The Crazy Bear is a truly unique hotel is a world of pretenders. The decoration is fantastic, eccentric but above all, quality. Ideally located on Beaconsfield High Street, the hotel hides itself well behind a red brick façade.
As part of the hotel facilities, there are three (soon to be four) restaurants. An English, Thai and Italian. We had Italian for our dinner, which is across the road from the hotel. We were escorted there and seated by a member of staff from the hotel, which was a nice touch.
The dining room is an opulent testament to the owner’s taste. While more French than Italian, the atmosphere, the menu and the experience is definitely Italian.
The furniture, soft furnishings, lighting and even the tables were decadent. The tablecloth was crisp white, the cutlery shone and the crystal glasses created an intimate and welcoming atmosphere.
“The Crazy Bear is an opulent testament to the owner’s taste.”
We began with arancino risotto and zuppa Toscana di fagioli. The ristotto came as a ball and was stuffed with mozzarella, Milano salami and basil and was covered in a tomato ragu. Everything was fresh, the ragu was tart, the salami added a paprika note and the basil was the ideal herb to have with it.
The zuppa Toscana di fagioli was a Tuscan bean soup served with pesto croutons. It was lovely. The beans were firm but soft, the broth a rich texture with a hint of salt and the pesto croutons gave everything a lovely tang. We also had a portion of Porcini and ricotta tortelloni which was fantastic.
Main course we had pile di melanzane and maialino da latte. The melanzane was chargrilled aubergine with rocket, parmesan cheese, tomatoes, roast peppers and walnut pesto. It was a fresh, earthy delight. Everything worked perfectly together and was an excellent dish.
The maialino was Gloucester suckling pig done Italian style and was lovely. The meat was pink, juicy and just fell off the fork. The Italian herbs and flair lent is a truly Mediterranean authenticity.
Our dinner at The Crazy Bear was superb. The service was great, the atmosphere relaxed and the food wasn’t bad either. We would happily revisit.
The Bill: £37.50 per head
