CF Review: The Railway, Honiton

When everyone from your mother to the Devon Twitterati (Kirstie Allsopp included) mention a ‘great little pub doing modern Italian food up a side street in Honiton’, you know you need to pay a visit. Only 8 miles from our front door we finally nipped over for my birthday dinner a deux, last week.

Having both done stints as restaurant critics (me for The Resident, The Mayfair Resident and Grove magazines and him North West and Living North), we have been itching to get out and start sampling some of the great local foodie offerings Devon boasts, including Hugh FW’s River Cottage Canteen down the road in Axminster and Michael Caines (the two Michelin starred chef) in Exeter. But first, The Railway.

Now, I warn you. This is one hell of a glowing review, with few niggles and lots of praise, but what you have to bear in mind is that I was dining with The Italian, making any praise from his side of the table all the more impressive. As the fourth generation of restauranteurs at the now legendary Marine Ices in Chalk Farm, London – he knows his Italian grub. Plus, coming from a food obsessed Southern Italian family this kid know his arancini from his zuchini, and isn’t scared to convey his opinion (show me an Italian that is).

So, after a joyful peruse of the menu (“Look! REAL mozzarella!” (he means buffalo); “OH MY GOD FRITTO MISTO!” – you get the idea), we settled in with a pair of G&Ts and these, to kick things off:

Zucchini Fritti: Courgette, feta cheese and fresh garden mint fritters served with a white cannellini bean houmous and Sicilian Lemon.

The soft, oozy golden nuggets were everything I’d hope for, rolled into one: saline (feta), fragrant (mint), fresh and sweet (peas) – pepped up by a zing of lemon and smothered in the creamy bean dip.

Salumi Misti – The classic Italian pre meal selection, Sicilian & Milanese cured meats, Italian coleslaw, parmesan, Sicilian crostini & olives.

It was dark in there (hence the terrible pics), but I swear I saw a tear in The Italian’s eye when presented with this selection. In London at work this would have been his average on duty snack, but after a year in the countryside it was like coming home. The mortadella was a highlight, as was the crostini which had picked up the charred, smoky flavours from the brick oven.

We had hit the 8-9pm rush (for a Thursday night in the country this place was positively HEAVING) so mains were a little wait. We had both plumped for pizzas straight from the wood-fired brick pizza oven, with freshly made sourdough crust made from local organic flour. After our trip to Cornwall where The Italian learnt to make his own wood-fired pizza oven for the garden, he was after some inspiration, and a taste of home.

I had the prosciutto ham, fresh mozzarella, Dorset rocket and shaved parmesan, while he went for the garlicky mushroom, mozzarella, smoky bacon, onions and garlic butter.

Yes, they weren’t the huge, wafer thin bases you get in Naples but the generous hand in the kitchen had loaded the crisp, beautifully scorched pizzas high. My velvety strips of prosciutto were draped over the perfect sticky, sweet sugo with peppery rocket countering the flavours.

The Italian was thrilled to clock their take away service (any £10.95 pizza for £8.95) and will certainly be reordering his garlicky, funghi loaded offering.

Finally, a chink in the armour – the pastry on my Sicilian lemon tart had just caught (you can see the black rims on the photo), however the lemon curdy, sharp yet sweet, custard filling was sublime.

The husband’s chocolate tart with hazelnut crumble and vanilla pod flecked ice cream was another winner, giving him the sweet close he was craving. Basically we loved it. Truly loved it.

Moving to the country, I hadn’t quite prepared myself for the dearth of world cuisine offerings available. Yes you can get yourself a cracking fish and chips but some Lebanese meze? Sushi? Forget it. Italian however, The Railway has got it covered.

Details: Three courses, a couple of drinks and service came to around £65 for two. The Italian treated me for my birthday. www.therailwayhoniton.co.uk