A popular choice (From Bournemouth Echo)

A popular choice

2:25pm Monday 22nd May 2006

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TARRANT Monkton is a tiny place with just a few houses, a farm, a church and The Langton Arms. To reach it you have to drive down one winding country lane after another, so when you get there, the last thing you expect is to find the village pub absolutely thronging with people.

But I guess that must say quite a bit about the reputation of The Langton Arms, as people are clearly prepared to travel from far and wide to spend an afternoon there.

Fortunately especially as it was a fine and sunny Sunday we'd made a reservation a few days before, and were given a table in the skittle alley because the lounge bar was full.

The adjoining Stables Restaurant, which offers an alternative a la carte menu, was also fully booked.

Lots of people were eating outside too and we soon discovered the pub had taken on more than it could handle. We must have waited nearly an hour before our starters arrived, although the wait in-between starter and main course was only a few minutes.

The menu at the Langton Arms is incredibly long with an extra list of daily specials but while it's nice to have plenty of choice, I couldn't help but think a shorter menu might have helped to lessen the delays.

Starters included thinly sliced smoked salmon and halibut with mixed leaves, lemon and brown bread; Dorset country farmhouse pate with homemade Cumberland sauce and toast; and king prawns wrapped in filo pastry.

When it comes to the main course, the menu is divided under different headings Dorset game, pub favourites, fish, vegetarian selection, local Tarrant Valley beef and includes the likes of game pie, chicken curry, steak and ale pie, lemon sole goujons with an avocado and tomato dip, four bean stew, and locally made cheese and tomato quiche.

There's also a "light bite selection" of filled baguettes, Ploughman's with various local cheeses, baked potatoes, chicken and bacon salad, and hot dishes like rare-breed honey roast ham with eggs and chips.

Between the four of us we ordered the selection of rustic breads with homemade houmous and marinated olives, the Italian-style garlic bread, and two portions of the smoked haddock and spring onion fishcakes.

There certainly wasn't a shortage of food, with the bread selection in particular being a very generous size. The different breads included walnut, a rye and seed bread, and a ciabatta-style bread, while the houmous was chunky and clearly freshly made.

The fishcakes were crispy on the outside, with a soft middle of mashed potato mixed with smoked haddock and spring onions, and served on a bed of fresh mixed leaves with crunchy French beans and sweet-tasting sun-dried tomatoes.

For our main course we tried the wild rabbit slowly braised on the bone, the deep-fried battered cod with chips, salad and salsa (also available with peas), and the beef lasagne (the boys' choice).

My wild rabbit a very generous three cuts of meat was extremely tender, but I wasn't too sure about the tarragon and grain mustard sauce, which was rather too overpowering. The accompanying vegetables were also a little overcooked.

The cod and lasagne were pretty much faultless though.

The lasagne was made using beef from the Tarrant Valley (the pub seems to use all local meats), which had a rich, full flavour, and on the side was some garlic bread, salad and homemade coleslaw.

It's a shame we couldn't fit in dessert because the long list with everything described as "homemade" sounded impressive.

Warm chocolate cake with hot chocolate sauce and ice cream, mango mousse on a pool of raspberry sauce, steamed coffee and walnut pudding with custard, and passion fruit cheesecake held the biggest appeal.

Our bill for four including a bottle of wine and a bottle of mineral water came to £70.05.

To book call 01258 830225.

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