At last - river setting finally gets the restaurant it deserves

THE EMBANKMENT HOTEL, THE EMBANKMENT, BEDFORD

BY SUE BRICKAY

The wonder is that it's taken so long.

One of the finest - and one of the very few - commercial spots on Bedford's riverside has at last got a restaurant to complement its magnificent location.

In recent years The Embankment Hotel has suffered from shamefully serious neglect. The bar is still shabby - enter from the car park and you might want to turn right round and walk out again but a dynamic change of ownership augers well. Within the next couple of months a muchneeded facelift is due to take place.

Andrew Coath, the award-winning new owner, has already worked his magic on two other pubs locally; The Black Horse at Woburn and The Swan in Salford. Both now have a reputation for excellent food and a warm welcome for customers.

The welcome at The Embankment is definitely up to scratch.

I should say here that, at Bedfordshire on Sunday, when we book into a restaurant with the intention of writing a review, we do not say who we are or why we're there. We want to have the same experience - good or bad - that anyone else might find. We always pay our bill at the end of the meal and, it's only some time later if we need a photograph or more information, that we acknowledge that we have paid a visit.

Back to The Embankment.

The refurbishment in what was the carvery restaurant is basic - the swirly patterned carpets have been ripped out, the thick, dusty old curtains have been ditched. Paintwork has been refreshed, wooden flooring laid and the view across the river has been revealed in all its glory.

A few easy chairs have been added in which to sit and mull over the menu with a glass of - in our case - something pink, light and fizzy; the greenery of the potted plants sets off the plain dark wood tables.

If you like your waiters formally-dressed, you could be in for a disappointment. These guys would look at home serving sundowners in an Australian beach bar. But their amiable, laidback style in no way detracts from the efficient service.

Chef Christophe Perney trained with the Michelin-starred Joel Robuchon in Paris. You can tell. There is understated class in what is not an overly fussy menu.

Avocado Timbale is a simple enough starter, sure, and the Tian of crab and prawn is more a matter of clever assembling than wizard cooking but both dishes were perfect; fresh, delicious and beautifully presented.

I struggle with the size of main course portions if I have a starter. So, oh what joy to eat in a restaurant that allows me to choose a startersized main course at a starter-sized price. Bring on the pork belly cooked in cider and honey with creamy mash. It was plenty big enough for me and a meal that I would happily go back and eat all over again.

Venison can so often be dry yet in danger of drowning in a thick gloopy sauce. The cut of meat placed in front of Mr Brickay was a perfectly cooked, tender chop and once again, served with that to-die-for mashed potato and crisp seasonal vegetables.

A glass of a very acceptable fruity merlot didn't break the bank or the drink-drive laws and was an excellent accompaniment to both meals.

The menu is reassuringly restrained in size with a couple of extra daily blackboard specials so there's no worry that an over-ambitious list will lead to short-cuts and re-heated food. And there's nothing wildly unusual about the dishes.

What The Embankment does offer is good quality ingredients, imaginatively prepared and beautifully cooked, served in a lovely, relaxed atmosphere.

A light and fruity creme brulee and a perfect sticky toffee pudding later we ask for the bill.

It comes to around £65 for the two of us, with drinks.

Eating out at The Embankment I have the strange feeling that I am not in Bedford. There is something about the experience that makes me feel as though I am on holiday.

Once the refurbishments in the hotel are complete - and if the restaurant continues to go from strength to strength - it could well be a bonzer of a place to take a short break.