It was a perfect summer evening for our trip out to The Nags Head at Pontesbury. 
It is some time since I have been to a village pub for an evening meal, tending to stick closer to town to avoid the drink/drive conundrum, but as we meandered through the beautiful rolling countryside I remembered the joy of a good old fashioned drive out on a balmy night… and had high hopes of a hearty pub meal in the traditional country pub that lay ahead.
The Nags Head lies on the main road into the village and retains its old coaching inn character, inside and out.
It was a shame to waste the lovely weather so after a visit to the bar our party of five settled ourselves in the beer garden and perused the menu, along with other families and groups making the most of the large and pretty outside space, including bowlers enjoying the green behind the pub.
With flower and vegetables beds, plenty of seating and play areas for both the children and the adults the garden is definitely a major plus for this pub.
Soon a waitress came out to take our orders – the service was very friendly and prompt, as it was throughout the evening.
After a very pleasant time in the garden we were called through to the restaurant. The bar was bustling with pool players by now but, moving through, we had out pick of the tables in the olde worlde dining area.
The starters were tasty and served in generous portions. The torpedo prawns were a hit, as was the prawn salad and chicken liver pate; only the garlic mushrooms let the side down, being a little sparse.
For main courses we opted for two steak pies, fish and chips, pan fried salmon and rump steak. The steak was declared an all-round success, and by someone notoriously fussy about his food too (you know who you are) – cooked as ordered.
The other meals were ample but less impressive. The pies were left largely uneaten, the meat being on the tough side; the cod was a little greasy and the salmon didn’t have the moist/crisp combo I was hoping for from pan fried fish.
The portions were all generous but the limited choice of potato options was disappointing – it would have been nice to have new potatoes or baked. However, the salad garnishes were large, crisp and fresh and the vegetables served with the steak pies were delicious.
The dining room burst into life at around 9.30pm with a buffet for the sporting customers and it was great to see the pub so well used and jostling with life.
We retired back outside for coffee to enjoy the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere in the garden.
The pub clearly is a favourite with groups and provides very pleasant surroundings, inside and out, and the friendly service can’t be faulted.
Perhaps not the choice for cordon bleu dining or a romantic dinner for two… but it will be top of my list when I join the pool league!