REVIEW: Bel & The Dragon, Churt

AN AVENUE of colourful rhododendrons lined the back lanes to Bel & The Dragon, in Churt, beautifully setting the scene as the road opened to reveal the restored country inn.

May was the perfect time to visit the venue, just as the blooms were in their full glory, providing a floral backdrop to our drive.

Bel & The Dragon is nestled between Farnham and Devil’s Punch Bowl, offering guests a wealth of attractions to enjoy nearby, including Frensham Common – a large site of special scientific interest heath land of 922 acres, owned by the National Trust, which includes two lakes.

And right opposite the front door of the inn, literally across the road, is The Sculpture Park – the world’s largest all-year sculpture exhibition, with over 300 artists showcasing 600 sculptures.

Guests at Bel & The Dragon can enjoy exploring the 10 acres of wildlife inhabited water gardens, with over two miles of meandering paths.

Bel & The Dragon has been renovated by interior designer Nicola Harding, and offers 14 bedrooms alongside a new bar and restaurant.

Upon arrival, my husband and I were given a warm welcome and introduction, before being shown upstairs to our room.

Rather than a standard number on the door, rooms are instead named after characters in Jane Austen’s books, and I was subtly smiling when we given the key to Darcy.

Inside, the decor was simple but stylish, with neutral colours complemented by teal, and a bookshelf with paperbacks in shades of orange, strategically placed to provide a centrepiece above the bed.

Along the corridor was a cubby where we could help ourselves to hot drinks and 12-year-old whiskey, an added extra that is cleverly offered to make guests feel extra special.

And in our room there was a large bottle of sloe gin for us to enjoy.

I would have happily substituted the gin for tea and coffee making facilities in the room, but I’m sure plenty of others would disagree!

With two large windows, the room was cosy but bright, looking out on to the outside garden areas.

We decided to enjoy a drink outside, while the sun was still out, before heading to the restaurant.

Others were also making the most of the warm evening, while children happily ran around on the grass.

The venue has a clay pizza oven in the garden – a novel feature which was generating some delicious smells, making us hungry for dinner.

As the temperature dropped we took our drinks inside and selected a comfy sofa to sit on.

Many pubs attempt to create a home-from-home, but Bel & The Dragon has got it spot on.

The decor is like something from the pages of an interior design magazine, with furniture carefully selected and placed to create a feeling of sitting in the living room of someone with exceptional taste.

I admired with slight jealously some of the beautiful furnishings, and was inspired to give my own home a complete revamp.

It was time to head to the restaurant, which was set out in an equally appealing way, with each square table decorated with a jam jar full of red flowers, and lamps covered in pretty fabric providing just enough lighting.

Clearly much time and effort had gone into creating a great first impression.

A waitress came over and introduced herself, informing us that she would be looking after us for the evening.

She had an in-depth knowledge of the menu, and explained with enthusiasm the specials offered that day.

The restaurant has a new open kitchen, allowing diners to see the chefs working, but without being too much of a distraction.

For my starter I chose seared Scottish scallops with pea puree and pancetta.

My husband selected Shetland mussels in a cider and bacon broth with crusty bread.

The huge juicy scallops were perfectly cooked, and I savoured each delicious mouthful.

The flavours made for an irresistible combination and the crispy pancetta offered an alternative complementary texture.

I could have easily eaten the dish as a main course, although it fulfilled its obligation as a starter – to whet the appetite for the main event!

I managed to persuade my husband to part with a mussel, which were the largest I think I’ve ever seen.

We agreed the dish was extremely tasty, and had we not been in a restaurant, I’m sure my husband would have picked up the bowl and slurped the sauce from within!

My starter was priced at £12, while the mussels were £8, which was reasonable considering the quality.

For my main, I selected one of the special options – chateaubriand, having been tempted by the waitress’ description of the dish.

Although it was pricy at £33, having been impressed with the starter I was confident it would live up to expectations, created by the waitress who had assured me it was amazing.

My husband chose roasted suckling pig with crispy crackling and spiced apple chutney, which was £19.

Both arrived on wooden boards, which, although not very practical when pouring the sauces in accompanying jugs, made for an attractive presentation.

My steak was pink in the middle – just how I like it – and juicy on the inside, exactly as had been described.

The generous portion included irresistible triple cooked chips, a medley of vegetables, including some unusual varieties such as samphire, and vine tomatoes.

I wasn’t disappointed – and there were enough chips to sacrifice a few for my husband, who was just as content with his course.

By this point, we were pretty full, but were determined to share a dessert.

We opted for chocolate and honeycomb mousse with raspberries and popping candy, thinking this would be a light choice following a big meal.

We were wrong – the mousse was rich and thick, rather than light and airy.

Although I could only manage a few mouthfuls, it was divine, and I wished I had space for more.

Thankfully, breakfast the next morning was a simple affair, with either bacon rolls or scrambled eggs on toast on offer rather than a full English.

At least we could walk off our over-indulgence in the sculpture park.

*Accommodation and food provided by Bel & The Dragon.