The Hopping Hare — Restaurant in England

Set back from the road in a residential area of Duston, the Hopping Hare is a curious entity; an unusual blend of hotel, restaurant, and pub. Having visited many times for business meetings in the past, we decided to visit on a Friday to try a meal. We were sat where the restaurant area seems to blend into the foyer. We both opted for the tasting menu with wine and were pleasantly surprised. The mushroom and chicken starter was lovely; creamy, well balanced and tasty, and the flavour combination in the duck dish was bang on, I could’ve eaten it again. The fish course was the highlight though; a simple Lemon Sole with caper butter, the sole was beautifully cooked, the potatoes and lightly dressed salad bringing everything together. Wonderful. The pairing glass of Pinot Grigio arrived very late, at the end of the main course. The waitress apologised. I initially didn’t mind since we’d ordered other drinks anyway, but this was until I actually tasted the Pinot; annoyingly it would have gone perfectly with the fish! The sorbet with shortbread, and the warm chocolate mousse dessert to finish were quite nice, satisfying. We thought the presentation of the dishes could be improved, simple garnish could change the game, but overall this was a very good meal with a focus on flavour delivery, representing excellent value for money. Shame about the timing of the wine, but nevertheless happy to...

I’m only reviewing the restaurant, I live locally so was not staying there. A friend booked it for a bank holiday lunch, I wasn’t expecting much, we were going for a catch up and a good natter and I’m not keen on the location, probably would have chosen a remote country pub. But it turns out that location does not matter at all. It’s a very pleasant, tasteful dining room, glass ware and flat ware were sparklingly clean, a good start. We had a nice greeting, the service was spot on, friendly and discreet, by all the staff. The menu choice was not extensive, but interesting. The wine list very reasonable, varied and balanced (there is usually too much focus on Sauvignon Blanc in most places - so last decade). Lunch was superb. Even the bread/oil platter was beautifully and imaginatively presented. we went straight for a main course and my lamb rump was amazing. a clever bit of cookery. It was as soft as butter, perfectly pink and very tasty, served with heirloom tomatoes, sauce vierge , goats curd, saffron new potatoes and I honestly could not fault it. Dessert was the same, beautifully presented, vanilla panacotta, with a strawberry parfait and a sorbet, delicate, fresh and tasty . The attention to detail was a refreshing change. The staff, managers and owners clearly care about what they are doing and it shows. Will...

The Hopping Hare is in a rather strange position on the outskirts of Northampton surrounded by houses and probably used to be a village location. But don't let that put you off. There is plenty of parking space, and when we arrived there was a friendly greeting and we were shown immediately to a table. At first there were not many other guests, but by the end of the evening the places was busy with a pleasant hum of conversation and laughter. The menu was decent although we weren't inspired by the choice of starters as we were looking for something simple. The main courses on the other hand were mostly good standard fare and three of us chose the Fish and Chips and one the Cottage Pie. The F & C was well cooked, crispy not soggy and the chips were the same so no complaints. The Cottage Pie was also tasty and well presented. We then moved on to desserts and the selection was much more to our liking than the starters and we weren't disappointed. I had the Dark Chocolate Mousse and the rest of the party enjoyed the Raspberry Parfait all of which were very good. The service throughout the meal was friendly and pleasant and the staff did everything they could to help us enjoy the evening. In short, strange location, good service, and value for money and we would happily go again for a simple...