The White Horse, Bearsted Green

As we approached the glass doors of the 16th Century White Horse in Bearsted, I have to admit, my heart sank slightly. The refurbished White Horse has guenuinely retained its character.
The modern alterations have even added some class of their own. G;ass walls and inset spotlightsmeet original beams and rustic touches to create a warm and sophiticated atmosphere. Canny use of space means lots of diners can be accommodated on the two mezzanine floors above the bar, without it ever feeling crowded.
With cassualy dressed drinkers enjoying a chat in the comfortable bar area, while smart diners enjoyed an evening meal upstairs, The White Horse offers great versatility.
We were seated in the smaller area uo in the rafters, where the dimmed lights and soft music created a relaxing ambience. It was surprisingly busy for a wednesday night and there was a good buzz about the place.
The tangy oil dip that accompanied the crusty bread was tasty, if a little too more-ish.
So Generous, for the starters, i chose the caramelised onion tart with goats cheese and oven dried tomatoes, wich was delicious. My husband ordered the thick and creamy mushroom soup. For someone who is not a big mushroom fan, he was immediately smitten.
Our main courseswere delivered swiftly and in sensibly- sized portions. My spaghetti had generous chunks of bacon and was creamy without becoming stodgy. His large ribeye steak was cooked to perfection, as he told me through juicy mouthfuls.
We finished off the meal with a toffee and ginger pudding with clotted cream, wich could possibly be as close to heaven on a plate as one could get. Light and sweet without beeing sickly, it was a welcome change of the solid mass often served in other country pubs.
On the whole, The White Horse offered a surprising and delightful twist on the traditionnal pub/restaurant. The best surprise of all was the bill, with three courses and drinks adding up to less than �45.
One of the trials of visinting village pubs can be parking, but the White Horse has a good sized car park, wich makes the post-meal waddle to the car much less of an ordeal. We were served by a friendly staff, and would highly recommend this place as the best venue in Kent.

21 Oct 2007 07:11