Plough & Harrow, The

The Plough and Harrow served as an old coaching inn in the past and was recently restored to become a spacious country pub and eating house, with large open areas and numerous alcoves. It retains its old world charm with stone floors, exposed beams, leaded windows and roaring log fires. With two large patios in the front and rear, it allows al fresco dining almost throughout the year. The restaurant seats a hundred and can cover an additional eighty.

The dining area is decorated with copper, suede, raw wood and leather, creating a pleasant environment made even more attractive by interesting artefacts. The wine 'prison' with captivating barrels and bottles ready for release, is another area that deserves special attention.

The menu offers an eclectic array of pizzas, pastas, salads and steaks. There are also light bites which combine to become a meal. To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, Spanish tapas of Serrano ham, manchego, sardines, chorizo and tortilla, a baked Camembert with rustic bread, Greek mezze with taramasalata with humus, tzatziki, feta and flatbread, or a pizzette with garlic, rocket and Parmesan.

Amongst the starters, touchingly referred to as 'little dishes', there is freshly made soup, grilled asparagus with poached egg, parmesan and rocket, crab cakes with mango, chilli and coriander salsa, or caramelised onion tart. Look, too, for Black Pearl scallops when the market is right.

The salads - sorry, that should read 'leaves' - offer a traditional Caesar salad with chicken, marinated anchovies and parmesan and crispy duck with mouli, spring onions and plum sauce and a more recent addition of chicken and chorizo skewers served with watercress and minted cucumber yoghurt.

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, or the challenging diavolo spiced chicken with peppadew peppers, chilli and tabasco. For those who like to build their own pizzas you can, for a modest sum, add to the basic dish with a choice from chorizo, olives, jalapenos, mushrooms, spring onion, or bacon. Or of course the whole lot, if you're feeling that way.

Pastas include fettuccine with salmon, prawns, coconut, spring onions and chilli, chef's choice risotto, or penne with crab, tomato, and pepperonata. For the big event there is always a fish of the day on request.

The steak burger with Swiss cheese, bacon, relish and fries is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in the quality of this formerly much maligned dish, as is the pork saltimbocca, prosciutto, lemon, marsala and creamed potatoes. For hearty eaters there are good fillet steaks with horseradish mash, and baby spinach.

More information, including full menus, is available on their Website. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.