The Boot, Leighton Buzzard

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Blackthorn _ left this review about The Boot

A good sized pub on the edge of this attractive village, it looks as though it may have had a bit of a makeover at some point but nonetheless still retains a fairly traditional air unlike many others of it’s ilk which have had any semblance of originality stripped out.

The main bar is at the front of the pub and has something of a farmhouse kitchen feel to it with it’s red quarry tiles, pale green paintwork on the walls, cream painted beamed ceiling and plain wooden furniture. Seating was fairly limited here in spite of the room being a good size. Besides two or three bench tables, there were a number of stools at the bar that had been arranged in to a semi-circle by the locals, and a single black leather sofa next to what was probably a fire-place at one time but had been knocked through to simply provide a partition in to the rear room. A plasma stuck on the wall to one side looked slightly out of place, but fortunately was not in use.

This smaller room at the rear continued a similar decor theme and had a large brick fire-place at the rear with a black wooden mantle. A pile of logs in the grate suggested that it may be pressed in to use in the colder weather. Another room at the front was more geared up for dining with all the tables laid up for food, and this had a slightly more contemporary feel, although the pale green paintwork and quarry tiled floor continued along with some floral artwork on the walls. The pub also has outside seating consisting of some decking and a small garden at the rear as well as a few tables and chairs at the front.

The food menu offered a good selection of dishes, although these were clearly a cut above your usual “pub grub” with most of the main courses in the £15 - £20 range. There were also a couple of specials boards, one offering a similarly priced range and the other a “bar specials” range. These were more pub like dishes and included Ham Egg & Chips, Lasagne, Burger and a Steak & Ale Pie but even these were £12.95. My Salmon & Crab Fishcakes were one of the cheaper options at £14.95 and were a decent and tasty dish. If I was being critical I would say that they were perhaps a little on the small side, but then crab’s not a cheap ingredient and there was plenty of it in there.

Beers on tap were Old Speckled Hen, Greene King IPA and Doom Bar. Ciders were Strongbow and Weston’s Old Rosie. Overall I thought this was a decent enough pub with a good mix of food and drink offerings. Staff were pleasant and helpful, although the young waitress didn’t seem particularly switched on – is it really necessary to use a calculator to add £14.95 and £4.95 for instance? On the downside, it’s not quite as “pubby” as some places, and of course the food is not cheap.

On 6^th August 2013 - rating: 7
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