How does your local pub fare with its fare?
Working on the principle that a local pub should tailor its offering to its local clientele, we embarked on a comparison exercise (well that’s what I’m calling it!) to see if I could identify which area in Chiswick has the best pub grub. Therefore, I invited friends to dine with me at their respective locals, which happily included some of Chiswick’s finest venues, and made notes under a number of headings.
Below are our findings (in alphabetical order)
April 19, 2008
The Bell & Crown |
|
Location |
Strand on the Green |
Décor |
Traditional well kept pub with various dining/ drinking areas some of which overlook the river |
Service |
Pleasant though somewhat haphazard waiter service or order at bar |
Menu |
Everything you would expect from a traditional pub with a few surprises |
Food |
Barbary duck breast, truffle pancake and spinach with baby onion gravy £13.95, Smoked haddock with poached egg mash potato, asparagus and a grain mustard sauce £12.95, bowl of chips (which for some reason were served as a starter) £2.50 |
Drink |
French sauvignon blanc 14.50 |
Price |
£41.95 |
Return |
Wouldn't rush back to eat but lovely setting for a summer evening drink |
Overall Rating |
6/10 |
The Hole in the Wall
|
|
Location |
Sutton Road North |
Décor |
Abundance of scrubbed wooden tables and chairs, roaring fires and a smattering of local celebs |
Service |
Waiter service at table |
Menu |
Imaginative gastro fare |
Food |
Calves liver cooked to perfection and served with pancetta, crispy sage and bubble & squeak £14.50, goat’s cheese with roasted tomatoes and spinach & mushroom confit £10.00 and home made chips £3.00 |
Drink |
Australian shiraz £14 |
Price |
Dinner for two £47.00 including service |
Return |
Without a doubt |
Overall Rating |
8/10 |
|
|
Location |
Evershed Walk (off Acton Lane) |
Décor |
Dark wood tables and chairs pack the pint-sized interior and number of picture windows break up dark wooden panelling on the walls. |
Service |
Order at bar |
Menu |
Comprehensive selection of creative dishes |
Food |
Complimentary basket of warm bread, olive oil and rock salt, grilled tuna steak with sautéed spinach, pine nuts, sultanas and anchovy £14.00, roast guinea fowl with confit onions, savoy cabbage & bacon gratin with chestnuts £13.00 (probably the best dish overall), less than generous side order of roasted new potatoes with rosemary £3.00 |
Drink |
Chilean cabernet merlot 14.50 |
Price |
Dinner for two £46.25 |
Return |
Cannot wait |
Overall Rating |
9/10 |
The Old Station House
|
|
Location |
Grove Park Road |
Décor |
Uniform gastro pub, low chocolate brown sofas on one side, scrubbed wooden tables on the other but on the whole inviting |
Service |
Order at bar |
Menu |
Rather uninspiring regular menu but complete opposite with the daily specials |
Food |
Courgette risotto £8.00, halloumi cheese, salad of spinach leaves, roasted red peppers and chick peas with an olive salsa £8.95 – both excellent |
Drink |
bottle of house white £15.50 (wine by the glass on the expensive side) |
Price |
Dinner for two £36.50 (including a bottle of sparkling mineral water) |
Return |
Yes but would stick to the specials |
Overall Rating |
7/10 |
The Pilot
|
|
| Location | Wellesley Road |
Décor |
Abundance of scrubbed wooden furniture and floors |
Service |
Waiter service at table |
Menu |
Appetisingly inventive, certainly something for everyone |
Food |
Chargrilled lamb burger with tzatziki, red onion salad and chips £10.50, Wild boar and apple sauasages with mash potato, spinach and red wine jus £10.00 |
Drink |
Fair Trade Organic Shiraz (£16 on card advertising 'New versus Old' but £17.50 on bill due to "unfortunate price rise" |
Price |
£41.55 |
Return |
Waiter's attitude towards aforementioned wine's unfortunate hike in price and his refusal to charge the price shown was irrating which was a shame because the food (and wine for that matter) was excellent. I declined to pay service and asked the waiter to take the matter up with management. Would go back but wouldn't be top of my list. |
Overall Rating |
8/10 |
The Tabard
|
|
Location |
Bath Road (close to Turnham Green tube station) |
Décor |
Traditional dark wood, red velvet with a ‘lived in’ feel |
Service |
Order at bar |
Menu |
typical pub fare (but posters promise future curry nights) |
Food |
Quite possibly the worst burger and chips ever made £8.50, mediocre beef and ale pie with mash (marks from the foil container prevalent on the pie) £10.50 |
Drink |
Favourite Rioja £15.00 |
Price |
Dinner for two £34.00 |
Return |
Only for the Rioja or a nightcap |
Overall Rating |
4/10 (although The Tabard doesn’t claim to be a gastro venue, their food offering is prominently advertised which in itself is a reason to expect better standards from the kitchen) |