[Disclosure: We were invited for a complimentary meal and stay at The Falcon at Hatton for the purposes of this blog]
Warwickshire is blessed with many a great pub, all of a pretty great standard. A double-edged sword really. Tonnes to choose from, but a crowded market – especially in the villages and hamlets littered around the county – where it’s difficult to stand out.
While we all love a decent gastropub, menus can often merge into one, leaving us looking for something a little bit different.
Which is exactly what you’ll find at the Falcon at Hatton.
A country pub it still is, but with a bit of a twist, thanks to chef Krishnapal Negi’s plan to serve authentic Indian cuisine alongside traditional pub classics. Krishna has plenty of experience under his belt, having launched Indian restaurant Tangawizi – apparently a popular haunt for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie back in the day – before working in some top London venues.
From there he decided to come to Warwickshire to explore his Indian/pub classic concept and now has a group of several pubs, including the Marquess of Exeter over in Rutland, that offer similar ideas. No, he’s not the only one doing this, but it seems the combination of these two hugely popular cuisines is a recipe for success in this neck of the woods, and it makes sense really. The chance to tap into our love of good pub grub as well as a great curry – with the added advantage of being able to offer takeaway in an area that might be lacking in the plethora of curry houses we have in towns.
Visiting The Falcon at Hatton
From the outside, the Falcon is another good-looking, country pub, not dissimilar in style to the coaching inn feel of the Hatton Arms down the road – another popular choice for a good feed, nice country walks and a decent view.
Inside The Falcon you’ll find a nicely refurbished bar area, an intimate, sleek restaurant section, and a huge garden perfect for summer drinks (including a covered area for that beauty that is the great British summer). There are also domes for private dining which despite reminding some of us of those heady days of post-lockdown dining, do offer another option and something a bit different for certain occasions.
Staff are hugely friendly, and can’t do enough to keep you happy from the moment you walk in. It’s dog-friendly, but with various different areas so I’m guessing you can avoid mutts if you want to, steer clear of children if you’re so inclined, and occupy a whole area away from others if you’re in a big group.
Drinks-wise there’s plenty to choose from, and the decor’s been nicely done to lend a modern feel whilst retaining some of the period features of the building. There’s various references to its history noted around, along with directions to walks you can do litrally from it’s back yard.
The food at The Falcon at Hatton
There are three types of people in this world. Those who don’t bother looking at the menu before they go somewhere new. Those who scrutinise it studiously, picking they want in advance and then wondering if there any surprise specials that might upset the apple cart.
Then there are those that do the latter but simultaneously forget to check which menu is available on which day – planning their choices in advance only to find that those dishes aren’t available on the day they go.
Yes, that final person is me. Which is why, as much as I had hoped to be writing a full report on the Indian food on offer at The Falcon at Hatton, I’m not. But will definitely be going back for it. For several reasons.
Firstly, the background. Chef Krishnapal Negi may have worked in some acclaimed London restaurants, but his Indian menu at The Falcon at Hatton is drawn from recipes he loved as a child growing up in the Indian Himalayas.
Second, word of mouth. My mum discovered The Falcon by accident a few months ago and it’s become a regular haunt for her – mainly because of its Indian dishes. I don’t think on her many visits she’s once chosen from the English menu, and she maintains that The Falcon’s gulab jamun – her favourite Indian dessert – is the best she’s ever had. Add to that plenty of other people’s positive reviews of this unassuming pub’s Indian cuisine and I was excited.
But alas, it wasn’t to be. It turns out that on Sundays The Falcon only does its English menu, including Sunday roasts, so make sure you visit another day if you’re after their Indian cuisine, unlike this blogger who managed to miss the fact the Indian menu everyone raves about is only available Monday to Saturday.
Have a quick look online and you’ll find rave reviews about the Indian menu at The Falcon, but from this little blog you can take away the fact that alongside this, its English food isn’t too shoddy either. In fact, it’s pretty good.
The English menu is dubbed ‘Pub Classics’ and it ticks all the boxes that you’d expect. Soup, salads and chicken liver pate among the starters, followed by everything from fish and chips to steaks and burgers for mains. Nothing too far out of the ordinary, but this menu isn’t for that. This menu is for comforting classics that we all know and love. Fair enough, I say, as long as they’re done well.
