The Extraordinary Hare

We had visited this pub before under different management and had a great lunch. We were disappointed to find out that the new management no longer offers a lunch menu, only the main menu. Despite this, we decided to stop in for lunch. For starters, we ordered calamari for £9.50, which came with a small portion of mushy peas that seemed to be from a packet, and was not worth the price. We also ordered chicken wings for £8.50, which were plain with a drizzle of soy sauce and sesame seeds, also not worth the price. The steak and ale pie for the main course was delicious, homemade and flavorful with plenty of veggies and gravy. However, the fish and chips were disappointing, with a small piece of fish, few chips, and more tartare sauce than mushy peas. The drinks, a Diet Coke and a glass of wine for £10, were good. The service was sufficient. Overall, the food and drinks were overpriced. We would have preferred a lunch menu with lighter options. The pub is in a nice location.

While visiting relatives, we stumbled upon this pub and were able to enjoy a late lunch. The manager, Paul, warmly greeted us and seated us at a table. We shared a generous portion of whitebait as an appetizer. For our mains, we had perfectly cooked bream fillet, a delicious fish pie with creamy mash, and flavorful faggots. Only two of us had room for dessert, but we thoroughly enjoyed the whisky panna cotta. Overall, it was an excellent meal and we will definitely be returning when we are in the area again.

This was my first time at this restaurant, and I had been wanting to try it for a while. However, I was shocked by the new management and owner. I was surprised to see the owner walking around without shoes, especially in a restaurant setting. When we arrived, we were seated at a table that had not been set up yet. It took 10 minutes for our drink order to be taken - just two cokes and an orange juice. It took another 15 minutes for our drinks to arrive. After our drinks came, I placed our food order - two beef roasts and a bowl of chips, as they did not have a children's menu. We waited patiently for over 35 minutes for our food, and when we asked how much longer it would be, we were told it was on its way. After waiting for 50 minutes in total, we decided to pay for our drinks and leave. It seemed like the new owners were inexperienced, and the staff seemed too old to handle the job - they couldn't even bend down to pick something up off the floor. No apologies were offered for the long wait. Overall, I will not be returning to this restaurant. In the end, we ended up at McDonald's instead.

We had Sunday lunch at The Extraordinary Hare today, it was simply superb. The restaurant is clean and inviting, with well spaced out tables. Amazing food was served by attentive staff, all with a friendly smile. All the ingredients were fresh and not over cooked. The starters were all tasty and freshly prepared the beef was melt in mouth tender, even the Horseradish sauce was fresh and not out of jar. We will be heading back there in the near future.

We came here with for some dinner and drinks with friends after the reopening hoping for an injection of energy to be brought to the area. Unfortunately, it was quite the opposite. We were one of the only tables in the entire pub for most of the evening until some locals turned up later in the night for drinks only, shortly before the pub was closing. This is likely due to the new menu being overly complicated and expensive, and not enough pub classics available. However, the food was tasty and the staff were pleasant, it’s a shame the atmosphere just wasn’t there. Maybe the reopening wasn’t advertised well enough. But some live bands, sky/BT sports or just some events would certainly bring more people in. We’ve put our previous experience down to teething problems and will be trying again a few more times soon.