered the pub, were greeted pleasantly, and went straight upstairs to the restaurant. Service was excellent and we were more and more impressed with every dish, including (as it happens) the grouse, which was memorable. Of course we had to have the thrice-cooked chips and we noticed that every single table ordered this dish, which was superb.

As a result of our meal here, we immediately booked (but had to wait over a month) to try the Fat Duck next door, also owned by Blumenthal. Now we've eaten at both places, we can say that the food here at the pub is better (and MUCH cheaper - the prices are quite reasonable, averaging £15 for the main dishes) than at the Fat Duck which is now £150 plus drinks (although the Fat Duck is more about entertainment than food, and very successfully so).
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exotissima
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Sunday, November 15, 2009

I live in Bray and work in London. We're locals and have been for nine years.

Gradually declining food and service have meant we now go here about 8 times a year, normally when the Crown is closed in the afternoon.

Tonight completely superior and off-hand chat from the barman put the final nail in the coffin. The staff have forgotten they are a pub in a village and instead appear to have focused on their grand reputation.

Really great service comes from humble beginnings every day, every meal and by respecting the customer - whether they are likeable to you or not - with good humour (caveat unless the customer is rude or causing a nuisance to others around them).

The bar here has been a problem since Andy left with obnoxious staff on the whole (not all but a majority). Generally the product knowledge is limited, service elsewhere a bit amateur and smiles are thin in the ground. The turning point was when they threw out the old kidney pudding moulds and bought newer slightly smaller ones about 3 years ago.

A shame and still a massive draw for food tourists but not what it should be.
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J.M.O.R.
4 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 5
Friday, November 13, 2009