In December the team from thebestof Hertford and Ware (three of us, Victoria, David and myself, Jan) were invited to the launch of The Hummingbird which is located where Loch Fyne used to be. Unfortunately we had to leave before the canapés were served but we were invited back to sample their menu at more convenient time and it is this visit that we are basing our review on. Although we were there at their invitation, please be assured that this review is still an unbiased view of our experience that evening.
If you are not familiar with Hertford then I should explain that The Hummingbird doesn’t have it’s own car park and parking on the street is limited and believe me, the parking wardens will pounce the minute you go over your time! There is however, a public multi-storey car park at the rear (Gascoyne Way) which is free after 6.30pm.
When we went through to the bar area we were warmly greeted by one of the owners (and roaming managers) Andrew, and he invited us to have a drink before dinner either sitting at the bar or in the lounge at the front and it was the lounge which we opted for. He showed us to a table which is the area you walk through to get to the bar and restaurant. Andrew provided us with drinks menus and a wine list and sent a server over shortly afterwards to take our order (She had been shadowing him as it was her first day). They offer an extensive range of gins, vodkas, whiskies, Bourbons and rums as well as cocktails and a list of various soft drinks and tonics. I tried the Sipsmith Lemon Drizzle (£4.40) and it really did have a distinctive lemon flavour which was refreshing and enjoyable. It needed a stirrer as there was some separation between the gin and the tonic but overall it was good. Victoria had a Cherry Sour (£7.20) and we also tried a Pornstar Martini (£9.00) both of which were quite sharp and a bit heavy on the lemon even though the Pornstar Martini was not supposed to have lemon in it. I also had the Expresso Martini (8.50), now don’t shoot me down, I know it is frequently viewed as a post dinner cocktail but after the sharpness of the previous cocktails it was the perfect counterbalance. As you would expect from this cocktail it had a good coffee flavour with a hidden kick behind the smoothness and with the usual coffee bean on top. Excellent. We all agreed it was the best out of the three cocktails that we tried.
The lounge area has tables with stools and chairs covered in soft leather and velvet and back-to-back banquette seating. The seats are comfortable but we asked to move to one of the banquette booths when it became free as it was difficult to hear above the music and the general chat as it was quite busy (averaging 76dB while we were in the lounge). The banquette seating is cosy and comfortable and like some of the other seating, they are covered in velvet, there are also curtains tied back à la four poster bed style which adds to the feeling of opulence and it also helped make it slightly quieter.
Although it was a cold evening, inside it was warm and snug and although people were frequently opening the door to enter or leave, it wasn’t draughty, and usually I really feel the cold. The lighting is low and with the dark walls and woodwork emphasised the intimate atmosphere.
The style throughout the lounge and restaurant is eclectic and interesting with an emphasis on plants, flowers and fruit – both real and in pictures, wallpaper and lighting. The owners seem to be aiming for a sophisticated feel but with casual dining which in many ways they achieve with sumptuous soft furnishings and quality lamp fittings. The waiting staff don’t seem to have a uniform, they just seem to wear black trousers and a white top of their choosing and the tables and flooring are bare wood, so it is comfortable and unpretentious but unfortunately the many hard surfaces also means that there is little to soften the noise levels which takes away that feeling of relaxation and comfort for sitting over a meal. Having said that, I wouldn’t want to sit in silence like it’s a doctor’s waiting room when it’s impossible to avoid hearing the conversation taking place at the next table, so in some ways it adds to the atmosphere. The place is quite exotic, it’s certainly different for Hertford and as far as we’re aware, there isn’t anywhere in the area that is anything like The Hummingbird and it’s decorations so it makes a good change to have something different in the town centre especially when there are already so many places to eat.
We were shown to our table when we were ready and Hugo was our waiter who was knowledgeable about the menu and gave us some useful pointers eg. We weren’t sure if ‘small plates’ meant starters or were more like tapas, Hugo advised us they’re starters or a few could be ordered as tapas instead of a main, he also explained the menu has gluten free and vegetarian options. Our starters arrived 20 minutes after ordering and our mains arrived 30 minutes later which was fine considering everything is made on the premises and then cooked to order and it gave us time to linger over our starters.
