
My recent attempts to find a good Sunday lunch have not been overly successful, mixing up poor cooking with inadequate service to achieve an overall fail. For some places, the Sunday roast is a deviation away from their normal fare that is probably best not tried, but it occurred to me that a chop house run by a top notch British chef has the best chance of getting it right.
The menu this Sunday lunchtime offered a fair assortment of appealing dishes as well as some other cryptic ones (Heaven & Earth - what on earth?). For starters, there are oysters of course, a beets dish, a mushroom dish and brunch style starters including a game bird hash with a Burford Brown fried egg, which I simply had to order.
I did and at the time I was quite delighted with it. Only minutes ago however did I look at the receipt and realise they had badly over charged me. On the menu at £9.95, I was billed at £14.95 so now I'm a little bit upset.
The blog was going to say that service had mostly redeemed itself compared to my previous visit, friendly, though with fluctuating levels of knowledge (the couple at the next table stumped the waitress by asking for a tawny port, but the waitress did know that the game bird hash consisted of mallard, partridge and grouse). Service being friendly and attentive, I was nevertheless happy with my visit at the time. Discovering now that I had been overcharged for this, it has once again cast HIX restaurants in a poor light for me and diminished my desire to return.
The main course itself was very good, the beef truly excellent. The Yorkshire pudding was decent and there was an appropriately sized gravy jug. Sides were excellent and the food plentiful. This was then a good Sunday roast. Just a shame then they couldn't get my bill right.
Post script: HIX Oyster & Chop House subsequently got in touch and have refunded the overcharged amount.