Our visit to The Crown at South Moreton has been a long time in the offing.
I had a bad meal experience here many years ago (different owners) and it has taken a long time for me to return. Fortunately things have changed for the better! After a period of closure the pub was destined to become three houses. Instead the villagers clubbed together to buy the pub; it’s now community owned and locally run.
Menu
The standard lunch menu is available Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It primarily consists of a range of toasted ciabattas. Fillings included sausage and caramelised onions, honey glazed ham and cheese, chicken, bacon and brie and breaded haddock goujons. The vegetarian options were cheese and onion or roasted Provençal vegetables and goats cheese.
If you’re looking for a more substantial meal there’s a range of burgers, including vegetarian options. There are also lite bites – soup, a charcuterie board, olives and bread and baked Camembert.
The pub also offers roast lunches on Sundays.
Ambience
We sat outside on this visit; it was a quiet weekday and we were the only table in use. However, on a subsequent early evening weekend visit the pub was buzzing. Most of the outdoor tables were given over to a mix of cyclists, locals and family groups. The indoor area was still relatively quiet but diners were at several tables.
The pub welcomes families and dogs. There’s even a doggy station outside, that advertises water, poo bags and treats for your dog.
Food quality
We all enjoyed our lunches. It wasn’t fancy food, but straightforward ciabattas with plenty of filling. There’s not much to say about the accompanying chips. They were well cooked and I covered them in mayonnaise.
My daughter’s olive and breads was as expected. She wasn’t particularly hungry so only wanted something to pick at and this suited her perfectly.
Cost
The lunchtime toasted ciabattas cost £7.25 each, regardless of filling. These came with a generous side portion of chips. Given that we ate lunch in another village pub the week before and paid almost £9 for a very small cheese and tomato focaccia I think The Crown offered good value.
The larger lunch options, including burgers, lasagne, haddock and ham and chips cost in the region of £12-13.
I thought the side dishes were a little on the expensive side. Sweet potato oven fries were £5, onion rings £4.50, chunky chips £4. However I didn’t see these so the portion size may have justified the cost.
Service
Service was friendly and prompt. Cutlery and condiments were delivered to the table, and the waitress checked back to ensure we were enjoying our meals.
More info
Address: The Crown, High Street, South Moreton, OX11 9AG.
Dining hours: Lunch served 12:00-15:00 Thursday to Sunday. Evening meals served Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 17:30-21:00. The pub is open daily for drinks, except Tuesday.
Further info from The Crown website.
