By “SuffolkEater”
We are always somewhat suspicious of places that advertise quite widely and extol their own virtues on websites. So we approached dinner at the Sibton White Horse with a little caution. We needn’t have done. Basically what their Promos say you will get is what you do. And that is good, genuine English cooking.
With the exception of one or two items, like “Tempura King Prawns” (a lovely starter by the way) which are simply good big shrimp fried in a light batter, the dishes here are decidedly English in name and on the plate. Take our four main dishes, for example: Steak & Kidney Pudding; Adnams beer-battered cod and chips; fillet of venison on red cabbage with a tart of vegetables and venison; and roast breast of Suffolk chicken, savoy cabbage, root vegetable, bacon & pearl barley broth.
There is more than good cooking of basic ingredients here – each plate had nice touches to it: for example, putting slices of grilled venison on red cabbage as good as any ever tasted with a delicious little tart of tiny pieces of veg and venison on the side. The suet pudding encasing the rich steak and kidney was a perfect example of its kind.
Other main dishes on offer are: liver, bacon & herb rosti; Confit Blythburgh pork belly: sea trout and crayfish croquette; breast of duck; sirloin steak; twice baked Binham blue cheese souffle; and caramelized onion, apricot & potato tagine.
There are six starters on the à la Carte, including “soup of the moment”, a couple of patés, a bruschetta and a risotto. Some may be expanded into a main dish if you wish.
As for puddings, there are six to choose from. One of our number (he who had devoured the walloping big steak and kidney pud) had three scoops of ice-cream (“Lovely”), we also liked the Dark Chocolate Bavarois with Poached cherries, cherry smoothie and chocolate crumble, the more modest twosome of the four shared a panna-cotta (“Good, but not memorable”).
The wine list offers a moderate and satisfactory selection of good value, like our red Carmenère at £12.95. The dining room is a no frills country Pub affair and the service is very friendly and helpful. Gaps between courses are well timed, as befits a kitchen that is cooking rather than de-frosting or opening containers, which, alas, is what happens in too many Pubs these days.
Summary: Meal for two with wine £60.00 up. Booking recommended. Open every day. Sunday and daily lunch menus. Well commented-upon accommodation available.
Rating: Neil and Gill Mason run a good place here and we strongly recommend it. Value-for-money: very good.
Sibton White Horse, Halesworth Road, Sibton, Nr Saxmundham, Suffolk. IP17 2JJ Telephone 01728 660337 Email: info@sibtonwhitehorseinn.co.uk www.sibtonwhitehorseinn.co.uk
“SuffolkEater” is a four-headed, four-stomached reviewing body, who choose a restaurant, partake of different items on the menu, pay for the meal, depart and write about the experience. The foursome are experienced eaters-in and diners out, and unknown as reviewers to the places they visit.
