The Stag at Mentmore
Mentmore, Buckinghamshire
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An impressive stone edifice just off Mentmore’s village green, the Stag was famously rescued from closure and taken into community ownership by 42 local shareholders in 2020. An extensive lockdown refit has resulted in a classy, capacious modern interior with parquet flooring, a backlit bar, pricey-looking wallpaper and a wood-burner. Best of all, though, is the congenial feel to the place, helped by happy locals and friendly, laid-back staff. The menu holds plenty of interest, especially in the evening when ‘pub classics’ (burgers, pies, steaks) are joined by more elaborate, contemporary compositions. Adventurous touches abound, although some ideas work better than others. To start, a diminutive fillet of coconut-cured sea bream made a fine pairing with tangy grapefruit segments – though sugary candied chilli was a questionable addition. Likewise, pickled beetroot happily partnered a boldly flavoured goat's cheesecake with a topping of grated walnut – but was the blob of apple jam needed? There were no complaints about a juicy main course of roast duck breast with mouth-watering blackcurrant jus, boosted by some assertive spicing: cinnamon in the well-filled duck-leg pithivier; star anise in the shredded cabbage. Our sumac-marinated pork chop was also a neat, highly savoury idea. Puddings can be equally intricate affairs, note the rich, intense (and highly enjoyable) dark chocolate crémeux with cherry and kirsch compôte. Otherwise, drinks include 1847 ale (produced for the pub by the local Tring Brewery), and an adroitly annotated wine list hopping between the Old and New Worlds. In summer, the beer garden comes into play at this proudly community-focused enterprise.
