The Eagle And Child, Stow On The Wold

We stopped here for a lunchtime meal after a nearby pub which had a sign outside saying "food all day" had stopped serving food at 2pm!

The dining area was smart and tidy, and they were able to find a table for our large party of eight.

From the menu, I chose a seafood platter, my partner chose the charcuterie platter, several of us plumped for the steak in ale pie, and one for a cheese ploughmans.

The platters arrived, attractively presented on slate 'plates' but the pie turned out to be a dollop of stew with a triangle of puff pastry balanced on top. The ploughmans was... a ploughmans.

The seafood platter featured crayfish tails, two langoustine and smoked salmon, served with bread. The bread was sliced, and stale. The crayfish tails were frozen, but tasted as if they had been defrosted in the dish in a microwave - utterly flavourless with the texture of blotting paper and sitting in a little puddle of water. The langoustine were no better with a peculiar earthy taste. The smoked salmon was straight out of a packet.

The charcuterie was no better, being simply sliced meats out of a packet. My partner sent her bread back and requested some fresh bread, and did get some fresh. But the "pie" was flavourless too. The ploughmans was... a ploughmans.

Beer? Old Hookey. Reasonable condition, but not the freshest pint I've tasted.

The routine question "did you enjoy your meal?" when answered with an honest "no" was received with indifference by the waiter.

Distinctly disappointing all round, and very expensive too, with the meals averaging out at �10 a head, excluding drinks.

Not recommended even in an emergency.

5 Aug 2009 11:32