Cock Inn Cockfosters

Visiting some friends in Enfield for the day, we needed somewhere to grab lunch that could accommodate four adults and three energetic children. Twenty minutes of um'ing and ah'ing later, we hadn't made much progress – it's quite a tricky dilemma you see, finding somewhere that serves above average food, with enough room for buggies and high chairs, that also has plenty of outdoor space to entertain (tire out) your children. Not that long ago I didn't have these types of concerns, my only thought was “what food do I fancy”… not a chance these days. Eventually, the internet came to the rescue, providing us with some insight into the local food options, and we made a decision – The Cock & Dragon in Cockfosters it was! Arriving at our destination, having passed a line of flashy footballer's houses, we squeezed ourselves into the most bizarrely laid out car park (think parquet flooring). The place looked good from the outside and, thankfully, the inside too – lots of dark colours and ornate wooden carvings. We did have a table booked in the dining room, but seeing as it was completely empty, we chose to eat in the bar instead (although I would suggest the dining room would be ideal for an evening meal). Off the boys went to the bar, returning with drinks and the announcement that they'd ordered us all some “thinking food”. Now, I'd never heard of “thinking food” before, I don't think the guys had either (they just got stupidly over excited), turns out though – the boys done good: two plates of beautiful prawn and squid dim sum, two plates of delicious satay chicken and one plate of crispy vegetable spring rolls – high fives all round. Now, I have to admit, we didn't do much thinking while we scoffed the delectable treats, thankfully though, it didn't take too long to decide what to order. I'd been craving duck noodles for at least a week, so that was me sorted: Phed Pad Hed Horm (roasted duck stir-fried with shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, ginger, peppers, onions, oyster sauce and soy sauce), plus a side of Braised Ribs. The boys ordered a Beef Rendang and a Lamb Massaman to share, along with some rice, then other Mummy opted for Lasagne – odd choice, I know, but it transpired she'd eaten Thai for the two previous nights and wasn't quite ready for a third. It didn't take long for the food to arrive, maybe 15 minutes maximum… not that we were complaining. By the time I'd finished photographing my duck, the boys had made more than substantial dents in theirs (hence the lack of pictures), there were plenty of appreciative grunts though, so I'm guessing they enjoyed it all. The lasagne was HUGE… my other Mummy companion had no chance of finishing it, especially with the garlic bread and vast amount of cheese it included. My duck, on the other hand, was a perfectly sized portion of fresh and tasty ingredients: soft duck, juicy mushrooms, a kick from the ginger – lovely stuff. The Braised Ribs, unfortunately, were more of a disappointment – whilst they looked meaty, they were mostly fat and I didn't get an awful lot of enjoyment from them. Happily well fed and needing an outlet for the kids to burn up their energy, we headed on out to the large back garden for some fresh air. For those with children, the back garden is very useful, plenty of space for running around, with a small wooded area containing old pub furniture and tyres – which some older kids were using to build a den. Overall we'd had an enjoyable time in Cockfosters and our companions were pleased to find a local ‘hidden gem’ – I'm pretty darn sure they'll be back, possibly a bit too far for me but one I would recommend for anyone living in the vicinity.