L'Auberge
at The Onslow Arms in Clandon,
Surrey
Clifford
Mould found a real French restaurant
in an unlikely setting
 Clandon
is a little village just outside
Guildford, so perhaps you might not
expect to find a real French restaurant
in an olde worlde pub. But then surely
the people of Surrey are really sophisticated
metropolitans who sensibly choose
to live just out of the smoke in
this rural subtopia? The other night
we joined four friends and took over
a rather attractive circular alcove
in a corner of what is quite a large
and very comfortable dining room
in this venerable inn.
The
menu has many of the usual classic
dishes - potage du marche,
a hearty leek and potato soup on
that occasion - Les 6 escargots -
excellent foie gras mi cuit with
a crisp millefeuille of apple to
provide a cutting edge. Very popular
in our party was the soupière
de moules et crevettes en croûte.
When the pastry topping was broached,
a miraculous aroma wafted up. And
when the spoon went in, it dredged
up a wonderful assortment of fishy
morsels. Starters range from £4.50
for the soup to £9.95 for the foie
gras.
Main
courses had principal ingredients
that were well sourced, so for instance
the entrecote grillée was tender
and pink centred, and accompanied
by a carefully constructed gratin
Dauphinoise and a lovely little courgette
flan. The duck breast consisted of
a generous number of perfectly cooked
slices, with a good reduced honey
sauce and a vegetable tart. The plates
were nicely presented without being
fussy, and the portions were substantial.
Main course prices hover around the
sixteen pound mark.
Puddings
all cost £5.95, and the warm chocolate
fondant was a great favourite. Creme
brûlée passed all the tests for crisp
topping, smooth centre and a good
flavour of vanilla. The service is
charmingly Gallic, and the wine list
affordable and interesting regionally.
The
same kitchen serves the rest of the
pub and there are good bar dishes
available every day on a blackboard.
Also there are proper omelettes,
something you don't seem to find
these days, but make an excellent
light supper or lunch dish. Madame
Poulard beware - the Onslow Arms
is challenging the ascendancy of
Mont-St-Michel.
French
leave, in a Surrey village?
Apart
from the good food, L'Auberge is
making some real contributions to
the life of the village of Clandon.
Every few months there's a French
market, with a traiteur selling sausages
and pâtés, a caravan of cheeses,
and stalls selling home grown produce
and products. The chef, Laurent
Malnuit,
gives cookery demonstrations and
courses, so that the local dinner
party scene is prospering as never
before, and to top it all there's Le
cine club de L'Auberge,
which meets on the second Monday
of each month. I went along last
week to see Jean de Florette - the
princely sum of £15 covered a glass
of Champagne and some nibbles on
arrival, the film (plasma screen
and excellent sound), and a two course
supper afterwards. What a centre
of local excellence this is!
The
Onslow Arms, West Clandon, Surrey.
Tel: 01483 222447
website: www.massivepub.com
|
