Reviews - Pub review
A Touch of Novelli at the White Horse, Harpenden, Hertfordshire.
Asked why he's opening a gastro pub, as opposed to his customary luxury restaurants, Jean-Christophe Novelli replies: "I want to bring informality to my diners and cater for everyone in society, with or without money." There is no denying that menu-price levels are quite reasonable here, but then this is also a highly-commercial venture cashing in on Novelli's name in a manner which borders on the tacky. After all, how often does one see casts of the chef's handprints in a restaurant - along with signed copies of the menu on sale?
The cooking leans towards the modern British, but, sadly, what reads quite well and lively on the menu doesn't always translate in execution. Grilled Iberico ham and sweet picarde chicory pancake in an oven-glazed cauliflower mornay (£6.50) sounds intriguing yet is a stodgy and none too flavoursome starter. In comparison, albeit ungenerously portioned, the chargrilled baby squid, salmon and king prawn lemon grass kebab in beetroot and blood orange oil (market price per kebab) works better with the nicely sweet accompaniment of the oil.
Mains fare an equally hit-and-miss fate. The roast sea bream with chorizo oil, spiced baked aubergine and sage and picholine olive fritter (£14.50) certainly delivered a good piece of fish - seafood features heavily on the menu - but it's partnered with ingredients which almost overpower the bream. On the plus side, Novelli's signature four-hour braised oxtail with liquorice stick, white almond and cauliflower mash, and dried pancetta, was an outright winner. The meat just fell off the bone while the mash and the pancetta added to the overall robust taste. Desserts show effort and style at first, yet the mango with white chocolate kirsch and crème fraîche sorbet was underwhelming. and the coconut risotto pudding with roast Szechuan strawberry and vanilla foam is for the sweettoothed only.
The 19th-century pub premises offer a curious mixture of the old and the new. The exterior has clearly been given a fresh lick of paint, while the interior has sage green walls, spotlights and plenty of contemporary wood jostling for space with period chandeliers and beams. Novelli aims to open several more such gastro pubs around the country. But on the evidence of this first venture, the jury is still out.
PubChef rating (out of 10) Ambience: 8 Value for money: 7 Flavour factor: 6 Overall impression: 7 BEERS: Stella, London Pride, Guinness, Foster's, Artois Bock and Rebellion IPA. MAIN COURSES: From £10.95 to £14.50. WINES ON LIST: 15 whites (five by the glass), 15 reds (five by the glass), seven Champagnes. ANOTHER THING: The bread is baked and served in a terracotta flowerpot (pictured, above) with the flour sourced locally.
