Cock and Hoop @ the Lace Market Hotel, Nottingham

Wednesday has, for me, rolled around very quickly this week! Today's dinner-date venue was the Cock and Hoop. It's a miserable evening for June, with heavy rain showers and a grey outlook. We didn't want to walk far and wanted a cosy and comfortable setting.

The Cock and Hoop is (according to their website) is in the Michelin pub guide. I didn't know this but I can see why. It's one of those places that you step into and immediately feel comfortable, like you are in your own home. Given that this is a pub attached to the Lace Market Hotel that's no easy feat, so many hotel bars are soulless and awkward places. Not this one, you do actually want to come in and spend a while here.

The bar serves real ale including various guest ales. I am afraid I cannot comment on the quality as I stick to the soft drinks when I am driving, but there is definitely always a good variety which changes regularly.

So, on to the food. It may have become obvious from previous posts but I would like to make a declaration now. I am a pudding person. I therefore did not have a starter but my friend did. The terrine of duck, apparently very tasty. We did also have a debate over what a rillette is, as this was on the menu and was not something either of us had encountered before.

Well, never failing to deliver, the answer is actually on the Cock & Hoop website and is....http://www.thefinessecollection.com/lacemarket/food-drink/recipe.html. So there we are, that's what it is!

Turning now to mains. As it was such an Autumny day I went for sausages, colcannon and onion gravy. My friend went for a beef burger. The Sausage and mash were great, 3 plump and firm sausages lots of creamy mash and a flavourful gravy. Delicious. The burger came with mountains of chips and was good, although a little overdone for his taste - so it's worth specifying if you want your burger slightly pink in the middle. This did not, however, mar the experience too much as the whole thing was promptly consumed.

Pudding was a warm, gooey chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream. Beautifully done, being rich, molten chocolate inside a crisp outer layer.

Just a warning for the world cup season, the bar is intending to show world cup games so if you do want a lovely pub dinner as we experienced today make sure you miss the world cup matches for the next few weeks!

The rating:

Nicely done pub food in an intimate and cosy setting.

The summary:

Food = british and european classics (bangers, fish pie, steak, burgers etc)
Price = Mid range (mains between £10-£15)
Atmosphere = Cosy and comfortable

Contact:

http://www.thefinessecollection.com/lacemarket/food-drink/cock-hoop/