Countess's Arms, The

Formerly The Plough at Weston Heath, it has now been completely transformed by the The Earl of Bradford, the well-known restaurateur and food critic, and his partner in this venture, Colin Cornes. To this powerful duo has now been added Patrick Champion, their accomplished young chef.

The interior of what was once a rather glum and dated ale-house has been changed - by the drastic method of removing all the internal floors and walls, and building on an extension - into a bright and lively pub with food. And what food! A good range of straightforward Continental and Modern English dishes are on offer from daily, Monday to Saturday, 12:00 to 21:30, and on Sundays from 12:00 until 20:30, though coffee is served from 10 am every day. From the outside The Countess's Arms looks so deceptively normal that first time visitors are stunned by what they see when they walk in through the front door, so different to the usual country pub.

Served by agreeable and attentive staff, the food has, of course, had to pass beneath the eagle eye of Richard Bradford, whose skills as a chef and restaurateur date back to Leadbelly in Brighton (hands up those who remember), through Porters Restaurant in Covent Garden via gourmet dinners at his ancestral home, Weston Park.

His concept of fun eating in relaxed surroundings of food that has been well conceived, as opposed to just mucked about with, works brilliantly here, and the value for money is exceptional.

A good example of this is the concept of Little Meals, dishes of tasty, imaginative and generous nibbles at around £4.95 each, to go with the drinks in the trendy and comfortable bar area, with a choice of the normal, like Beef Chilli and Salmon Fishcakes with herb mayonnaise, to the more exotic such as Spiced Beef Fillet with Parsnip Couscous or Baked Onion, Tomato and Feta Pastry with rosemary oil. These are also served as Starters in the Garden Room Restaurant and in the Upstairs Gallery.

The Earl, who is by no means unreceptive to digs about the warmth of The Countess's Arms, is, however, careful to draw a distinction between this, his latest catering venture, and the real Countess, who is quite often to be found enjoying this fun place with some of her family of four, who clearly also approve. However, if you try to fall into her arms you may not be quite so graciously received.

The well chosen Wine List has been carefully selected to offer an interesting variety of wines both from the Old and the New World, with the Sauvignon Blancs (The Earl's favourites) strongly represented, from the delightful 'El Crucero' from Chile at a very sensible £13.00 to the slightly more rarefied level of the light and fragrant Jackson Estate, one of the top New Zealand producers, at only £15.50.

Sample Dishes:

Smoked haddock and spring onion fishcakes, horseradish coleslaw, salad and fries - £9.50

Fish of the day, new potatoes and vegetables (£ see board)

Honey and balsamic roast chicken breast, buttered spinach and beetroot tagliatelle - £12.95

Oriental pork loin, charred spring onion and noodle salad, peanut and chilli sauce - £10.95

'Steak and chips' Char-grilled 9oz Scottish sirloin/8oz fillet watercress and BBQ syrup - £14.95/£17.95

For further details, why not visit the very comprehensive website?