The Hinds Head Ltd
Restaurant - Pub Food in Maidenhead
High Street
Bray
Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 2AB
Contact Numbers
Reviews
The Hinds Head in Bray is a classy affair
The Hinds Head at Bray is a deliciously friendly pub and a rather classy place to be. Like Bray itself, the pub has a fascinating history. It's origins date back to Tudor England (15th Century) and the atmosphere is wrapped up in the kind olde England bubble that it's lovely to dip into every now and again.Now owned by Heston Blumenthal, you'll be pleased to hear that the menu at The Hinds Head is inspired by traditional British fare. The food is very order'able and totally amazing to eat. The specials make the most of seasonal ingredients.A yummy experience absolutely worth traveling for. Whether its for a special occasion or an escape for something tasty.
A User - 10/07/2009 | report this review
When a pub exceeds your expectations
Am I in a dream, so drunk it doesn't matter or I just could be in one of the few pubs on the planet that is the real deal. Fortunately I am in the latter, "the Hind's Head" or as many know, Heston B's pub which was at the end of my 40 mile cycle from London.I simply cannot recall a pub meal that tasted this good. Our table of 3 devoured...Potted ShrimpsPowdered Duck with Fig jam (really) - Winner of the 3 by a noseHind's Head Tea Smoked SalmonLemon sole n CrabChicken, ham and leek Pie (winner)T'bone in triple cooked chips+ extra chips (which are so good it defies belief)British Cheeses which whilst interesting were not earth shattering.I suppose my only criticism is that it is too perfect ! The interior is so spot on that you could be excused for thinking you turned up in a faux pub at Disneyland. Fortunately the food is the real deal.While the Fat Duck menu looked very intriguing from this side of the street, I have to admit I could not have been more satisfied with the fare that lay infront of me. Perhaps I am a simple man at heart.With a business this good it must be tempting for Heston to spread the love and do a "Gordon Ramsay Holdings", I just personally hope he keeps it unique (i.e. 1).
A User - 05/05/2009 | report this review
Something just doesn't sit right
There's something a bit schizophrenic about Sunday lunch at an expensive pub with Heston's aura floating somewhere up on the low ceiling. It should have been easier to love and lose yourself in...but it wasn't.The food seemed to be good, restaurant-quality versions of pub classics. Potted shrimp was fine but was it worth £9? My main of pork ribeye, braised savoy cabbage and Irish black and white pudding was lovely. The pork was an unfamiliar cut but was soft and juicy. Plus I love pretty much anything with black pudding involved. The young lady's Shepherds Pie with lamb shoulder, breast and sweetbreads was delicious, though she was happier thinking that the sweetbreads were the crunchy bits of bread on top, and not some assortment of glands.Treacle tart and milk ice cream was a good way to finish. We were driving so didn't really get stuck into the wine list which was quite extensive and pretty interesting. And I didn't need to with the superb Rebellion Secret Agent Ale on tap. So 1 starter, 2 mains and 1 dessert, plus 2 pints and glass of cheap red came to £70 including service. I don't think we were mentally prepared for the £70 bit...it's just a bit much for a pub lunch without wine.And they put us in the pokiest table in the whole place. On the phone they'd said we'd be upstairs, but had since swapped it round. It was 3.30pm and slowly emptying out. There really was no need. And that rankled a bit. Plus it was a fake candle. I know that it's petty to mention it, but it seemed a bit tacky. Our waitress was genuinely very nice and the food was lovely. We actually had a lovely afternoon, but the pub just didn't do the little things that it needed to to justify that price. We walked over the Fat Duck then to the Waterside Inn just to drink in the menus. £70 wouldn't get us much in either of those i suppose...
A User - 07/10/2008 | report this review
Hinds Head
Expectations were high but we weren't disappointed. The food was of a very high standard. As a large group we sampled a lot of the menu between us and everyone enjoyed their meals, especially the fish pie, blade of beef and all the desserts! The environment could have been cosier upstairs but overall nice decor and pleasant place for a relaxed meal. The service was very good, our waiter was very attentive but I did notice some tables seemed unhappy with their service. It isn't cheap (unless you are comparing it to the fat duck) but is a very nice pub meal and well worth trying at least once.
