Good in parts - but not quite the finished article

BY JUDY RILEY

But having taken the time and trouble to do that it seems crazy that, on a chilly April evening, there was no roaring log fire blazing in the hearth in the restaurant.

Sitting right next to a cold radiator didn’t help matters.

It is a shame because the dark wood panelling and leaded-glass windows of the restaurant lend themselves to cosy firelight, flickering candlelight and a warm glow of contentment – all of which seemed to be in evidence in the adjacent bar as we discovered when we left at the end of our meal.

Having moved up the road from The Cock at Pavenham a couple of years ago, chef patron Brendan Brokensha and co-owner Susan Walker have brought an international flavour to the The Falcon’s menu.

South African Biltong (strips of spiced, dried meat) sits alongside filo wrapped haggis and Thai mussels.

Gone are the days when it was frowned upon to pass forkfuls of food across the table in order to try a bit of this, that and the other. Sharing plates are positively encouraged now.

At The Falcon you can create an eclectic mix of a starter by choosing from a hot or cold selection served with char-grilled pitta bread.

We went for a modest choice of three. Prawn wontons in filo pastry served with sweet chilli sauce were delicious but indistinguishable from that which could be found on the menu of any decent pub anywhere in the country.

The chicken satay skewers were tender and tasty but the houmous, served up as an unenticing dollop, had a bitter metallic taste.

The rack of lamb, served on a spinach and potato cake, cheered me up no end. It was beautifully cooked and very good.

Shame then, that the accompanying vegetable, young carrots cooked whole, appeared to have got tired of waiting around to be served.

It is to the credit of the Falcon management that the charge for the fillet of beef, served on a large crouton, was taken off the bill with no fuss at all. A greyish slab, it was not cooked medium rare as requested and a roundel of sweet potato served with it was unpleasantly raw.

Happily, the portion of sticky ginger pudding and cream had a terrific taste and was more than enough for the two of us to share.

Oh, and the staff were lovely.

With a glass of wine each the bill (minus the cost of one main course) came to £37.50.