British food and drink in London

“I've featured my local Big Smoke pub before but on the rare occasion I found The Albion mostly empty, and serving the exceptional A&H London Black from the official glassware, I figured it was time to feature a review. I believe this was the second pub Big Smoke opened, building on the success of The Antelope in Surbiton. It's been here as long as I can remember, and at one stage had a Gin Distillery out the back which I think is now just garden seating (opted not to pap this, but there's a huge garden there with beer festivals held in the summer). Indoors, it's familiar to those who know the chain. Wooden panelling, ample seating, vinyl soundtracked vibe, 10+ ales and ciders, a multitude of keg offerings too including 2 AF options in the form of Lucky Saint and their own AF beer which has gone down well over the past month. You get a mixture of students, weekend shoppers, families and real ale folk in here, it's a nice melting pot of booze enthusiasts and those looking for a pub not surrounded by Vape Shops, a step away from the town centre, outside of the rampant demolition you see taking over Kingston. It's sort of a home away from home, despite only being some 15-20 minutes down the road from me, a chain familiarity but still less polished than those brand new Big Smoke pubs you spot in greater London. With time to kill it can be a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of town, but with Rugby on and one of the few spacious family friendly pubs in the area it can get quite hectic. A nice problem to have for Big Smoke. Food again is similar to the other sites, a sort of BBQ meets pub grub style, with plenty of bits in-between to choose from. See the place pack out for weekends with roasts on, and various offers during the week. The pub dates back to 1845, little known about its history other than it was advertised as a sort of taproom with a view to watch the recreational sports on the green. Once Greene King, now Big Smoke, another one saved from mediocrity.”

“Historic football pub, home to Brentford FC fans. Very good quality food and beer. Friendly customers and staff.”

“Friendly local pub with good beers and food nice friendly staff”

“Best food in the area hands down. Great owner. Great decor. Good atmosphere. What else can you ask for.”

“Oldest Pub in Barnet. I like the atmosphere here. Good selection of beers too.”

“Lovely local pub with live music on a Sunday evening. It's a great place to sit enjoying a drink.”

“Lovely barmaid, made us feel very welcome, good range of beers ,spirits and wines, very pretty smokers area out back”

“Excellent pub in Holland Park. Ambience is superb in a beautiful, picturesque setting full of flowers in the garden and cozy inside. Food was delicious - while on the pricier side, as expected for Holland Park, dishes were made with fresh ingredients and full of flavour. Do not miss the truffle mac and cheese and the cabbage! Reservations accepted inside but terrace is walk-in only. One point for improvement would be to extend their non-alcoholic beer range which currently is Heineken only, so not great, but hopefully over time. Staff were super friendly and attentive too, highly recommend.”

“Out of the way gem of a bar that's tucked away in a seemingly residential corner of London. Incredibly friendly staff! Great selection of beer and cider. Great bar eats! Highly recommend trying the Scotch eggs! Be sure to look up while you're there. The ceiling is also covered in dollar bills with little messages written on them.”

“Neat little pub. The service was great and the food was tasty. I didn't expect mexican food, but it was quite good.”

“Lovely little pub in Kentish Town. Loads of free comedy shows throughout the week downstairs which is the reason for my visit. Staff behind the bar are very friendly and the prices for drinks are reasonable. Didn’t get a chance to enjoy the outside drinking area due to the season but it looks nice.”

“Excellent food in a cozy, down to earth atmosphere. The Sunday roast was delicious--the sauce was flavorful and potatoes were slightly crispy, as if baked after steamed. The lamb neck with couscous could not have been better--tender and juicy meat falling off the bone. Starters were excellent as well-- delicate scallops with avo and bacon, and spicy squid in cream sauce with a baguette. One of the best meals!”

“Absolutely love this place,before and after Spurs games ,gets busy but excellent crowd and decent beer. Music and football playing on large televisions. Friendly staff and management,always a pleasure.”

