Pub website:

https://www.emberinns.co.uk/nationalsearch/southeast/the-village-inn-southampton#/

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Review at a glance:

Choice of menu: Fussy eater approved, some veggie and vegan options, gluten-free needs work

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Every pub crawl has to start somewhere. For us it started at The Village Inn, a lovely pub in Park Gate, Southampton, nestled next to a busy road but somehow still peaceful.

And you know what? With the great food, a clear day, and still riding the high of England winning the Euros for the second time on the trot; it was a really good start.

Grub’s up – what we had:

The fussy eater ordered: A chargrilled chicken breast

The fussy eater is so called because there isn’t much she’s happy to eat except chicken, and if that chicken is cold then there’s no chance. 

Good thing it wasn’t, then.

In fact it was slightly smoky and still juicy, the chargrill really coming through and leaving a nice aftertaste. The chips and peas weren’t standout but it was all brought together with the tangy BBQ sauce.

The veggie ordered: Halloumi and chips

Let’s be honest, with a vegetarian on a pub grub crawl there’s going to be a lot of halloumi dishes popping up. So, here’s to the first of many!

The halloumi was served in crispy batter, not a drop of grease in sight, and was at that perfect point of slightly squeaky on the verge of just going gooey, which was a nice contrast to the crunch of the batter. 

There was a welcome bit of sweetness with the mushy peas, although the tartare sauce didn’t have much zing and didn’t really add anything to the plate. 

The only issue we really had was that we asked for no ice in our drinks but still got it.

Overall

The Village Inn was a really comfortable, reasonably priced, place to be and it was easy to chat. There were TVs up for entertainment, although choosing Bargain Hunt instead of the Lionesses’ homecoming parade was a bit questionable. Saying that, though, the staff were so friendly and helpful that, if we’d asked, they probably would have happily changed it.

Each table has a QR code so you can order online and the food and drinks were served quickly. It’s dog-friendly, too, so there were a lot of furry visitors to befriend (unless you’re on a hardfloor section, then no dogs allowed). 

All in all, if you’re looking for a nice place to chat over a good bit of lunch then The Village Inn is the place to go.me to WordPress! This is your first post. Edit or delete it to take the first step in your blogging journey.