Fortunately, for the most part, they are. Starters of whitebait and chicken liver pate are fairly run-of-the-mill. Nothing to write home about in particular, but equally nothing to complain about. Literally what you’d expect.
It’s the mains that get our attention. Jamie opts for the Sunday roast, choosing the beef. It’s an impressive plate – thick slabs of still-pink, tender beef piled on to green beans, cabbage and leeks, fluffy roast potatoes with crispy outsides, and a hefty Yorkshire pudding. A refreshing addition is a generous gravy boat full of decent, dark gravy – none of those little puddles coating the plate, leaving you having to ask for more almost immediately.
It gets the thumbs up. As does my choice of sea bass. It’s cooked well, crisped up nicely without being dry. It comes with a pile of crushed new potatoes that’s more than adequate – if not a bit too much for a delicate dish. The promised sauce of Sicilian tomato, capers and olive is less sauce, more smear, but has an enjoyable texture, adding a Mediterranean feel. The whole dish bridges the gap between a lighter dish and the comfort food we’re after from pub grub.
We’re full, thanks to the far-from-mean portions, but they insist on us trying dessert. Which means a specially-created sharing plate showcasing each of the four desserts on the menu. The ‘cheesecake of the moment’ is passionfruit, and very fine it is too, as is the lemon tart.
An opera cake doesn’t quite have the lightness of other versions of the French classic I’ve had, but does have all the trademark chocolateyness. And ice cream, well, is ice cream. But again, a crowd pleaser and something you just expect to see on a pub classics menu.
It’s a nice end to what has been a relaxed, surprisingly good meal that goes a long way to quelling my disappointment at having not checked the serving days of chef Krishna’s Indian cuisine, and instead has me thinking we’d be more than happy to come back to try it, given what a pleasant experience it’s been.
Staying at The Falcon at Hatton
The rooms at The Falcon are relatively simple, but a great addition, especially given its location. While there are some lovely walks nearby, the fact it’s out in the countryside means if you fancy a long, lazy lunch or nice bottle of wine with your dinner, you’ll have to either choose a designated driver or organise some public transport.
Or…. stay over in one of eight rooms that they’ve created in the outbuildings just across the car park. The perfect solution.
The rooms are all en-suite, and all dog-friendly too (for an extra charge), and while fairly basic in terms of decor they’ve got everything you need for an overnight stay. Comfy beds, TVs, a fridge, some info on the local area, somewhere to hang stuff, bathrooms with free toiletries and plenty of towels. Showers with plenty of hot water and decent pressure – because nobody needs a warm dribble of a shower when they’re on a night away.
Some of the decor is a bit random, and I think the focus was probably more on the pub itself than the rooms in terms of refurb, but they’re clean and have everything you need, so think Travelodge or Premier Inn vibes more than Hilton or Radisson, but you’ve got everything you need.
Breakfast is back over in the pub, where endlessly helpful staff ensure you’ve got everything you need. There’s a small buffet station with cereals, yoghurt and fresh fruit, as well as a percolator of coffee. You can also order hot drinks, and the obligatory full English that was pretty decent. Fairly good quality bacon and sausage, plus an egg, and the beans put in a separate dish which I know some people say is a non-negotiable.
Mushrooms and tomatoes could have been a bit less anaemic, and I’ll never understand green garnishes on breakfasts like this, but overall it was fairly good, especially as it was included.
Again, like dinner, the service is superlative, with friendly staff on hand to make sure you’re relaxed and doing everything possible to put us at ease – even if that means befriending two slightly large dogs. This kind of warmth I think just goes such a long way, and is the kind of thing that I’ll be more inclined to return for, over faultless food teamed with a less-than-hospitable atmosphere, as you can get in some places.
The Falcon is certainly a good addition to the area, and we’re lucky that Krishna chose Warwickshire for one of his ventures. The focus here is definitely the food – and from what I hear, the Indian food in particular. But rest assured that on the whole I found the food to be pretty good, and Jamie says he’d happily recommend the Sunday roast to anyone. Add to that great service, a nice setting and a lovely big beer garden for summer fun – with the bonus of rooms thrown in in case you need them – and you do have a decent place to add to the list if you’re in the area.
