"Well regarded oasis a mile or so into rurality just off the A272 near Billingshurst. Plenty of parking, and on a warm evening the nearest entrance is via the open restaurant doors. Contemporary refurbishment has been resisted so there's a bit of a comfy 70's feel inside with the slight novelty of a small farm shop between the restaurant and a tiny bar. Maybe there's a more public bar somewhere else; if so, I didn't spot it. Anyway, I suspect that the main focus is on food, and there were already a few punters at the trough when we arrived early on a Thursday evening. Once we were settled in, we weren't expecting a particularly noteworthy evening. The menu had the usual pub fare, and the two ladies serving seemed rather diffident. However, as we considered our options our (actually very pleasant) server helpfully directed us to the hitherto unnoticed specials board. Upon perusal, I started to get a warm fuzzy feeling of expectation. I wasn't exactly sure what a canon of lamb involved, but it was a special and I wanted it. Excellent choice too. It turned up looking not too dissimilar to a sliced duck breast and was all meat and subtly flavoursome. Supported by mashed potato with small pieces of discernible black pudding and a tasty flavoursome redcurrant jus, so the whole package was a really splendid dish, and a very welcome surprise. Mrs EPR stuck to the menu and clearly enjoyed her chicken and BBQ ribs combo. Nothing on the dessert menu really took our fancy, but we did agree with our nice server that two slices of coffee and walnut cake from the farm shop would be a good alternative option. I admired the creative solution and the cake was just fine. I also liked the compact and sensible wine list which offered a range of affordable options Certainly, our french merlot provided enjoyable lubrication during the course of our meal. So, a good result all round we look forward to our next visit."
