The Star Inn 1744, Thrussington

Above photo from The Star Inn’s facebook page.

We’re easing ourselves back into healthy eating slowly following our honeymoon and so, when my mum suggested a last minute meal at The 1744 Restaurant at The Star Inn last night to celebrate my brothers birthday we both jumped at the chance!

The Star Inn is over 250 years old, a beautiful building full of character and history right in the heart of Thrussington (situated between Melton Mowbray and Loughborough ). Looking out onto a typically picturesque midlands village green, it was already dark when we arrived and all lit up, the pub looked really inviting.

Once inside, this is no old man pub, the space is open, airy and decorated in classic, warm and homely colours. The restaurant area is small but well proportioned, towards the back of the bar and up a couple of steps which gives it a nice ‘separate’ feel.

The Star has 2 menu options – the ‘Classic’ with starters priced from around £4 and mains from £9ish and the ‘Al a Carte’ with prices starting from around £5 for starters and £14 for mains. I opted for Al a Carte for both courses but you can mix and match if you want to.

To start I had smoked haddock risotto balls. They were absolutely delicious, the outer crisp cut open to reveal perfect risotto, seasoned well and really tasty. The puree was really sweet but worked well with the smokiness of the fish.

Smoked Haddock Risotto Balls with Wild Mushroom & Butternut Squash Puree – £5.25

For my main, I went for my ultimate favourite – Belly Pork. Unusually on this occasion it was served with kind prawns. The crackling was salty and crispy and the pork underneath was slow cooked to perfection. Mum had a real retro dish of liver and onions cooked with bacon and gravy. The liver was incredibly tender, unlike the grey overcooked liver you remember from your childhood. The second piece was a little sinewy but overall she enjoyed the dish.

Crisp Pork Belly and King Prawns with Mustard Seed Potato, Madeira Sauce – £15.95

Pan Fried Lambs Liver, Crispy Bacon and Onions with Mashed Potato and Gravy – £9.95

The birthday boy went for beef with cabbage and a red wine jus. The blade of slow cooked beef was amazing, really delicious as was the fondant potato. Definitely the tastiest of the four meals. There’s no photo I’m afraid but just to let you know, Dave went for his staple Steak – although this time, surf and turf style served with scampi. Everything on the plate was homemade, including the scampi which was gorgeous!

Blade and Fillet Medallions of Beef with Celeriac Puree, Savoy Cabbage and a Red Wine Jus – £16.95

We are all in agreement that the food at The Star Inn was absolutely beautiful, both looking and tasting – truly verging on fine dining. My staple favourite restaurant for a treat is the Manor House in Quorn and to be honest, that boat has been shaken so to speak. Dave & I will definitely be going back to the Star Inn soon.. its a real contender for my favourite local restaurant. The restaurant manager Adam Bacon gets a special star mention, his attention to detail and attentive service was second to none. The waiting staff were efficient and polite too, no doubt testament to his skill as restaurant manager.

Well done Adam and everyone at the Star Inn 1744, you are quite possibly my new favourite place to eat in Leicestershire!  🙂