FOOD&DRINK

When the gods invented gastropubs, this thoroughly decent, ultra-welcoming Bath hostelry is what they had in mind, says Melissa Blease

Imagine the poshest roast chicken dinner you can possibly - well, imagine. For me (and, I’m guessing, for you too) it would involve a soft, possibly poached chicken breast wrapped around a smooth, lightly porky stuffing that’s most definitely never met either dried sage or a cardboard box. Served alongside it, a wing has been boned and confited to paté -point, but still magically retains a crisp skin. Instead of careworn roasties, there’s a generous disc of soft, creamy fondant potato for the chicken to rest on, pan-fried just enough to add that all-important crusty jacket homage to a dish that is, after all, a Great British Classic, while sweet red cabbage, a silky, light bread sauce and a couple of al dente brussels sprouts add the finishing flourishes to this portrait of poultry perfection.

It was this very dish made very, very real that summed up, for me, what Chequers – the smart little gastropub that revels under the illustrious ownership of Joe Cussens and Justin Sleath, head honchos of the award-winning Marlborough Tavern, just up the road – is all about: real food, realistically priced and cooked to imaginative perfection, served up in proper pub surroundings.

When Joe and Justin first cast their magic wand over this long-established hostelry (there’s been an inn on the very same site since 1776) a couple of years ago, they envisaged a two-tier experience: a well-heeled urban sanctuary serving gastropub classics in the cosy, street-level bar and a fine-dining option available in the elegant, airy but intimate supper room upstairs, with all menus overseen by former Dower House protégé Leigh Evans. But in a J&J establishment, the customer decides where, how and what they want to eat – and as a result, Chequers menus are today a thoroughly democratic experience. Opt for a burger at the bar or a three-course, foodie-flamboyant feast at a chunky, funky table by the fire. Dress up, dress down or bring man’s best friend with you (Chequers gets a bonus point from me for being one of the few Bath pubs that welcomes well-behaved dogs), and expect to be made to feel right at home.

But don’t think that I’m basing my heartfelt recommendation on ‘that’ chicken dinner alone. Starters - one of perfectly seasoned, non-bouncy salt and pepper squid and another of plump, fresh king prawns in garlic and chilli oil accompanied by chargrilled focaccia – both came with a very well dressed heap of fresh leaves, and both dishes were generous enough to constitute a refreshingly light lunch without proving too substantial to be a palate-livening prelude to heartier fare.

Next up, the main course that inspired the start of this review came to the table, along with an equally first-class combination of roast pork belly and crackling accompanied by earthy Stornoway black pudding, roast celeriac and a whole poached apple: a portrait of British winter on a plate, manly without being over-macho. For pudding (and you can’t endure January without at least one treat), smooth, not-too-rich chocolate mousse with homemade honeycomb and macerated tangerines struck the perfect balance between grown-up sophistication and playground whimsy, while the chestnuts that infused a lustrous pannacotta grounded an ostensibly elegant dessert that can often, in my opinion, be just too much gelatinous cream – wonderful. And the final countdown at bill time? Just over £55pp, including a bottle of miraculous malbec.

Now that too many pubs who serve school-dinner mush decorated with a sprig of thyme at a fake oak table in front of a flame-effect fire call themselves a gastropub, it’s truly heartwarming to find a venture that flips the careworn idiom on its head entirely: a decent pub that serves glamorous, gastronomic grub in the kind of surroundings that make going home a silly idea. Check mate.

CONTACT

THE CHEQUERS 50 RIVERS ST, BATH. FFI: 01225 360117, WWW.THECHEQUERSBAR.COM

THE VERDICT Pub perfection - live it up or snuggle down under one bang-up-to-date roof

Copyright Melissa Blease 2011