A User - 03/09/2008 | report this review
Headonistic
I have been cruelly teased about the fact that I have never been to The Hinds Head – Heston's “perfect pubâ€. Cowie snuck off their for a friend's birthday last year and Oli managed to orchestrate a client lunch there recently. Worse still Ed's family are from Maidstone, so he regards Bray as pretty much being his feudal dominion.Cowie, being the legend she is, decided that we deserved a treat. As an alternative to refuelling at Fleet services on the M3 she managed to book us in for a late table on Bank Holiday lunch time. Given the recent rumours that Heston may be on the brink of becoming the head chef at the Little Chef it seemed very apt that we should be dropping in to the Hinds Head coaching inn to change our horses and recharge our energy levels. A glimpse of the future, present and past in gaze through the prism.A major incident on the M4 made our journey a little less relaxed than it might have been. It resulted in Cowie declaring that all women drivers should be banned. An exclamation I wasn't sure I should shout “Bravo†to or point out that she'd be out of a driving job!We arrived on time smirking at how twee and immaculate Bray looked on this sunny lunch time. A very self important man was busy clipping his topiary into the shape of a Mr Whippy ice cream helter skelter. A couple, having just eaten at The Hinds Head walked off down an alley hand in hand and then started arguing ferociously. Or at least, as ferociously as is allowed in polite middle class society.Cowie and I ducked and goosed to get under the low oak door and were welcomed by a charming man in a blue shirt. This friendliness continued throughout our experience – it was the best service I have ever had the pleasure to be on the receiving end of. Nothing was too much trouble, dishes that had been struck off the menu made a comeback just for us and we were allowed to go for a walk between our main course and desert in order for us to work up an appetite again. It just added to what was otherwise a perfect Bank Holiday pub lunch experience.We were lead upstairs and shown to a table next to 3 large families out to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and just being together. It set the jovial tone for the wonderful food that was to come. Our only minor gripe was that we could have done without the curtains impeding in our personal space – a tiny thing, but if you have sat at one of their upstairs tables for 2 for lunch, I am sure you will agree with.Cowie, an expert in the Hinds Head by dint of her one previous visit, ordered us some snacks to keep us going. One of Heston's famous scotch quail eggs each and a portion of devils on horseback per person too. Sweet Mother of God! They are amazing. How they get the yolk to be so runny whilst the outside is so crispy is beyond me. And the bacon and prune chaps were pretty special too. But we certainly didn't need a portion each.Cowie opted for some tea smoked salmon to start with, which came with some slightly set sour cream and brown soda bread. Very simple. But very good.I could have had the entire menu. But it was love at first sight as soon as I saw the asparagus and hollandaise option. Rich, thick, sharp, smooth, buttery and with a hint of cayenne pepper, the hollandaise was majestic. By far the best I've ever had. And the asparagus was gorgeous. Beautifully cooked so that it was soft but had retained an iota of bite I could barely keep Cowie's fork from crossing the DMZ in the middle of the table! The simplicity in terms of what you are confronted with belies the fact that some serious skill has gone into creating something so perfect. Cowie chose the whole sea bass with fennel only to have her heart broken when she was told they had run out. Given that it was a hot day and Cowie isn't really into seriously heavy food the alternatives of pies, steaks, chops and steak and kidney pudding were not ideal. We asked for some more time to think about things. A minute later our waitress returned saying that they had one last sea bass left! Cowie's face beamed with delight. (What a shame the fish was sea bass rather than bream as I could have squeezed a pun in).The bass was so well cooked it was translucent, succulent and meltingly good throughout with gloriously crispy skin. Cowie is a bit of a Philistine and isn't much of a fan of fish skin so it was happy days for me! And the fish was so tasty it kept Cowie quiet for at least 12 minutes. For those of you who have spoken to Cowie you'll realise that if a dish can do this to her it must be seriously good.I fell in love again. This time with my pork chop. Normally I wouldn't have written this in such a possessive way, but I liked it so much I can't help myself! It was juicy, medium rare and caremilsed on the outside – classic Heston. He just loves his Maillard reaction and I love being on the receiving end of it.My chop came plonked on top of the best mash in the world. Soft potato with mustard, capers and cornichons. The sharpness of the cornichons, saltiness of the capers, kick of the mustard and sweetness of the pork transported me into a state I can only describe as nirvana. I rambled on to Cowie, eulogising my pork chop, praising Heston's fabulous cooking, vowing to replicate it myself. Rather greedily we had ordered a bowl of Heston's famous triple cooked chips. I only ate 4. Partly because I was so full. But mainly because the mash was so good it knocked the chips into a cocked hat!At this point we both sighed, looked at each other and said nothing. We didn't need to. We had just had the best lunch of the year. But we were also so full we needed to go or a walk. Half an hour of looking at the extortionate menus around the corner at the Fat Duck and the Waterside Inn was enough for us to muster up the courage to tackle one of Heston's deserts. I probably made a bit of mistake railroading Cowie into sharing a treacle sponge with me. But she compromised and we had two scoops of milk and yoghurt ice cream on the side. She's wanted to have Quaking Pudding, which is an ancient custard concoction that looked really good but sounded a bit weird. Needless to say the treacle pudding was fantastic. But the ice creams were incredible. Sheer genius.Hats off to Heston. He's conquered the world of molecular gastronomy, TV cooking, cookery writing and now he has perfected English pub cooking. What's next? Turning Little Chef around perhaps?
