The Hungry Duck

We were a party of 4. Two of us ordered the set meal at £18 which is fantastic value. All the courses were delicious, the steak tartare was fresh, flavoursome and tender. One of us had the croquettes which whilst light and fluffy, packed weight in cheesy flavour, lovely. All main courses were eagerly devoured with noises of appreciation. Two of us had the lamb kebabs, one the pork and I had the sirloin steak, peanut sauce and Dauphinoise. I did wonder about the combination but all worries were cast aside. The potatoes, one of my favourite dishes, were absolutely wonderful. The chef had sliced the potatoes so finely they were transparent. They were buttery, soft on the inside with crispy edges. We all finished with the honey cake. It was just the right side of sweet, unctuous with honey and complemented with soft plums. The sponge was light with crispy buttery edges, divine. The service was welcoming, friendly and casual. It was lovely not to feel rushed through the courses which is increasingly common in some establishments. However, we did feel that the staff could have been more pro active in terms of asking about drinks. We were chasing them a bit and noticed that when we attracted their attention, other tables followed suit. It is likely we would have had another round of drinks and coffees. We fully appreciate it is a difficult balance between over formality and allowing customers space to relax and enjoy, but we felt that customer and owner might benefit from more oversight of front of house. Overall though, a lovely evening with really high quality food, prepared with skill and heart.