The Cock and Rabbit, Great Missenden

I visited the Cock and Rabbit on New Year's Day with a party of 5 people. We arrived at the pub with a healthy appetite, having been walking through the beautiful Chilterns countryside. Unfortunately, we left thoroughly disappointed with our dining experience.

The menu is extensive and contains a range of apparently attractive dishes. Only one of our party had the wisdom to choose the traditional Italian food , and he was quite content with his Pasta al Quattro Formaggio.

Most of us ventured into more fancy, and more expensive, haute cuisine. We were left overwhelmingly disappointed, presented with poorly cooked - and frankly quite repulsive - calves liver and venison respectively. Each of these dishes cost �12.90. London prices, but not anywhere near the quality I would expect of a good London gastropub. Bizarrely, a pitifully small salad was presented on each plate in a large cabbage leaf, an unnecessary and rather obstructive edifice to compete with on the plate.

Is it really possible to cook Sausage and Chips so poorly? The member of our party who opted for this traditional pub dish could not have been more disappointed. The sausage was advertised as 'Cumberland' but there was little resemblance to that most delicious Cumbrian creation. The chips appeared to have been fried, and re-fried and fried again, such was there oily texture.

Our desserts were little better, with chunks of gelatine apparent in the recently defrosted Pecan Pie. However, the 3-scoops of ice cream were good, and the chocolate cake passable.

Our bill came to an eyewatering �110, and was presented with no breakdown.

The Cock and Rabbit should slim down its huge menu and try sticking to the fresh produce that is boasted about on the restaurant's website. From our experience, it seems that the basic Italian parts of the menu can be done justice by the kitchen - stick with what you know! Until this externally attractive pub (don't even get me started on the state of the toilets) changes, I would strongly recommend staying on the outside.

3 Jan 2009 10:32