A relaxing, genteel lunch at the Black Bass

I’ve been visiting the Black Bass on and off for years now, knew it had changed hands a while back, and was hoping things hadn’t changed too much. I wasn’t disappointed.

The Black Bass Hotel on River Road (Route 32) in Lumberville, six miles north of New Hope, remains a quiet, beautiful spot from which to sip cocktails on an outdoor deck with fabulous Delaware River views or dine peacefully indoors with confidantes and conspirators among the frumpy fabrics and peeling walls that give this riverside gem its somewhat decadent appeal.

The lunch menu included familiar standbys like Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad (crisp and airy) and Charleston Meeting Crab (a little watery and unadorned), along with Summer Lobster Roll (complimented the cocktails quite well) and the Barbecue Beef Brisket sandwich (the fresh horseradish saved it from ordinariness).

All in all, good times and friendly faces at a pleasantly familiar inn along one of the most beautiful drives in the world.