Gastro-delightful

Above: The Poacher, Tonbridge

If you are looking for hearty, honest home cooking in a friendly, modern environment, then The Poacher in Tudeley, just outside Tonbridge, is the ideal venue. It manages to be both a bar and restaurant with consummate ease and, judging from my two recent visits – one at lunchtime, the other for dinner – this trendy gastropub is attracting a steady and loyal following both during the week and at weekends.

Bought by family-run group, Cross Oak Inns, in 2005 and launched in style last March after a £350,000 transformation, the contemporary design by Originata includes chunky oak tables and chairs (some stripey, some oak, others banquettes) and contemporary touches such as a zinc-covered bar.

Add in mirrored pillars, pretty chandeliers, a stone-flagged floor and Roman blinds at the windows and you have a really upmarket, country kitchen-style venue for chef Lukasz Wozniak’s creations.

Broad appeal
His wide-ranging menu has a broad appeal, with pasta, salads, steaks and burgers among more ambitious offerings such as our starters of piping hot, Thai-spiced fishcakes served with a piquant chill sauce for me, and my dining chum’s choice of caramelised red onion tart with grilled feta cheese and sharply dressed rocket leaves, which showed a great contrast of flavours.

On something of an onion trail, he plumped for a whole roast marinated baby chicken (“fun sized”, apparently) served with red onions and thyme bread sauce to follow, while I tucked into a perfect winter dish – honey and mustard slow-roasted lamb shank with gratin potatoes, which was tasty and tender.

A word of warning here – we didn’t realise and weren’t advised that vegetables need to be ordered separately, so our ‘seasonal selection’ and wilted spinach followed on a bit after our mains arrived, as we both felt the dishes needed them. So make sure you get your order in on time.

delicious, highly alcoholic roast pears marinated in red wine

Well-judged and presented puddings included my delicious, highly alcoholic roast pears marinated in red wine with the yummy addition of hot chocolate sauce and caramelised almonds, and my companion’s “creamy and zesty” lime cheesecake with a gingernut base and passionfruit sauce clearly got his vote – not a crumb was left.

The wine list has plenty of interest, including a good selection by the glass, and service from a black-clad, mainly young female waiting staff is attentive and efficient under Oliver Goulton’s watchful eye.