Lunch at the Square and Compasses

Today after a raving review by a good friend me and my girlfriend decided to go to The Square and Compasses in Fairstead, Chelmsford for a last meal before I fly off to Africa for work tomorrow (the details for the pub are below).

First let me say that the location of this pub/restaurant is stunning. It is out in the countryside of Essex, with beautiful view all around. It is a little bit of a pain to get to, driving down country roads but trust me it is worth it.

The pub itself is lovely, traditional with a warm relaxing atmosphere. It is the type of place where you can sit by the open fire with a pint/glass of wine and relax reading a book or talking to friends. There are plenty of books on the shelves, which I am assuming aren't just for decoration. One thing that I really like about this place, is that they try and source all the food and drink locally. Coo-toes to the owners. Perfect for a lazy afternoon lunch. I have attached just a few images I took while there.

So now to the food.

As with most restaurants now, we were brought bread before our starters arrived. Although as a nice touch it also came with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, plus the usual butter. Now although the bread was nice I have to say that it was a little tough.

Starter

I had the locally shot pigeon, with black pudding and suede mash (Image attached). Now this was a treat. The pigeon was cooked perfectly and the black pudding was amazing, maybe the best that I have had for a long while, soft flavorful. The red wine jus was also very tasty. Now if you look at the picture the edge of the plate looks a little messy but that was me, I got a little excited, forgetting to take a picture before starting my meal.

All in all a good 8.5 out of 10.

Main Course

The main I finally chose was the partridge with onion mash local root veg and a puff pasty base and top. This was good food that you want and dream about on a cold winters day. It had a rich flavor you associate with game. This type of food always take me back to living in Gloucestershire having a good game stew on a cold day prepared by my grandmother or mother.
The side order of winter veg was very nice too. I really enjoyed the red cabbage, which I'm not sure but think it was cooked with either honey or sugar slowly with some butter. Don't take my word for this however, it is a guess.

There was only 2 things that I not so much didn't like but thought could have been different. The first was the mash. I didn't think that the onion mash went that well with the rest of the dish. The onions were a little hash on the pallet. The second is some of the partridge was left on the bone, on a few occasion I bit into a small bone. Although I do understand why the chef left the meat on the bone. A partridge is a small bird and aesthetically it was a pleasurable sight. 

I would say a good 7/7.5 out of 10

Conclusion

I know that both my girlfriend and I enjoyed the meal, the atmosphere and the location. I would recommend it to anyone who was in the area for a really pleasant and relaxing lunch or dinner. The menu has all you local pub fav's (burgers, fish and chips, gammon etc) and the specials board (of which I ate from) was very good. Everything is sourced locally with a friendly staff. It did take a little time to get another drink, but the place was busy so that is forgivable.

A very pleasant afternoon, that I would happily repeat anytime.

Pub/Restaurant Details

The Square and Compasses
Fuller Street
Fairstead
Chelmsford
Essex
CM3 2BB

Tel: 01245 361477
Fax: 01245 361548
Email: info@thesquareandcompasses.co.uk

Opening Times:

Monday to Friday
11.30am to 3.00pm
6.00pm to 11.00pm

Saturday and Sunday
12noon to 11.00pm