Kings Arms - Tring

The Kings Arms, King Street, Tring, HP23 6BE

I recently had dinner at the Kings Arms in Tring after a day of walking in the area. Whilst there is a restaurant attached the two serve the same food so we decided on eating in the pub its self. This was partly as we had been out on a hike round the area so had been in the sun a good part of the day.

On entering the pub it was well laid out considering the current restrictions and the staff gave us a friendly welcome. Asking about having dinner we were warned that, as they were very busy there would be a bit of a wait for the food to arrive but this did not really bother us. One of us had thier dog with them and this was also welcomed with no problems. 

After taking a seat at one of the indoor tables we ordered a round of drinks some going for a locally produced ale others for mid range lagar. This was served quite quickly and the menus were provided.

The menu was to some extent was a typical pub food one but the descriptions of the dishes sounded better than most pubs I have eaten in. There also is a small but reasonably priced children's menu with classics such as battered fish fingers (so made in house not frozen and bought in) and chips to tagliatelle with beef ragu.

I opted for the lasangne served with green salad and garlic bread. Others in the group opted for fish and chips or scampi and chips. The wait was about 30 to 45 min or so for the food to arrive which may seem to be a long time but we had been warned before we ordered about this so was not a problem.

When the food arrived we were all impressed with the portion sizes which were generous. The food was hot and although it may not win the Turner prize presantation wise I often think some places care more about what the food looks like than what it tastes like.

The food:

My lasangne was one of the best I have had in a pub and better than most I have had in so called Italian restaurants. One possible reason for this was the use of blade of beef rather than minced beef in the sauce. This not only, as it had obviously been slow cooked, tasted better but also gave it a better texture. The sauces were well balanced with no one taste overpowering the others. The ammount of cheese was also spot on as far too many places put too much on. For me the seasoning was just right, although I will admit to putting a touch of black pepper on it. Some people may think it may have needed more salt but I think the sauce and the cheese add enough of this so, for me, no more was needed.

The salad was a simple green salad which was fresh and did provide a contrast to the lasangne. 

The garlic bread was a generous ammount but, for me, was a little light on the garlic but that is because I love garlic and most people would, in all likelyhood, think there was pleanty of it. 

Perhaps the only thing I would change is to give the option of having this with chips or the salad. However, even with this option, I would still have gone for the salad.

The other people in my group were equally complimentary about their food with the fish being very well cooked with good batter and the chips also recieved positive complimemts. The minted crushed peas served with this were a highlight for one of my fellow diners and theynwere certainly a step up from mushy peas some places serve.

Atmosphere:

This can really be descibed as friendly and welcoming with servers who, although busy, were attentive and polite. Unlike some places I have eaten there was no blaring loud music to compete with when trying to have a conversation. This for me is a major plus as I loathe loud music in pubs and restraunts.

The bill etc:

On the bill arriving we had no complaints about the price as we have all paid more in some places for just two people for food which was not as good. We had no problem in leaving a tip as the food was of a high standard and the service was also very good.

Would I eat here again - yes definately. However, I would possibly need to be in the area or make a special trip as it is about a 2 mile walk from Tring train station.