Re-Boot Needed

Famous footwear there may be, but PAUL STAMMERS was less than impressed with the fare at this well-known Oxfordshire pub.

WHAT have the Bee Gees, Ronnie Barker and Stanley Matthews got in common? They’re all part of the furnishings at the Boot Inn – well, their footwear, at any rate.

The walls of the cosy pub, down a potholed track off the A40, are lined with shoes and trainers, above brief statements from their former owners, a mix of sports stars, politicians and TV personalities.

Boots are less in evidence, although there’s a high-heeled Manolo Blahnik number courtesy of Janet Street Porter close to the front windows.

Graphologists would have a field day, because while a few donors have supplied typed letters of goodwill, many of the messages are handwritten. Incidentally, Newsnight anchorman Jeremy Paxman really ought to have checked his contribution before posting it – he refers to “British poltics”.

The shoes are a quirky touch that provides an ideal talking point for anyone bringing visitors to the pub, which has a weighty reputation. It’s featured in the Michelin Guide, Alistair Sawday’s Special Places and The Good Pub Guide.

An ideal spot for Sunday lunch, we thought.

And yet, even allowing for the fact we booked for 12.30pm, the place seemed curiously quiet (except for the funky 60s lounge music). The staff (all, it appeared, from Down Under) almost outnumbered the punters, most of whom were sipping drinks outside.

I’M DETECTING A CRITICAL TONE...

That’s because while pleasant, the Boot failed on this occasion to live up to its reputation, especially given the average cost of the main dishes was well over a tenner.

Our shared starter from the specials board, of asparagus, rocket and parmesan, was plain ordinary, the asparagus being over-cooked and dull.

The salad, which was sprinkled with crunchy grains of rock salt and splashed with balsamic, was peppery enough, but it’s difficult to go wrong with rocket.

Things perked up when the mains arrived – promptly, as with the starter.

The portions were a tad larger than we’d expected and I found my rolled pork belly joint with baby potatoes and roasted beetroot flavoursome even without the rich jus accompanying it.

The other half, however, was half-hearted about her dish, also from the specials board – the confit of duck legs with braised pak choi in a Thai sauce that looked, and tasted, uncannily like the sort found in chip shops. Her meal also came with baby potatoes.

Meanwhile we couldn’t help but overhear the folk on the table next to us sound disappointed that the bavette steaks on the menu were unavailable.

WHAT ABOUT DESSERT?

The list was uninspiring – chocolate fondant (yawn), cheesecake (even bigger yawn), creme brulée, egg custard tart or parfait. We hit upon the parfait to share, partly because it was passionfruit, a flavour slightly different from the norm.

It was cool, tasty and well-presented. But not worth the wait of well over 20 minutes.

VERDICT: The Boot’s in a charming location, with a well-established reputation. Maybe we picked an ‘off’ day to visit – but could it be that complacency has set in?