222. The Woodsman.

 

  The well-judged, cosy, smart and comfortable atmosphere of The Woodsman makes this my favourite restaurant in Stratford-upon-Avon. The atmosphere - that is - coupled with the tasty, generously portioned, well prepared food. A nice place to pass a couple or hours or so on a winter’s evening, not thinking about the reality that there’s a war raging once more in Europe as the latest mad European dictator launches an assault on the peaceful, democratic Ukraine where once there was optimism and now just dread and crushed hope.

  I sat comfortably in the smart dining room, gazing around at its walls on which were hung some charming water colours of various deer and a black labrador with a pheasant in its mouth. I was given a surprisingly long 23 minutes to decide which dishes I wished to order but having finally done so a pleasing plate of delicious ciabatta with two types of butter (one, the now almost ubiquitous marmite butter) winged it’s way to my table.

  Then an interesting starter of ‘Wild wood pigeon ‘pastrami’’. Its presentation was faux rustic in a fine dining sort of way. This was made up of little strips of pigeon served with creamed pecarino, delightful pickled mushrooms, the crunchy texture of sunflower seeds and a very pleasing sweetness provided by slices of red grape. There were also a possibly excessive number of tasty smoky flavoured leaves. The pigeon was very tasty and the dish was original and, apart from an excess of leaves, enjoyable.

  For the main course I chose a fine dish of delicious and perfectly cooked woodfired Cornish cod. I could not discern the flavour of the accompanying hay-baked potatoes and I was not particularly aware that the mussels were smoked. The warm tartar sauce was satisfactory and there was a generous helping of pickled samphire (like the leaves in the starter, probably a little more than I might have wanted). This was a nicely prepared dish, the fish certainly being the star and in a generous portion, but I was becoming a little bored with it as I worked my way to the end of it.

    I chose a dessert of ‘pear tart (note no ‘e’) tatin’. The missing ‘e’ was important as this was clearly not a classic tarte tatin. Rather it appeared to be a deconstructed version of the French classic (presumably as the restaurant prides itself on serving British food) with a precisely poached and pleasing piece of pear nestled in puff pastry with an accompanying jug of caramel sauce to provide the unctiousness of classic tarte tatin. The honey ice cream sitting on some unnecessary crumble was so mildly flavoured that I failed to detect a hint of honey. Actually, a very edible dish but I’m afraid somewhat disappointing.

  It‘s surprising that Stratford Upon Avon now only has three Michelin-listed restaurants - The Woodsman, the starred Salt and Lamb’s nestled as it is among a row of unremarkable bistros and chain restaurants on Sheep Street. The town has suffered during the pandemic because the visitors disappeared from it and the prolonged closure of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre coupled with a chain of execrable and incomprehensible productions often playing to half empty houses has in recent year done little to bring the visitors back to the town. Michelin has even dropped the theatre’s Rooftop restaurant from its listing. I see that it has now finally dawned on the Michelin editor that No 9 Church Street closed a long time ago. Thus for a diner living or visiting Stratford, The Woodsman remains the best choice still for a comfortable evening of good dining in the town. None of the fireworks, intentionally I think, of a restaurant in search of a Michelin star but a pleasing ambience and largely pleasing food.