8:29am Thursday 31st December 2009
By Nigel Kerton
The Crown, The Parade, Marlborough, SN8 1NE
(01672) 511344
Having once lived just yards from The Crown in Marlborough, walked past it thousands of times and enjoyed many Jazz Festival events in the old inn, I can now say I have eaten there too and enjoyed every mouthful.
New hosts Jill Hunt and Gary Jones have turned this place around and made it one of Marlborough’s most sought after eating places.
The Crown has had a chequered history and used to be regarded as a drinkers’ pub but is now a smart and very pleasant place to enjoy a meal from a fairly wide choice of dishes.
Hanging on the chimney breast in the very roomy restaurant is a beautiful modern metal sculpture of the Last Supper, quite appropriate really because my wife, Joy, and I dropped in two days before Christmas.
We both enjoyed both the food and the ambiance of this refurbished pub and pledged that it would not be our last supper there.
Joy started with crispy fried chicken breast strips served with a Thai salad and a sweet chilli sauce and it was clear from the tiny piece of chicken she begrudgingly passed over to me that she thought it too good to share.
The same for my terrine of ham hock and chicken that came with toasted brioche and a pleasant mixed leaf side salad. All I can say is that it was delectable.
For our main course Joy chose an ostrich steak that came on a bed of sweet potato with a blueberry and cassis sauce that helped cut through the richness of the meat. Not normally a daring eater, it was a surprising choice for her but she said it was super.
I had my eyes on a lamb shank but they had run out so settled for a T-bone steak instead. My past experience of T-bones is that they can be as tough as old boots but this one was as succulent and juicy as any steak I have ever had and came with absolutely super crispy-coated chips and another of chef Gary’s side salads and a dish of rather good pepper sauce.
By then we were both thinking of letting our belts out a notch but in the interests of culinary journalism we were obliged to have a dessert and manfully shared a rather pleasant mincemeat and apple pudding.
With a couple of large glasses of rose (hers) and a small bitter (mine) the bill came to £60.10p.
As we left we agreed that the quality of food set a new benchmark for the many other restaurants in Marlborough and we promised to return before long.
One of Marlborough’s old coaching inns
Limited off road parking
Level access for disabled from the rear car park
Eat in bar or restaurant
Advisable to book on Fridays and weekends
Under new management
Our Eating Out is an independent review carried out by the Gazette without prior knowledge of the owners.
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