A warming glass of homemade carrot and coriander soup was a delicious and unexpected welcome as we sat to peruse the menu at the Contented Sole in Burnham on Crouch, writes Stephanie Mackentyre...
A WARMING glass of homemade carrot and coriander soup was a delicious and unexpected welcome as we sat to peruse the menu at the Contented Sole in Burnham on Crouch, writes Stephanie Mackentyre. It's a restaurant which makes you feel special without any pretence. We both chose from the set menu, which majors on seafood but also featured chicken, and our orders were taken and delivered with speed. The accompanying wine list is also very extensive and comprehensively described. The set menu is available Monday to Thursday evenings at �15 for two courses and �18 for three courses. The a la carte menu was a good mix of local produce and international cuisine. The starters arrived, spectacularly presented and both good sized portions. Mine was the roast Portobello mushroom with tomato and mozzarella, which I enjoyed with a slice of their warm herb bread. Then I opted for the whole roast red gurnard with saut� potatoes and a leek and tomato concass. Not a terribly attractive fish, like an iguana without the feet. It was beautifully cooked but I should have taken more notice of the word 'whole'. From the choice of three desserts I selected the apple and rhubarb crumble, a fitting end to a very pleasant night.The current owners are two chefs, Andrew Hemingway and Hamid Salah, and Stuart Burbidge who takes care of front of house. Closed for nine months prior to its most recent takeover in August 2007, it's been a restaurant in one guise or another for many years.I would have liked to have seen our fellow diners spread more evenly around the restaurant to give more intimacy, however I feel sure the service and tempting menu options are sure to stimulate many more souls to find contentment here.
Useful to knowMy total bill came to �44.95 for three courses, a beer and a glass of wine. This is an independent review, featuring a restaurant selected and experienced by our food and wine editor. The restaurant was not told it was being reviewed.The Contented Sole80 High StreetBurnham-on-CrouchCM0 8AA 01621 786900
Table Talk with diners Maureen and Brian Leather and friends Angela and John Barker
What do you do? We run a Brickwork Contractors business What did you choose from the menu? Mushroom starter, seared tuna loin with nioise salad, and crme brulee How did you discover the Contented Sole? We used to dine here many years ago Describe your dining experience in three words: Very pleasant eveningRate their value for money: I thought the set menu was very reasonable Would you come again? Not sure, we did miss the chef visiting the tables although the men really enjoyed their steaks, so maybe What was the best part of your meal? The company, we had a really lovely time
