Ferry, The

The Ferry opened on Sutton Road in 2005 after a refurbishment and is today a warm, cosy pub with deep leather seating and teak furnishings. Its subtle lighting and spacious layout give it a comfortable and unpretentious ambiance. Expect to find no one single cuisine, but a blend designed to provide something for everybody, no matter what their tastes may be. Service is cheerful, brisk and totally in keeping with the friendly nature of a good English public house.

Modern day pubs usually share a number of characteristics and an important feature is space, preferably a restaurant where you are comfortable, not over-awed, and not sharing elbow space with the next table, however sociable they may be. Good, too, to have a garden, in this case a riverside one adjacent to the bridge at Cookham, and by no means least a roomy and well-stocked bar where you can actually get served without undue delay. After all, drinking should be taken seriously.

If a pub offers all of these, and is in a good location, there is little reason in today's economic climate why it should not flourish. The Ferry provides ample evidence that this is true. But of course there are other factors, not least of which is the food and drink. The term 'gastropub' covers a multitude of blessings and it is possible to see influences of brasserie, bistro, restaurant and even café at work within the great gastro umbrella.

To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, baked Camembert with rustic bread, Greek mezze of taramasalata with humus, tzatziki, feta and flatbread, or a pizzette with garlic, rocket and Parmesan. Amongst the starters, there is baked French onion soup with gruyere cheese, smoked haddock with bubble and squeak, seared pigeon with roasted beetroot or red onion and apple tarte tatin with rocket. The salads - sorry, that should read 'leaves' - offer chicken Caesar with marinated anchovies and parmesan, for the seafood fiends some seared prawns, chorizo and baby spinach or Dolcelatte, honey roast pears, chicory and walnut salad.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; expect to find a classic Margherita of tomato, mozzarella and basil, another with pepperoni, chorizo and jalapeno. Pastas include spaghetti with salmon, peas, spinach and cream or chef's choice risotto.

For the big event, there is always a fish of the day on request. The line caught swordfish with warmed salad of pak choi, shitake mushrooms and mango is worth trying too. The lamb burger, which has risen from the confines of fast food chains, carves a niche for itself on the menu and comes with minted Greek yoghurt and frites. For hearty eaters there are good fillet steaks with flat mushroom, pate and mash. A wide range of supporting dishes includes Belgian frites, creamed potatoes and green beans. For desserts resort to the blackboard, where there is always a good display, often with some of the local cheeses to set the buffs alight.

The Ferry stocks a wide range of beers, both well-loved draught ales and bottled from further afield. The wine list covers plenty of territory from traditional clarets to Pinot Grigio, and champagne by the glass or bottle is always available.

Their excellent Website will keep you up to date on any changes. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.