| Ambiance: |  (4 / 5) |
| Service: | (3 / 5) |
| Value for money: | (3 / 5) |
| Toilets: | (4 / 5) |
As Sam works near to Stockbridge and we’d never eaten there, we thought last week’s date night would give us the perfect opportunity to try a couple of its pubs. We decided to go for a drink at The Greyhound; a cider for me, a “Greyhound” local ale for Sam and sat in very romantic candlelight by the fire.
Our Table – I picked well, right?!
For the “food” part of the evening, we opted for The Three Cuppes Inn as I loved its cute exterior and the sound of its menu. I’d booked a table for 7.30 with the request of it being by a window and we were seated at a pretty perfect setting. We were given menus (identical to the one online) and shared the local venison carpaccio for our starter and I had a childs beef burger and Sam had the grey mullet for our mains.
The Menu (and check out that wine glass!)
I ordered a Malbec purely because (sadly) I wanted to drink out of one of their lovely looking wine glasses, but was a little shocked when I took a sip and seemed to just taste acidity. I asked the waiter whether there was anything wrong with the wine and he said nope, “our Merlot usually smells like that”. So, there was the problem in itself really. A few minutes later, presented with the right wine (and a very nice one at that), we were given some complimentary bread. Now, if you’ve read many of my reviews, you’ll have an idea about how much I love free bread but a little like what I received in Italy, the bread was sliced and dry. However, the condiments and oils served with it were so rustic and nicely presented, that it more than made up for the dried bread. And, it saved me the calories I guess!
Our Venison Starter
Our starter, despite looking great, wasn’t amazing. Dressed with the bright colours of rocket and beetroot, it looked equisite. However, on closer inspection, we quickly realised that it was rather lacking in venison, meaning we only had a couple of mouthfuls each. The mouthfuls we had were nice enough; I’m not sure what I think about raw venison as it tasted almost slippery (best way of describing it?!) and very rich, but this is most definitely a personal thing as Sam really enjoyed it. I’m also not so sure about pickled beetroot being served with it as it kind of destroyed the venison flavour.
Main course seemed to take a while to come and just when we were on the verge of complaining and Sam decided to go to the loo (typical), the food came out. His mullet was presented deliciously and when presented with my half sized burger in an enormous sourdough bun, I began to get serious food envy. As it turned out, my burger was actually very good. I’m always wary of ordering burgers as I’m fussy with the quality of the meat, but this one tasted great and was definitely homemade, so I was happy. I wasn’t so keen on the thrice fried chips as they were more like potato bricks than chips, but I loved the sourdough, coleslaw and burger.
Sam’s Grey Mullet
Sam’s mullet was nice enough, but I found everything on his plate quite under-seasoned, which ended up working in his favour as it meant he got a whole meal to himself as I didn’t want any of it!
All in all, we enjoyed the cosy, candlelit atmosphere of the Three Cuppes and the food wasn’t bad at all and we’d definitely go back. The pricing was reasonable and they’ve got a great range of ales and wines.
Recommendation
I would recommend the Three Cuppes for any occasion. I’d be interested in its Sunday Roast as it seems like the perfect destination to end a Sunday walk.
Extra Information:
Address: High Street, Stockbridge, Hampshire SO20 6HB
Website: http://www.the3cups.co.uk/
Phone: 01264 810527
NTK: You may need to book at the weekend, and try and get there a little earlier so you can make the most of the bar for a pre-dinner/lunch drink!
