Reviewer’s rating: ** Andy Richardson didn’t enjoy the food although one course chosen by his wife passed muster

It didn’t start too well.

No, let’s start that again. It started okay but, a few minutes in, things started to go downhill.

We’d visited The Falcon, at Hinstock, for a midweek supper and were welcomed warmly by the charming waiter.

We were quickly shown to our seats in the not-warm-enough dining room and bought a jug of iced water. The ice cubes tinkled in the jug as the waiter placed it on the table, the sub zero squares swishing against the slices of lemon and sides of the glass.

The waiter poured and I picked up my glass, before nearly dropping it. The glass was piping hot, having just been liberated from the dishwasher. It defeated the object of offering us a glass of iced water.

As the ice chilled my warm glass, we perused the menu. There were no concessions to contemporary cuisine and every dish was traditional, with no frills, airs or graces. Chicken Caesar salads mixed with garlic prawns, crab cakes and baked Camembert for starters.

My wife and I, however, opted for the seasonal option, a game terrine with a sweet onion marmalade.

The plate of food that arrived was jaw-droppingly obscure. Good terrines usually combine plenty of herbs, seasoning and maybe coarse or fine in texture, not unlike good faggots or sausages.

The slice of meat that arrived for us, however, was nothing like that. It appeared to constitute left over pieces of unidentifiable meats; I think there may have been pheasant in it, though I couldn’t be entirely sure.

The ‘big chunk’ approach gave the food a distinctly unappetising texture while it was dry, bland and lacking in flavour. There was too little onion marmalade, we had to eke out a slither to go with each tiny corner of the dish.

So far so unimpressive.

The main courses were also old school with pork chops, steaks, salmon and lasagne all featuring. I opted for the eight ounce fillet steak, and requested it rare. My wife, meanwhile, selected the salmon wrapped in Parma ham. The dishes came with additional vegetables, home-made chips and a salad that had been smothered in a jam-like dressing.

The steak was a delightful piece of meat that had seen plenty of salt and pepper before being shown to the pan. However, it had been cooked properly on one side but underdone on the other. The result made for an uneven colour through the meat, so the brown-to-red colour change was pronounced through the centre on one side but not on the other.

My wife’s salmon, meanwhile, was the only dish that passed muster. It was vibrant with plenty of colour, a good accompanying sauce, perfectly cooked roast potatoes and gave her much to enjoy.

We paused briefly before moving to desserts. The choice was limited, with an apple crumble, creme brulee, chocolate brownie and chocolate cheesecake comprising the options. An adjacent table had ordered plenty of chocolate brownie, so our deferential waiter informed us that the choice was now, in fact, limited to three desserts.

My wife, having been underwhelmed by our dinner thus far, went straight for the coffee. I gamely ploughed on, ordering apple crumble with cream.

The crumble was a stinker. Not to put too fine a point on it, I received a plate of stodge with a dollop of custard. The crumble’s topping had no texture or crunch. It was, essentially, flour with a little bit of sugar and a smidgeon of butter. It was dry, difficult to eat and most of it was returned to the kitchen.

The apple, meanwhile, was similarly undesirable. It had been stewed with little sugar and no lemon juice, so was decidedly bland.

A week earlier, we’d also eaten out during the middle of the week, selecting on that occasion a recently-opened Shrewsbury restaurant, Romolo. There, the bill had been less than £50 for three courses of skillfully presented, reasonably well-cooked food that was well served by the dutiful staff.

Conversely, at The Falcon, the food was ill-conceived, lacking in flavour, unimaginative and plain. It also cost £10 more than we’d paid seven days previously. The dressings failed to complement – I still can’t work out why the chef placed squiggles of balsamic dressing alongside my steak.

I’ve visited The Falcon before and on that occasion I enjoyed a more impressive dinner. This time, there was no artistry or invention and a lack of attention to detail.

I’m a huge fan of restaurants and pubs that carve out a reputation for good local, seasonal food that serves the community. Neighbourhood restaurants need support and, all too frequently, I put my money where my mouth is.

But they need to deliver and make the diner feel a little bit more special that he might have done if he’d sat in front of the telly and eaten a dinner from a tray, while watching an episode of Strictly Come Dancing.

The Falcon, unfortunately, failed to do that, which is the reason for is low rating.

MENU SAMPLE
Starters
Soup of the day (£3.95); salmon gravad lax (£5.95)

Main courses
Steak and ale pie (£8.95); 8oz fillet steak (£18.95)

Sides
Hummus and pita (£3.95); garlic ciabatta (£2.95)

Desserts
Sticky toffee pudding (£4.95); creme brulee (£4.95)

ATMOSPHERE
Cold and dull. There was one other table in use and, unnecessarily, we were placed next to it.

SERVICE
The service was attentive. Our waiter was attentive and outshone the kitchen brigade

DISABLED FACILITIES
No disabled toilet but everything is on one floor.

ADDRESS
The Falcon Inn, Wood Lane, Hinstock, Market Drayton, TF9 2TA
Tel: 01952 550241
www.thefalconhinstock.co.uk