A User - 11/05/2008 | report this review
It's okay
Went last November, and given the hype and the prices, I thought it was okay.I was a bit disappointed when I first arrived by the lay out of the pub/restaurant/whatever you want to call it. The front area when you first walk in is very nice and cozy with an open fire and nice tables, and given that it was a cold November night, I thought we'd be in for a nice cozy dinner. Unfortunately, the front area seems to be just for show, or you have to be some sort of VIP to sit in that area, because, despite having an early reservation and being just about the only people in the place, we were led into the back area which is a rather bland, cold room with bright fluorescent lights overhead. It felt more like a doctor's surgery waiting area than a highly-rated pub. We asked if we could move and were told no. Okay.On to the wine list, which was really rather pricey for a pub. The prices meant that the list didn't really lend itself to exploration, so we settled for a cote de rhone of some sort (or was it a rioja?) for about 35 pounds. It was okay. The lancashire hot pot was actually better than okay, but the overall experience isn't really worth the hassle of having to book ahead by at least 10 days for a midweek dinner. There are better gastopubs out there without all the fuss.
A User - 07/05/2008 | report this review
Not as cosy as it should have been
We went to the Hinds Head for Sunday lunch, taking some family from Australia who wanted a 'Heston Experience' without the Fat Duck price tag. Ok, we weren't expecting molecular gastronomy - the Hinds Head is just a pub after all, but we were expecting an enjoyable drive in the countryside and, based on all of the rave reviews, a pretty decent lunch. At least the drive was nice.First impressions were good, as we excitedly entered the cosy pub, loving the traditional décor and atmosphere. We were lead upstairs to our table, which seemed to be one of the poorer located tables in the place, complete with air conditioning vent blasting cold air onto us. To add to the chill was the icy service - our young waitress was way too laid back and looked and acted like it was the last place she wanted to be. It was the least amiable service I have had in a long time. Her bad mood continued throughout our meal.Speaking of the meal, it was enjoyable enough, but not memorable. We started with some Homemade Scotch Quail Eggs; some Devils on Horseback; and a couple of serves of Pea and Ham Soup. The soup was pretty delicious actually, probably the highlight of our meal.We then moved on to the Rabbit and Bacon Terrine with Cucumber Pickles; the 8oz Rump Steak with Bone Marrow Sauce and Triple Cooked Chips; and the Oxtail & Kidney Pudding. We ordered an extra serve of the Triple Cooked chips to make sure we could all indulge, though they weren't that popular at our table and we didn't finish them - unheard of! For dessert we shared a slice of Chocolate Tart with vanilla ice cream which went down fine. The truffles that came with coffee were nice.The poor service really put a dampener on our experience and I doubt we will return. Although the food was good, several pubs closer to home have offered us a much better all-round experience.
A User - 05/05/2008 | report this review
Fantastic!
This is not a place to go for a cheap pub lunch, but that said, it's not outrageously expensive (three course lunch for 5 with drinks (including wine) and service for £250).The pub has wood panelling throughout and a nice homely feel to it. The biggest challenge was finding the carpark. If you come from the wrong end of town (ie the back road from the A4) there is no sign telling you where the carpark is! I had to turn around and found it easily once I had got past that problem! The pub has a couple of fires in the main room where we were which was good because it was a bit chilly. As for the food: I had the terrine to start, oxtail pudding and triple cooked chips for a main and the chocolate tart to finish. Everything was done immaculately and the service was also very good. The staff managed to strike the right balance between being attentive and non-intrusive. The menu was traditional (as you would expect) but had a reasonable variety in it. I will definitely go back there. It was a great place!
A User - 10/11/2007 | report this review
Mmm, Heston you do spoil us.
The Hinds Head is an historic 16th Century Inn in the famous gastrovillage of Bray. Taken over by acclaimed chef Heston Blumenthal (owner of the three Michelin starred Fat Duck just up the road, and the only celebrity chef named after motorway services) a couple of years back it has changed from a somewhat staid village pub to one of finest food serving pubs I have ever visited.The emphasis is on well prepared, traditional British fare. On a recent lunch visit I started with the goats cheese tart, followed by the 8oz rump steak with marrowbone sauce and triple cooked chips. The goats cheese tart was outstanding, as I understand it the goats cheese is sourced from a local farm and it was certainly very fresh. As for the main, well the steak was excellently cooked and the sauce definately adds to the flavour. The triple cooked chips are some of the best chips I've ever eaten, they veer towards being mini roast potatos really, but still they are excellent too.My companions had a number of different items from the menu and no one was disappointed. The potted shrimps, hotpot and mussels all were very tasty. I really can't put in to words how good the food is.The service was really professional, the atmosphere inviting (not stuffy as few of us had expected) and the wine list extensive, the Argentinean Malbec we had was really good. Not exactly cheap for a pub meal but this ain't burger and chips down the Dog and Duck! Oh, sandwiches and bar snacks available too.Highly recommended for those who love quality British food.
A User - 08/07/2007 | report this review
Leave your review of The Hinds Head Ltd
All fields are required. Your review will appear immediately.
