REVIEW: The Sun Inn, Dummer (From Basingstoke Gazette)

REVIEW: The Sun Inn, Dummer

1:00am Monday 17th October 2011 in Taste and Tell By Mark Jones

The Sun Inn, Dummer

01256 397234

Suninndummer.com

WINNING awards can be a double-edged sword, for with great success comes great expectations.

And so I was somewhat apprehensive as my wife and I headed to The Sun Inn at Dummer. You see, my wife is a real foodie and has high standards and expectations when it comes to all things culinary.

For my part, I had unintentionally built up the expectation level by telling her how well chef Justin Brown and his team have done in the last couple of years. Awards and a reputation for fine food have really put the venue on the map.

It was no surprise that on the Saturday night of our visit the gastro pub and bar was very busy.

A warm and friendly welcome was followed by a relaxed opportunity to peruse the menu while enjoying a selection of home-made breads. For the starter, I went for the pan seared Cornish scallops, which were accompanied by textures of cauliflower and pea shoots. The scallops were divine – perfect texture and taste – as good as any I have ever tasted.

Over the other side of the table, my wife had gone for the Evesham tomato, buffalo mozzarella and basil salad, with 12-year-old balsamic vinegar. For her, it promised more than it delivered. She thought it was good but that the tomatoes, in particular, lacked the wow (or rather Italian) factor.

Fish fan that I am, I decided to select one of Justin’s signature dishes for a main – the Alton Pride battered day boat Cornish pollock, accompanied by home-made triple cooked chips, crushed peas and pea shoot salad.

The high-grade fish and chips certainly lived up to their promise. The fish and batter were cooked to perfection as were the chips. Delicious.

My wife went for the double cooked shoulder of Hampshire lamb. While the tower of meat was certainly tasty, the red wine jus was a little weak for her palate.

For dessert, I enjoyed the home-made sticky toffee pudding, sticky toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream. My wife’s choice was the white chocolate and raspberry creme brulee, which was creamy and indulgent in equal measures, the caramelised coating being a real winner.

While we both enjoyed our meals at slightly different levels, we did agree that the section where we were seated would benefit from a different ambiance. For us, the carriage lights on the white walls made for a somewhat stark setting which hindered rather than enhanced the experience.

Overall, though, this was a good night out. The service of the friendly and attentive staff was excellent, and at nearly £85, which included four glasses of wine plus a bottle of water, we felt that it was money well spent.