College Arms, The

The College Arms at Hertford Heath has recently opened its doors. The change of name from The Jolly Pindar to The College Arms is in recognition of its original name - The East India College Arms. The site of the independent Haileybury School opposite was founded in 1806 by the East India Company as a training ground for civil servants destined to work in British India.

It is set in the heart of this attractive village and the spacious restaurant offers a good variety of quality food offering from light lunches to an extensive evening à la carte menu. The extensive refurbishment of the building by Spice Inns also echoes the past history with the inclusion of the Haileybury dining room, an intimate space for couples and small groups. Find out more about that on their Website.

The College Arms offers something for everyone, the main bar is spacious and the contemporary comfortable surroundings make it a great place to meet groups of friends. Families are also welcome with a family room, which opens on to the sheltered garden with a playhouse for the kids. To complement the lively atmosphere the menu has a good selection of modern European dishes, which changes regularly.

The evening à la carte menu underlines this appellation and lends distinction to the work behind the kitchen doors. Amongst the starters expect to find smoked salmon with champ potatoes and basil oil; cray fish make a splendid basis for a light risotto, joined here by caramelised red onion and shaved parmesan. In these sophisticated days we tend to ignore the soup of the day at our peril. It remains a deeply satisfying and comfortable dish capable of great heights.

The humble bunny is back. The flesh must be kept moist and masked, and served here with sautéed cabbage, back bacon and a red wine jus it hits all the right buttons. Good also to see braised ox cheek on the menu with wholegrain mustard mash, enhanced by caramelised carrots and braising juices.

Under martial law at home to eat up my greens - quite rightly - I pay close attention to such matters when out. Nothing wrong with them, but why do we have to work so hard at making them unappealing. At College Arms somebody has twigged that, and French beans, spiced red cabbage, mixed leaf salad, presumably well dressed, and home cut chips all cut a dash that makes one feel positively benign.

The College Arms has the only private dining room in the area, and provides a spectacular setting for entertaining. The room can cater for a variety of events; from dinner parties for up to 20 people, or finger buffets for up to 40 people. They can provide a suitable menu, service and management to make sure your event runs smoothly.

The room is also suited to business uses; from champagne receptions for clients and customers, business lunches to board meetings and product launches. With WiFi internet access and space for presentations, you should find that the surroundings ought to satisfy your business expectations.