We’re lucky in Purley in being able to catch a train out towards the Downs and walk to a number of really nice pubs. So with the sun shining we set off and decided en route to head for the Kingswood Arms.
Within a stone’s throw of the station, the Kingswood Arms is a traditional pub with a conservatory restaurant and a decent sized garden. The pub part is stuffed full of golfing and darts trophies; the conservatory is light and airy, but it was the garden that attracted us. The menu was a bit more restricted out there, but it was such a nice day. With the Jubilee approaching the garden was covered in bunting, and ads for their weekend BBQs, but otherwise it was pretty quiet (so why some idiot had to sit directly behind me, and keep bumping into me I don’t know).
They wouldn’t serve the special menu dishes outside, and would only bring all the food together – so we passed on starters. For main course, I had the Barbary duck breast: this was a good portion of nicely-cooked duck, served with potato rosti and Provencal vegetables. The sauce was supposedly a “brandy jus” – a bit cloying. B had the king prawn linguine, which came with loads of prawns and, pleasingly, no tomato sauce.
Service was prompt and friendly (though you had to go in to order food and drinks), and the entertainment was provided by the manager having to re-attached the bunting to the sun-shades as it blew off in the wind.
With a bottle of Viognier at £18, the bill came to £45 – very reasonable for a good lunch in the sunshine.
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