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The Navigator Tries to Discover its Place in Ware

First impressions, as with nearly everything, are very important and in here they were certainly good. In contrast to my visit to its previous incarnation last year, The Navigator was very clean and lavishly furnished and I was met with a friendly greeting at the bar.

When I used to call in to the pub shortly after it had opened, it seemed that there was a much better choice of cask ales and that many smaller breweries were supported including some local ones. Now, it seems to have settled into more uninspiring choices and today I was met with Greene King IPA, Speckled Hen and Bombardier.

I chose the Bombadier but can't relly comment on taste because the flavour was masked by the fact that it was far too cold. It was served way below optimum temperature and it was an unpleasant experience just to hold the glass. The quality and range of ales has just deteriorated since the pub opened its doors. Admittedly the pint was only £2.05 but I wouldn't have paid half that.

There were many other beers available for lager lovers and beyond. These included Becks Vier, Staropramen, Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc, Fosters, Stella and Carling. There are thirteen wines on The Navigator list which range from £10.50 to £16.95 per bottle. Producers included familiar names such as Hardys and Penfolds. All wines were available by the glass with an average price of around £3.25 per 175ml.

I retired to take a rather sumptuous seat and peruse the menu.

The menu at The Navigator carries an interesting mix of dishes from the traditional pub style to the less familiar. Included here was lasagne at £5.65, Fish and Chips at £5.25 and Ham, Egg and Chips at £4.75. Other, more unusual dishes in evidence included Chicken Tali at £7.95.

There is also a range of snacks including sandwiches and baguettes, all of which average around the £5.00 mark.

The Chicken Tali involved a trio of different curries which were Rogan Josh, Malaysian with coconut and lime and a spicy South African version. This all proved much too tempting and so this is what I ordered.

Food took twenty minutes to arrive and when it did, there were vast amounts of it. The three curries were served in separate bowls alongside rice, a poppadum and two mini nan breads. Altogether I felt the meal was excellent. The curries each had their own distinctive flavour and were cooked perfectly. There were generous amounts of meat in each and the accompaniments were ideal.

Overall, The Navigator provided pleasant surroundings for lunch but the poor ale was a disappointment and I left with an unsatisfied feeling. However, cleanliness did prevailed throughout and this extended to the toilets. Staff were friendly and attentive and plenty of them were on hand to deal with the lunchtime crowd. There is also a pleasant courtyard beer garden alongside the river which is ideal during the summer

Having driven passed The Navigator many times at all hours of the day, we can vouch for the fact that it is always busy. In the evenings, it does attract a younger crowd which necessitates the use of heavies on the door and it can get very busy indeed. Overall it should be a positive addition to Ware.

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