The Hand & Flowers

Hannah12

The worst, overpriced food ever 19th January 2009

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Bad, bland expensive food, poor service. Dont waste your time or money!!!!

oogywawa at 19/01/09

It would be good if you expanded on your criticisms Hannah12 - it would help everybody to understand how a Michelin starred pub went so wrong.

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oogywawa

Exquisite food, exemplary service 5th May 2008

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The Hand and Flowers and Marlow are good bedfellows - confident in their own skin, prosperous and thriving.

This place avoids all the cliches of the homogenised gastro-pub and delivers the Michelin Star winning formula of wonderful surroundings (stone, oak and low beams), a relaxed friendliness and blinding food. Attentive without being overpowering the host was charming and service slightly on the slow side but the food was worth every tardy minute. The menu is eclectic without being schizophrenic and the emphasis is on cooking simple ingredients perfectly. That's not to say that the flavours are not complex - the jus that adorned my slow cooked beef had been reduced to produce a deep velvety liquor. The poached salmon was equally treated with a delicate hand that ensured that it retained its moiture rather than the oft overcooked variety that sadly is all too the norm. Pork, Pigeon, Rabbit and Duck "Mains" are also present to ensure there's little chance of running out of options.

The deserts are equally assured and the highlight is undoubtedly the Vanilla Crème Brulée which was wonderully fresh & creamy and exuded a lovely pungency that only vanilla pods can. The Dark Chocolate Torte should have been accompanied by a priest so sinful it felt - delivering dark, deep, wonderfully heavy notes to the tongue.

All in all thoroughly satisfying. The tables could have been a little better spaced but I guess with the clammer to eat here they're keen to maximise the number of covers. That probably explains the slightly slower than necessary service but hey - these are piffling inconveniences compared to the elated feeling you leave with...