Starters – We had the tiger prawn scampi (£6.75) which had a light crispy breadcrumb coating and lovely fresh prawns within. We also had the potted smoked mackerel with beetroot jam and lemon cream (£6.50). The beetroot jam was very soft and the lemon cream appeared to be lemon mayonnaise. Additionally we had the board of cured meats with balsamic onions and toast (£6.50). The cured meats appeared to be made up of two types of salami and prosciutto. The balsamic onions were sticky, sweet and tangy and went really well with the cured meats.
Mains – Victoria tried a trio of small plates, Hugo recommended three to four for a main meal. They were the Yakitori beef which came with bok choi, avocado and wasabi puree (£8.50). The beef was soft and tender in a soy glaze and had good Asian flavours that you’d expect, but the bok choi had clearly only been shown the pan as it was practically raw and although we like our vegetables al dente this was a little too undercooked. Her second plate was Cajun salmon tacos (£7.95) which disappointingly had very little Cajun seasoning and did not have the distinctive flavours we’d expect from a Cajun mix of spices so it lacked some punch. The salsa would have benefited from more lime juice and seasoning. The third dish was home-smoked duck (£7.50) which had a very delicate smokiness and came with broccoli which was al dente and just to her liking. The soy was a little overpowering which was a shame as it overtook the more delicate flavours and made it too salty. The duck was cooked to perfection as there was still some pink which we recognise is difficult to judge when smoking a duck. The carrot ribbons and peanuts added some good texture to the dish and gave it some balance.
The other two mains that we had were The Reuben burger with salt beef, sauerkraut & Swiss cheese (£13.50) and a 225g ribeye steak with chips, field mushroom & watercress shallot salad (£28.50) with a béarnaise sauce. We were asked how we’d like our steak and burger cooked and both were cooked to our liking and the seasoning was spot on to give a good flavour. The burger was thick and juicy and not at all greasy. Each mouthful had a good ratio of burger to bun, had a lovely crust on the outside. David is still not sure about sauerkraut but that’s just his personal view, it wasn’t that there was anything wrong with it, it is just he can’t decide if he likes it or not. What was good were the skin-on fries which were more like chips, lovely and crispy outside and soft inside. The coleslaw was also a good addition as it added a lovely crunch to the burger.
My steak was cooked to perfection, it was well rested so it didn’t ooze blood, cooked enough so that most of the fat and the connective tissue rendered down but still tender and moist. The chips were chunky, crisp and plentiful (in fact I left some), and the large field mushroom was the usual traditional accompaniment. Personally, I miss having tomato with a steak, I think it balances out the firmness of the steak and chips and adds a freshness but again that’s just me and I understand that it doesn’t float everyone’s boat and I assume that the chef felt the watercress shallot salad did that. I’m not sure it worked but it’s good to see a chef using his imagination without adding ingredients just to be ‘different’ and without really thinking through whether it adds to the dish.
Our only real complaint across all the hot dishes was that they weren’t really hot and the plates were cold. However, this may not be due to the kitchen staff as we noticed that the bell for service was rung several times before a waiter appeared on a number of occasions throughout the evening. We don’t know if they couldn’t hear the bell or if it was because there just weren’t enough waiting staff, it certainly seemed that they could do with a few more staff, or maybe the ones they have need more training so they work more efficiently. Having said that, Hugo was on his toes all evening, checking guests had all they needed, bringing food and drinks and generally doing what a good waiter does – rushing round but looking like he isn’t.
Our desserts arrived just after our coffees (as we requested) 22 minutes after our orders were taken, so again about the right time for our mains to go down a little and relax before tackling pud which we were all unsure if we could manage. However, no-one can say we are not dedicated to our cause and so we each chose something different to try some of their range of desserts.
We ordered the British cheese board with seasonal chutney and grapes and ‘artisan’ biscuits (£7.75). The plum and pear crumble with maple granola topping and ginger ice cream (£5.50) and the bitter chocolate and orange delice which came with honeycomb and salted caramel ice cream (no individual price as it was part of the Christmas menu).
The cheese board was good, the cheese was at room temperature and so was flavoursome and was made up of a good range of cheeses, these were Wookey Hole Cheddar, Tunworth (similar to Camembert) and Cropwell Bishop Stilton. The ‘artisan’ crackers were a little underwhelming as they seemed to be something like a high fibre cream crackers and two types of water biscuits. No sign of the grapes so we assume these were forgotten not that it mattered as it happened.
