spotted, and tried: hix oyster & chop house, 36-37 greenhill rents

Hix Oyster & Chop House, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

My love is on a constant quest for proper English food and last night that took us to Hix Oyster & Chop House. Our menu consisted of fresh pork crackling with apple sauce, native Colchester oysters with fresh lemon or the shallot-vinegar dip, thick slices of salmon smoked in Hix's back garden, beef pie with breadcrumbs oyster, mixed onions in cider banter, shipwreck(ed) tart with clotted cream and apple brandy truffles. We could eat all those because we've taken to sharing everything, lately.

The only disappointment were the onions, too soaked in oil and tasting of no cider at all. The highlights? Pretty much everything else, but let's talk about the stars: 1. the fantastic smoked salmon that could be eaten like sashimi, if one wanted, probably the best we've ever had 2. the beef pie with the strongest beef flavour yet, a delight not diminished by a very edible cooked oyster, to our surprise and 3. the shipwreck(ed) tart made of mixed nuts soaked in brandy and accompanied by very elegant and complementing clotted cream.

The atmosphere is relaxed and the service good, overall: if there was such a thing as an English bistro, Hix Oyster & Chop House would very much embody it. By contrast, the atmosphere of Le Cafe Anglais is terribly stiff, with its overdressed staff and crisp tablecloths. Also, considering that both establishments are in the business of serving English food without a fuss for high prices, and that we had similar amounts of food, a bottle of wine, and two coffees in both venues, the bill at Hix Oyster & Chop House is much closer to the promised 100 pounds for two than the one of Le Cafe Anglais.

The winner is clear in my book, and likely to see us again. If only they had an old school trifle!