The Greyhound
The Greyhound
31 High Street
Stockbridge
Hampshire
England
Tel: +44 (0)1264 810833
Serves lunch and dinner Monday to Sunday lunch; bookings advised; children welcome.
The chef here, Darron Bunn, came from London and was quite prepared for his romantic notions of cooking in the country to be dashed, ‘But it’s the best move I ever made,’ he says. ‘When I’ve had enough of the kitchen here I can go for a walk by the river. In the game season, I have a kitchen porter sitting by the back door plucking pheasants all day long. This is country living and I love it.’ Darron and the owner, Barry Skarin, both have frighteningly impressive cvs - a veritable roll call of Nicos and Marcos and Schragers – but got fed up with the tortuous hours and the sameness of luxury London restaurants, and so opted to work in a simpler environment. Not that eating at The Greyhound is slumming it. On the outside it looks like an ordinary pub, but inside it’s all chunky wooden tables, leather-backed chairs, and halogen lights. The gastropub originators would choke at the linen napkins, Riedel glassware and white Villeroy and Bosch plates.
This is about as smart as a pub can get, but the place is nevertheless relaxed. And the food is brilliant. Risotto of Dorset crab with palourde clams, beetroot and goat’s cheese tart, and Romney Marsh lamb with a navarin of vegetables, are all intensely flavoured, perfectly executed and served without any fol-de-rol. It’s a class act. And a bargain. I’d get there quickly.
