The Prince of Wales pub nestles itself in Hampton Court Village which is full of floppy eared dogs, arty-crafty shops, independents and non-chain shops. Hampton Court Palace is obviously nearby and The River Thames is barely seconds away. The surrounding houses are gorgeous, centuries old, low-slung and white-washed. The pub itself is equally as majestic, very much a rustically-hewn country pub with front and rear beer gardens, wooden floors full of patina with matching furniture. There are booths with olive green banquets if you fancy a bit of quiet. We know where we are don’t we? I’m sure you’ve seen the script before. Happy days.
To lubricate and to nibble.
Ham hock & pea terrine £7.50 as advertised was much more than that. With the loosely packed pork flesh there are peas, pea purée, the acidic burst of piccalli, a rolled ribbon of pickled carrot and earthy cubed black pudding. The chef had a clear desire to make the obvious less obvious in presentation and in taste. It all ate better than it read.
Smoked mackerel pate £7 was a rustic affair served in a miniature copper pot. On the side, there was an uncommon crusty black treacle soda bread to mix things up.
Pea, mint and pecorino croquettes £7 came crisp and greaseless. A side of wild garlic pesto was mild but had enough punch to make its point to compliment the creamy filling. It was the snack of the meal for me. Water cress lent some peppery freshness.
The thick cut chips £3.50 had a nice rustle, were crispy and fluffy in all the right places too.
Verdict
When did I go? May 2018
The damage: Expect to pay £15/25 per head with a drink or two
The good: As you may have noticed we didn’t go for any mains, we just fancied filling up on the interesting looking starters as the mains read too predictably. We gambled correctly as they gave us a really good value meal to remember. I’d come back for sure.
The bad: Everything delivered on its promise so no.
Rating: 3.5/5
Would I go again? Yes
Address: 23 Bridge Rd, Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9EU
Web: https://www.princeofwaleskt8.co.uk
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