Nestling just outside Wimborne, on a quiet country lane, you will find the beautifully presented Horns Inn with the new landlady Lori at the helm.
Claire and I were invited there to sample some of the wholesome freshly cooked culinary delights they have to offer. Being a Wednesday night we arrived early to find a happy band of locals already propping up the bar.
We took a table in the bar and being a dog friendly pub, we took our elderly collie cross Tilly with us. She loves nothing more than a visit to her local pub, and wasn’t disappointed as there is a jar of doggy treats on the fireplace for the four-legged visitors.
I mulled over the menu board with a pint of Firkin Fox for me and a glass of dry white for Claire. Selections made, we didn’t have to wait long for the food to arrive.
I chose the Horns Burger, which was a good sized pattie made of pure beef and adorned with cheese, bacon and onion rings and accompanied by a beautifully flavoured caramelised red onion relish and coleslaw with a side of hand-cut chips. The meat just melted in the mouth, the relish gave it a real zing, and the portion was more than enough to satisfy anyone.
Claire being a vegetarian chose the Spicy Tomato and Goats Cheese Tart with jacket potato and mixed salad. The tart was full of flavour and the flavours combined together well, with the strong taste of the goats cheese coming through, all served on a crisp bed of pastry. The jacket potato was cooked to perfection with a crispy skin and fluffy inside, so good that Claire even said, “That was a quality spud.”
For pudding, we both chose the Chocolate Marquis with Vanilla ice cream. We agreed it was the best pudding we have ever tasted. The deep biscuit base and the creamily textured filling was amazing and really gave you that ‘mmm’ moment.
All in all it was a wonderful selection of freshly cooked food and the surroundings of the newly repainted bar with the quirky cow drawings on the walls made a thoroughly pleasant evening which I would be happy to repeat anytime.
By Russell Harness © 2013
