FOOD REVIEW: The Lamb Inn, West Wittering

My friend and I travelled there on a very cold, frosty night and were instantly warmed by a friendly landlady, who showed us promptly to our table.

Oak beams criss-crossing the ceilings, tied in with heavy wooden tables, lantern-style lighting and rich red curtains, made the place feel cosy and homely, but the menu and staff boosted life into the building.

The menu looked delicious and included a ‘lighter menu’ option which contained dishes from the main menu but at smaller sizes, as well as jacket potatoes and sandwiches.

For a starter I chose the red onion and goat’s cheese tart and my friend opted for the mussels. My dish was absolutely delicious, combining plenty of creamy cheese with perfectly-rich pastry and an ample amount of balsamic vinegar. This is one of my favourite starters and the dish was cooked perfectly.

My friend’s mussels were of a good size and cooked well, presented in a delightful, creamy garlic sauce with chopped onion and a slice of ciabatta bread.

For main course, I chose the pheasant with mustard mash, baby carrots, and red wine jus, topped with parsnip crisps. My friend picked smoked salmon and dill pasta in a creamy white wine sauce, served with garlic bread. The two large pieces of pheasant were tender and flavoursome and perfectly complemented with the red wine jus. The mustard mash was something I had not tried before, but using whole-grain mustard, and mixed with the red wine jus, crispy pieces of parsnips and pheasant, it was absolutely delicious.

The pasta dish also looked lovely and my friend said it was very tasty. It consisted of fine pieces of salmon and tubes of pasta in a creamy sauce which wasn’t too rich, with very strong and very fresh garlic bread for dipping!

The Lamb Inn is a family-run pub where everything is sourced extremely local and offers a wide choice of excellent dishes to suit everyone.

We couldn’t help but pick out a dessert each, despite feeling full. My friend chose a hot chocolate brownie with ice cream and I opted for the cheesecake. Both puddings were presented and decorated so elegantly, it was hard to start eating them, although once we had, we couldn’t stop!

Although our visit was on a cold, winter night, I imagine the place would be stunning in the height of the summer after a relaxing day at the local beach,

The meal was outstanding and excellent value for money and the staff were all extremely polite and friendly.