Definitely different

9:38am Tuesday 11th September 2007

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In the words of the Monty Python team: "And now for something completely different..."

It's not often I get to say that in a restaurant review, but The Robin Hood at Pinkneys Green (turn off the Marlow by-pass at the Bisham roundabout) is certainly very different.

At first glance the refurbished pub looks much like any other stylish gastro-pub. But as you are shown to your table you notice that the open-galleyed kitchen also has a display of meat and fish.

Indeed, as the waiter hands over a "menu" he tells us that at The Robin Hood the menu is just a guide and that, when ready, we will be taken to meet the chef who will tells us and show us what is on offer and explain the various sauces and accompaniments we could select.

The menu gives a list of meats and fish (including sirloin steaks, duck breasts and monkfish) and their price per 100g and per 8oz (imperial and metric both catered for) alongside a list of starters and starter specials on offer.

Starters included pan-fried sardines, a bouillabaisse with garlic rouille and crispy salt and pepper squid with sweet chilli sauce. Several other items - like oysters and scallops - were available to order and their prices given alongside.

Just when we thought we were starting to get an idea of what to order, we were taken to the counter to meet the chef, Tony Mills.

A word of warning here. Vegetarians are catered for (although there's no vegetarian dish on the menu) but they may not appreciate the style of this restaurant. Seeing great slabs of raw meat and fish (albeit prettily arranged on crushed ice) may not be everyone's cup of tea, vegetarian or not. But you can stay at your table and order your dinner without seeing it in its raw state if this doesn't appeal to you.

I quite liked seeing what I was getting and hubby Kim positively relished the idea. Is there something about meat counters that brings out the hunter-gatherer in men?

Before I knew it Kim was opting to try the most unusual meat on the slab - wildebeest on this occasion, although Tony tells me that he sometimes has zebra, ostrich and even python on offer sourced from as far afield as South Africa and Vietnam. Chef suggested the wildebeest should be served with a red wine jus. Most of the meats are chargrilled (with more delicate fleshes and fish being pan-fried) so there are several sauces to order on the side.

Meanwhile I was leaning towards the fillet steak - it just looked so lean and plump - but chef tut-tutted a little and suggested that as I like my meat well done, I should perhaps go for the ribeye which would lose none of its succulence even when cooked well done. We agreed on a Bearnaise sauce accompaniment.

He cut our portions and weighed them. (At this point anyone on a budget should consider noting how much their chosen fodder is going to cost. You can always choose a smaller piece.) Kim chose new potatoes and I went for a jacket with sour cream and a side salad.

For starters there really was no contest. As we were walking in we'd spotted chef putting the finishing touches to some flame-grilled Madagascan tiger prawns. These were fantastic - probably the highlight of the meal for me. Five huge prawns in their shells, succulent, dripping in the garlicy chilli oil and just bursting with flavour. Pukka.

Our main courses were also very good. My steak was well done (as requested) and beautifully tender. The restaurant buys Aubrey Allen Aberdeenshire beef which is dry-aged for 28 days to give it full flavour. They claim that each piece of meat is traceable to the specific farm in Scotland and selected from the top 10 per cent of beef reared.

Kim's wildebeest may have travelled a little further but it too was very tender, if a little disappointing in the flavour stakes. The red wine jus was upgraded to the tastier pink peppercorn sauce to help the steak along a bit.

We were too full for puds but the Baileys Creme Brulee or chocolate fudge brownie sounded worth making a return visit for. What struck me about The Robin Hood was that there is one group of people who need to be careful when ordering here, and one group who will love the idea that they can be careful.

Anyone with eyes-bigger-than-their-belly (you know who you are) could get carried away when ordering and get a nasty shock when the bill arrives. On the other hand anyone who is watching their weight will love the idea that they can order small, healthy portions (a little fillet steak and a couple of prawns will not spoil a diet).

The open counter is available at lunchtimes too along with several light options, salads, ciabattas and finger food platters.

According to the manager, the Marlow ladies-who-lunch have already cottoned on to the healthy food available here. Personally I enjoy my restaurant food being created for me and not having to plan my meal myself (I do that all the time at home), but for an occasional change, or something different, the Robin Hood is certainly right on target.

The Robin Hood 01628 777779