The Navigation Inn is just 10 minutes from Central Milton Keynes, set alongside the lush setting of the Grand Union Canal at Cosgrove. It’s a very traditional, old style pub, with a beautiful view of the canal and barges that pass along the way. The pub was taken over by Dan (Head chef) and Duncan Cameron (his Dad) in 2007 with a view to change the pub’s food to a greater standard using fine and fresh ingredients. They also plan to create a 2 floored restaurant to utilise Dan’s London culinary skills to become a Michelin Star restaurant. Dan has signed a contract to appear on a TV show in the near future…watch this space for more details.

Décor                                                                                                                                                                                        The pub is pleasant but the restaurant itself could do with a revamp. The furniture is a tad oldy woldy. The menus themselves (printed on laminated A4 pieces of paper) should be changed because they do not reflect the lovely food.  The Navigation Inn has invested in good quality wines and a menu to accompany them but another small change would be to remove the burgandy  tissues from the wine glasses which are a little old school. The chairs are comfortable and tables chunky and solid. The establishment is held up with old beams, creating a nice feel for this exciting venue.

Atmosphere                                                                                                                                                                                We visited on a Friday night and there was a vibrant atmosphere with a live band playing in the next room. The bar and function areas were packed leaving a few empty tables in the restaurant area meaning myself and my guest were able to relax and enjoy our food in what was a pleasant atmosphere.

Food                                                                                                                                                                                          The starters consisted of  fish, mushrooms and chicken. This needs to be looked at, as my guest only likes chicken. Dan needs to just add a couple of other dishes to compliment his menu.

I had the Mushroom Risotto Balls which should be on the main menu as they were fresh, light, tasty, moorish, and very easy to finish. The favours were supreme (£4.95).

The Chicken Satay Skewers (£4.95) were marinated overnight leaving the chicken tender and flavoursome with a tangy peanut source. The satay had extra lemon, making them unique. The salad is zappy and delightfully crunchy.

For the mains Dan selected for me a special from the specials board, the Honey and Soy Roast Duck Breast, wilted spinach, sesame potatoes and caramelised figs (£12.45).  The duck was excellent. It was cooked leaving a lush pink texture, and was covered with a fantastic source. It was everything you could ask for. Soft, tender and succulent! The sesame seeds added a lovely crunch to the well cooked potatoes. I shall try and cook these for myself at home but feel Dan will need to give me a few tips! There was a big question mark on the figs. I’m not sure what to say on these so I am going to just give you some words for my thoughts - strange, Moorish, sweet,…ohhhhh….tasty…. likable? I ate two-thirds of the figs but they still left me feeling puzzled as my taste buds were not sure what to sense. Please send us your views.

My guest opted for the Goat’s Cheese and Butternut Squash Lasagne (£8.95). A pleasant change to the traditional Italian dish. It was topped with lots of cheese, served baking hot, with a powerful taste and full of flavour.

Desserts                                                                                                                                                                                        5 piece Cheese board  (£5.95) with a selection of British and Irish cheese’s. The most unique being the Guinness cheese with a black and white texture. This was a savoury king of cheeses. A perfect selection of crackers helped this be an amazing cheese board with a thinly sliced apple to finish.

Brownie (£4.95), warm, moist and crispy on the outside. Vanilla ice cream topped with a sprig of mint.

Service                                                                                                                                                                                      Our waitress Jade had a huge smile with a polite manor. She loved waiting on us and actually enjoyed delivering the food. Service was a little slow at times but this was easily forgiven because we were politely informed at the beginning of our meal that the bar was understaffed on this particular evening.

The whole experience was very exciting and we will be visiting again and again to monitor progress made by both Duncan and Dan in achieving their aspirations and goals. We and many friends will be coming back for sure to sample the new dishes, Sunday roasts and summer views.

Look out! The Navigation Inn holds “blind tasting” events. The concept is to be blind folded and have a chance to sample foods from around the world without using vision. Interesting!