Open Mon–Thu 11am–11pm; Fri 11am–12.30pm; Sat 10.30am–12.30pm; Sun 10.30am–10.30pm
The style:
Caroline Simmons of Fusion by Design has created a fun, stylish and relaxed environment. Lighter-than-usual wood panelling, wood floors and open fireplaces are complemented by booths with vintage telephones from which you can place your order, designer chairs (including the famous bubble chair), smart rugs and cool screen prints. There’s a cosy corner with the original reading book wallpaper and a dart board, a glass atrium with mismatched suspended table lamps, plenty of board games and newspapers scattered about, plus candles, just-right lighting and an eclectic soundtrack.
The crowd:
A real mix including middle-aged men playing darts and drinking at the bar, groups of 20-something-year-old guys and couples.
The food:
There are lots of ‘grazing’ plates on the traditional British menu, from fish pie (£5) and toad in the hole (£4.50) to ham hock terrine (£4) and lasagna (£5) but we chose mains of higgledy pie (squash, spinach and goat’s cheese) with buttered mash and honey roast veg (£10) and Highland mussels marinière (£12) with a side of triple-cooked chips (£3) – satisfying, generous portions even if they weren’t beautifully presented. This is unpretentious food with prices to match. Desserts of treacle tart with clotted cream and bread and butter pudding with drunken prunes (both £5 each; our first choice of sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel ice cream had sold out) were just as they should be if not a little too heavy. I could only get through a quarter of my pudding.
The drinks:
The short, well-priced wine list (all bins are under £30) includes a robust albarino, punchy malbec and a popular muscat. We probably shouldn’t have asked our lovely waitress for advice on the wine; the bottle of white rioja (£16.70) wasn’t great.
Craft beers and ciders include Meantime London Lager and an Aspall draught, while the Leapfrog Highball (Sipsmith gin, lemon juice and dry ginger; £5.50) is recommended from the cocktail list. Regulars are encouraged to bring along their own mug as friendly staff will fill it with a latte or Americano. We sipped fresh mint tea from their Monopoly mugs.
