Sunday lunch that sadly didn’t deliver.
We had high hopes for The Duncombe Arms. It’s got a strong reputation and regularly appears on lists of the best gastropubs in the country – the kind of place you’d expect to knock a Sunday roast out of the park. So we booked in as a group one weekend, looking forward to a proper treat.
First impressions were good: the pub itself is lovely – all exposed beams, smart decor with some interesting paintings and it was busy, whilst still having that cosy-upmarket feel. But things quickly started to unravel.
Before our food had even arrived, we couldn’t help noticing the table next to us was having a bit of a nightmare. Their roast was sent back not once, not twice, but three times for being cold. Each time, it apparently came back just as tepid. In the end, one of them gave up entirely and went to sit in the car. It was awkward to watch, and unfortunately it set the tone for our own experience.
When our roasts arrived, they weren’t quite cold… but they weren’t hot either. Just about warm enough to eat, but definitely not where they should’ve been. Which is a real shame, because the components were decent – decent not brilliant, but not terrible. They did however remember to ensure Kirsty had a well done piece of beef (she was pregnant) which is worth mentioning.
Kirsty had a bruschetta which was nice enough, but Elliot had the wild garlic soup to start, and if you’re going to call something wild garlic, you expect a bit of punch. Sadly, it was really bland – if you’d served it without saying it was wild garlic I’d never have guessed.
This was kind of a microcosm for the whole thing to be honest; the meal just felt a bit flat. Maybe they were understaffed, or maybe it was just one of those days, but it seemed like they were struggling to keep up. Service was friendly and the setting is undeniably great, but the food didn’t live up to the surroundings – or the reputation.
One thing that does bear mentioning is the cheese board. It was a fairly odd selection with a lot of soft and a lot of blue, but this was fine with us! The cheese that was on it was lovely and there was a good amount – e.g. six or so different cheeses rather than the standard 3 or 4.
We’d normally have taken a few photos, but to be honest, between the cold roasts, the table drama next to us, and the underwhelming soup, it just didn’t feel worth it.
It’s a real shame. We wanted to love it – and perhaps we caught them on an off day – but as it stands, it was one of the more forgettable meals we’ve had recently. If we did go back, it’d be on a quieter day, and we’d be hoping for a bit more warmth. Literally and figuratively.
