In the first of our occasional series, he stops in at The Cormorant in Porchester to see what's on tap at this traditional English Pub.
After the Castle
If you find yourself in the vicinity of Porchester after an interesting (but perhaps tiring) visit to the Castle, and are in need of a rest and refreshment, then The Cormorant, a typical English Pub in Castle Street, could be the answer.Located almost at the end of the village (so apart from visitors to the Castle and dog walkers there is no through traffic), this is a quiet, traditional pub, believed to be one of the six English pubs in the area when Napoleonic prisoners were held in the Castle. In those days, they were reputed to be both pubs and brothels...but the brothels didn't serve broth.
The Cormorant has a pleasant beer garden and a car park. Inside, old fashioned ceiling fans cool the place in warm weather. Staff are cheerful and helpful.
To Drink:
There is a large selection of beers on tap (or from the pump as we Brits are wont to say). They have Carlsberg, Stella Artois, Heineken, HSB Summer Lightning, Carling, Rugood Best Bitter, Caledonian, Deuchars, IPA, Boddingtons, Whitbread Best Bitter and Guinness. They also pump Strongbow Cider. Wine is also sold by the glass, from a pretty good selection.
To Eat:
The Express Menu is served from Monday to Saturday, noon to 2:30 p.m., Monday to Wednesday Evenings, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. The menu includes sandwiches, filled baguettes, Ploughman's Lunch and filled baked potatoes (we Brits called them Jacket Potatoes).The sandwich menu offers a reasonable choice, though it seems a bit heavy on the cheese. White or granary bread and baguettes can be filled with many variations of the cheese sandwich. There's cheddar and onion, cheddar and tomato, cheddar and pickle. This last is is English Branston pickle a very sour, dark chutney, rather than the cucumber pickle most Yanks expect when they order it (heh, heh, poor sods). The cheese theme extends to a slightly trendy brie, tomato and basil sandwich -- the only trendy thing about this place -- and a bacon and brie combination.
There's also tuna with mayonnaise, home cooked ham, steak and onion, prawns in Marie Rose sauce (very nice, if I may say so), and BLTs.
Baguettes are served with crisps (potato chips) or chips (fat, English style French fries). Jacket potatoes, which can be filled with cheddar, homemade chilli, tuna with mayonnaise, homemade curry or prawns in Marie Rose sauce, are served with coleslaw.
Ploughman's Lunch,with cheddar, Stilton, brie or home cooked ham comes with all the traditional trimmings -- pickled onions, apple, celery, sweet pickle, homemade coleslaw, and tomato.
There is also a blackboard with daily specials and more elaborate food.
The Cost:
The cost of main courses is between £4 and £6. A glass of wine from a nice selection will set you back between £3 and £5. A pint of beer costs a little over £2 with lager costing a bit more. All in all, it is possible to eat a hearty lunch and down a couple of pints of beer for a tenner or a little less.
Special Feature:
Stop by the pub on your way to the Castle and pick up a bar menu. Later, call in your order to the phone number on the bar menu, or fax it if you are out to impress, and your lunch or early evening meal will be waiting for you when you return to the pub.
The Bottom Line:
The Cormorant is a traditional, local pub. There is nothing either ye olde or trendy about it. If, as a visitor, you would like to see the kind of pub that ordinary English people have been supporting for years, the Cormorant is a very good example of the species.
