Hungry? Here's an app for that

Sep 28 2010 Buckinghamshire Advertiser

As the dark nights draw in and the temperatures dip, it looks like summer is over for another year. But it is not all bad - what could be better than staying snug by a roaring log fire and eating lots of wholesome food to warm the spirits? CAMILLA GOODMAN went to review The Boot and Slipper's new autumn/winter menu to see if autumn in Bucks really does have its charming side

THIS quaint pub in Rickmansworth Road, Amersham, had caught my eye several times, so when I was invited along, I was happy to oblige and see if it was as good as it looked from the outside.

As I am vegetarian, I invited two of my meat-eating colleagues, Jack Abell and our new colleague, Lawrence Poole, so we could sample a wider selection from the menu.

I was pleasantly surprised with the number of vegetarian options. Normally I am lucky to have two (which usually works for me because I am so indecisive). Here, I was greeted by four options on the main menu, and a further two on the specials board, making my decision extremely hard because they all sounded so good.

To make my difficult decision even tougher, James, the very welcoming owner, said I could also choose from the vegetarian evening menu (usually available on Wednesdays), which added a further six choices.

I have never heard of a pub doing a vegetarian evening before so I was really impressed.

If you prefer things a little meatier, they have nights for you too. There is fish night on Fridays and Thursday is curry night.

We decided to skip the starters and head straight to the mains, although if we had managed to work up a bigger appetite I would have gone for the Stilton and peppercorn mushrooms (£4.75) and the boys would have gone for the sweet chilli prawns (£4.99) and the aromatic chicken skewers (£5.69).

After trying to come to terms with all my options, I finally decided on the feta and courgette lasagne (£8.59). The pub got some more brownie points here because they give you a choice of which side dish you want, as opposed to just telling you.

I decided to ditch the garlic oregano flatbread and opt for the golden chips.

Jack decided to opt for the 8oz sirloin steak (£10.99) cooked rare (my worst nightmare). Lawrence went for something that did not look quite so dead, the traditional steak and ale pie (£8.29).

The wait between ordering the food and receiving the food was also good. It took about 20 minutes, allowing us to indulge in some conversation and get to know Lawrence a little better. Besides, anything quicker than 15 to 20 minutes always raises my suspicions.

When my food came, I immediately knew I had made the right decision. The chips were perfectly cooked, having just the right amount of crispiness, and the lasagne, different from any I had before, was delicious.

It came in a round dish and had a slight little kick to it, but I think it really worked. Ever since I have been having cravings for more.

Lawrence said the steak in his pie was moist and succulent and the pastry was thick and crumbly. He seemed to be very impressed.

Jack said he could not fault his rare sirloin steak (urgh). He thought it was fantastic and a very good size.

We were all far too full up for dessert, which was a shame because there are some really mouthwatering options on the menu.

There are the more traditional options - such as chocolate fudge cake (£4.59), Bramley apple pie (£3.79), hot chocolate brownie (£4.89) and a cheese board (£4.99). But the one that really caught my eye was the chef's special - chocolate cookie cheesecake (£4.85) served with Channel Island cream and sticky toffee sauce.

Next time I will definitely make sure I have room for that!

The snug, homely atmosphere helps you relax and I would be happy to recommend this pub for reliable British comfort food at a reasonable price (they also do evening and lunch deals to bring the price down even further) as well as providing a fantastic service.

The Boot and Slipper gets a big thumbs up from me in all areas and I will be making a return visit in the near future.

what? The Boot and Slipper

where? 2 Rickmansworth Road, Amersham telephone: 01494 727 082 value for money? Reasonable prices with recession-busting special offers available too high point: Feeling spoiled for choice with the veggie dishes low point: Having to watch Jack eat a rare steak!