Tony Turnbull reviews

Saturday, March 05, 2011 - Devilled chicken livers were beautiful: soft and yielding, their perfectly judged chilli heat tempered with, I think, pomegranate molasses. Best dish of the evening by far. Mains were mixed. Overcooked, rubbery monkfish sat in an indistinct broth and the almonds and aioli that should have lifted it lacked sufficient punch. Lamb chops with squash and tahini were fine without ever reaching the heights of Moro. Sea bream with chilli and coriander showed that the kitchen could cook fish properly after all.

Saturday, March 05, 2011 - The Mall Tavern is the kind of place you leave with a huge smile on your face...Dark, brooding soda bread and whipped butter; artichoke crisps; crackling with apple sauce; salmon smoked over apple wood on the pub roof; goat's cheese with pumpkin seeds; battered red mullet - each plate trumping the one that came before. There's definitely a robust streak to Dunford Wood's cooking, which comes out even more in the mains. Brined pork chop is accompanied by baked beans (homemade rather than Heinz) and bay, which gives it a faintly medicinal edge. Black bream comes scattered with more artichoke crisps.