THE road from Radlett to Shenley is lined with one country pub after another. But none could be as well-attended as The White Horse on the Sunday afternoon I called into the area.

It seems the latest in a long line of Herts watering holes to up their game is certainly attracting attention, and manager Paul Brown is even having to turn un-booked parties away.

Yes, The White Horse is going down very well in Shenley. Unlike the traditional public houses it is surrounded by, this Grade II-listed gastropub is chic, sleek and most definitely en vogue.

A hefty cash injection has lavished it with a lengthy oak-topped bar laden with beers, ales and wine on tap. The boudoir-feel bar area (which you can eat in if you wish) offers squashy leather settees, cosy nooks and log-burning fires, with retro animal print rugs and glamorous girlie pictures dotted around.

The dedicated dining area is awash with chunky teak tables, with plenty of organised and attentive waitresses to tend to them.

The menu is just the right size to satisfy everyone, and covers everything from light bites and sharing platters, to hearty pub grub with a twist.

To start I chose salty smoked haddock and spinach in a cheesy sauce, topped with a gooey poached egg. A rich combination, but the perfectly-petite size of this dish treated me to just a few yummy bites.

My partner opted for a starter portion of the crispy duck salad. This included a generous amount of meat, leaves mixed with tangy spring onion, and a very sweet plum sauce, which made it a little too hard to get to the bottom of.

Main meals at The White Horse include fillet steak with horseradish mash and duck confit with honey and orange roasted roots, as well as unusual pizzas (shrimp and chilli, four cheese and pear), pastas and fish of the day.

I was drawn to the specials list, and went for the pan-fried red snapper with sweet potato. This was a fabulous dish of mild and meaty fish, accompanied by melt-in-the-mouth chunks of bright orange sweet potato, broccoli and a light pesto sauce.

My partner stuck to what he knows, and chose the rack of lamb. Perfect new potatoes, and a rich mustard gravy, but after the fat was removed from the slightly-sparing two ribs of lamb, there was just a taster of meat to enjoy.

The flames, dim lighting and plentiful two courses we had chomped through, pushed my partner and me into declining dessert, but The White Horse has a lovely list of winter puds. Choose from the huge chocolate or sticky ginger and toffee puddings, apple strudel, lemon parfait with shortbread or sticky rice pudding with pineapple and coconut, but I warn you, these are the sorts of sweets that leave you in need of a snooze.

The White Horse is a dash of decadence for Shenley. A swanky eatery, but with an impressive everyone welcome' local pub feel.

The White Horse can be found at 37 London Road, Shenley, WD7 9ER. Call 01923 853 054, or log on to www.whitehorseradlett.co.uk

The bill Haddock £5.50 - Duck salad £8.50 - Snapper £13.95 - Lamb rack £15 - 2 beers £7.40 - Water £1.75 - Total £52.10 (excluding service)

Print

Email this