The chocolate and orange delice was, as you would expect, very chocolatey and smooth although quite heavy for a delice which would usually be more like a mousse than thick fudgy ganache. Even though it lacked lightness (and any layers) it tasted really good. A hint of orange and a rich dark chocolate flavour. It had collapsed a little but maybe this was due to the heat of the kitchen or perhaps it had been waiting to be served for a while under heat lamps. What was disappointing was the honeycomb which I usually love but on this occasion, even though there was just a scattering of little pieces on the plate, I couldn’t eat them as I’m pretty sure someone picked up salt instead of sugar when it was made which unfortunately, made it inedible. Quite a shock to the palette! The salted caramel ice cream was good and went well with the delice, maybe some of the salt which was intended for the ice cream slipped into the honeycomb mix by accident.
It’s such a classic dessert which never fails to bring back childhood memories and so we really hoped we wouldn’t be disappointed and I’m so pleased to say that it was a delight. It was also served on a board (like the cheese) but in a mini cast iron skillet which was perfect for keeping the crumble hot. It had good flavour and excellent ratio of topping to fruit. It wasn’t too sweet or sour but just right and the topping, although lacking in much maple flavour was still good as it wasn’t too lumpy even though it was a granola instead of the traditional flour, butter and sugar mix. The fruit had bubbled through to the top a little to tempt us into delving down to it’s warming depths, and delve we did! A winter dessert we can recommend.
After our meal we asked to see their private dining room upstairs, and I urge you to do the same. It is a room of calm tranquillity away from the hubbub downstairs. There is a beautiful dining table that seats 14 plus a comfortable lounge area. The theme from downstairs is carried through but in a more subtle way, it is a cross between an old school gentleman’s club and a fun and cosy dining room. It’s a perfect place to hold a dinner party for friends and family or even for a business meeting over lunch. There’s free wifi and free use of the room if ordering from the restaurant's main menu.
Our overall summary of The Hummingbird is that the food is good, the atmosphere is warm and inviting (but noise levels high, at one point 82dB in the restaurant) and the lighting and seating are comfortable and the design and layout is interesting and attractive. We were somewhat surprised and disappointed with the baby changing/accessible toilet as it had open boxes stacked up in there (not very hygienic when the contents are going to be put out on tables). There was a high chair in there which may have been broken and put in there out of the way of the restaurant but it may just be kept there until needed. I don’t feel a wc is a suitable area for storage. The other toilets are upstairs. All have lovely hand wash and hand cream which is a nice touch.
We all felt that the waiting staff could do with more training although they were friendly and tried to be helpful. Maybe they were still a bit nervous as they were all young and obviously inexperienced and had only been doing the job for a short period of time. This is with the exception of Hugo who in our opinion should be training the other waiting staff as he was head and shoulders above the others in attitude, knowledge of the menu etc and attentiveness. It all seemed instinctive to him which is just what a really good waiter needs, I hope Jan Nova (the general manager) keeps Hugo happy to work there as it would be a loss to the restaurant to lose him.
The food on the whole was good but with some issues, however, we should remember that this is a new restaurant with new kitchen staff coming together (although I believe the head chef, Adam O’Sullivan is very experienced), but some allowance I believe should be made especially as this was probably their busiest time of the year and were making dishes for a menu they were unfamiliar with.
Even though there were some mistakes, we enjoyed most of what we had and it was all presented attractively although not terribly imaginatively. We all agreed that the ‘dish of the day’ was my ribeye steak which just melted in the mouth, was cooked to perfection and had a gorgeous flavour.
We would recommend the bar and restaurant for groups of friends out for a laugh and good time, but maybe not so much for a romantic meal out for two as it’s just a bit too noisy for intimacy although the lighting and décor do lend themselves to such a situation. We would certainly advocate booking the private dining room if you’d like a more mellow or private area to eat, drink and talk, I’m desperately trying to find an excuse to book this room as it’s a delight.
Check out their website for offers eg. Half price Prosecco on Fridays and the ‘special’ nights eg. Steak and Wine night on Wednesdays etc. for more information about the venue and menus and booking online:
https://thehummingbirdpub.com/
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