“A unique and very special London pub experience. Fresh beer straight from the barrel in a historic building that makes you think that Pepys and Dickens might walk in any second. Decent pork pies, too!”

“Going to "The Plume" is like seeing an old friend, small things change but essentially the best bits remain. Fortunate because I met an old friend there and we quaffed excellent Harveys bitter and lager, eating well off of their seasonally changing menu. They are still misguided in their football affilliation, but that aside it's a well kept, well run pub and worth a visit to recharge after a brisk walk in the park.Recent managers installed who love the pub and don't see the need to change anything. Held a wake there and food excellent with great service. a pub that deserves to succeed.”

“We held my uncles Wake at the Harrow Inn yesterday. Alison and Dave were very helpful in making the arrangements over the phone, as we are not from the area. The buffet was plentiful and offered a great selection of tasty food. They were able to cater for our vegan and gluten free family members with a nice selection also. We had use of a private room and indeed the whole bar including the garden, should we have needed it. Friendly hosts and good food, we were pleased we chose this venue and would recommend it!”

“Great experience. Pat the Bouncer is a highlight. Looks after everyone and doesn't stand for bad people. This is an excellent pub with great staff. But kudos to Pat for keeping the area safe.”

“Absolutely amazing food with a good price tag. Staff are friendly, polite and attentive. I look forward to visiting again.”

“The food in this small community pub is very good. I had the bacon and cheese burger with chips and it was really nice snd at a reasonable to.”

“An ideal meeting place for a catch up with a friend. We had a table for two in front of a long fire. Very welcome on a freezing day. The food was very good and not expensive given the quality. But the beer was the highlight. Harvey's Bitter from barrels on the counter behind the bar. Properly kept and served. Wish it was my local.”

“A classic old English pub in a very quaint village. The real stand out here though is the food - pub classics done very well and the most delicious home-made desserts. Make a reservation and enjoy a hearty, comforting meal.”

“Never see my husband as happy as he tales in the real ale selection.great old fashioned inn.good pub food.very nice bar staff.and the whole place is spotless”

“Wonderful service, prompt with a smile, and really nice options on the menu. We ended up here somewhat by accident after the Grufalo trial and booked a table purely based on reviews. Although it was about 15 minutes away I'd say it was worth the drive. We had the double stacked friend chicken burger, pear and walnut salad, ribs for starter and the meringue which was a perfect summer dessert. Good vegetarian options as well. They cater well for outside bookings and are also well setup post Covid. Lovely pub, lovely people in a lovely area.”

“Just had an early evening meal here. Food was amazing and the service fantastic. It was quite busy but lots of staff to make sure everything went smoothly. We will definitely go back again. Highly recommend”

“All the best.Everyday fresh cooked food with different deliciousness suitable for all kinds of people.Nice friendly and so helpful stuff.High recommended!!!”

“Had an amazing experience! The manager (Aaron) was extremely helpful and super friendly. The Everyman is truly a notch above a regular cinema experience - so if you have the opportunity to go, I would recommend it!”

“Lovely theatre. Close to parking, great staff, good choice of food, and a perfectly sized venue (small enough you can see/hear clearly from any seat but large enough to attract interesting tours).”

“Warm, welcoming and just a lovely atmosphere. The staff here are very friendly and professional. It is a family owned business so that makes it even better. I have some very fond memories of coming to this pub, I would highly recommend it to friends. Their roast dinners and burgers are really lovely too.”

“Excellent dinner spot at borough market. Great place for meat lovers. One of our party also ordered a burger - just how they should be done. Monkfish was one of the best we ever had. Also very inventive salads fitting the ambiance of the place. Very attentive service. Highly recommended.”

“At least this restaurant justifies all the hype. The steaks are good and the rest are all quite standard. We ordered the tomahawk steak. The grill garlic scallops are very tasty. Service is pretty standard. No one pull our wine on the table throughout dinner. Everything is good enough but nothing special and no wow factor. Good enough to earn a 5 star. Food 8/10, service 7/10, ambience 7/10, value for money 7/10.”