Billy & Me Quest for Eats

So we’ve been asked to comment upon Rummers (apparently not a reference to spirit soaked drunks), a fairly unassuming pub in Cardiff by.. well I suppose I should refer to him as a friend (this chapee here:)…. But we’re not entirely sure why…

We had stopped over in Cardiff to see Joe, our former flatmate, on our way to the camping holiday in the Brecons. We hadn’t seen Joe for a while and had a genuinely lovely morning walking into Cardiff centre via a riverside walk and, after a good hour or so in the National Museum looking at stuffed seagulls, hearing the booming voice of a whale condemn us and our earth-raping kind, and lingering over the stunning sketches of DaVinci, we were kinda peckish.

There was some genuine nostalgia for Deptford days as I dragged us from place to place; refusing to enter a franchise I recognised and eschewing all things chrome… searching for Authenticity. Even the faux authentic would do. I’m not hard to please; write up your menu with chalk, put a stuffed animal over the bar and call your sliced pan ‘rustic’ and you’ve pretty much got me fooled.

Rummers delivered.

Now the food wasn’t that great. A bowl holding a chicken breast wrapped up like some Egyptian prince in bacon slices and draped generously in a tomato sauce… a thick slice from a steak and ale pie; black pie-juice oozing out to be eagerly mopped up with fries and peas… It was all perfectly fine.

But… nice relaxed staff, crazily uneven wooden furniture, names scraped like schoolyard compass graffiti into the table tops, old skool prices… It had me at hello.

Eoin: 6
Billy: 7
Googlemap: I actually can’t find the address of the place online… Errr… it’s near the castle… beside the Millets with the cool action-pants on sale.

Having narrowly avoided releasing flocks of sheep hell-bent on automotive suicide and skirting through small lakes of crimson muddied waters we arrived at the Black Mountain Campsite. The name is something of a misnomer as its actual location is perhaps a hours drive from the mountains. But close enough to begin our weekend of walks and outdoor fun in Wales.

The campsite appeared well poistioned for walks and with excellent facilities…. at least according to their website… But also, to be fair to our naivety, according to reviews on VirtualTourist and TripAdvisor.

Drawing information from the stoic man in reception was akin to my drawing a warm welcome in Cork. As he kicked his dogs to aside, the dialogue unfolded like this…

Man: “… ”
Us: “… Hi, we’d like somewhere to pitch our tent tonight”.
Man: “… ”
Us: “…Ermmm…. would it be okay to pitch it here… in this… campsite ”
Man: “Yes ”
Us: “…”
Man: “… ” (he moves to close the door)
Us: “Oh! Excuse me! Where would we set up the tent?”
Man: “Over there (note that he does not signal any location) or in the high field”
Us: “Errrrrrr”
Man: (Again the man moves to close the door)
Us: “Sorry! Where?”
Man: ” Over there” (this time he nods to his left)
Us: “…. And where is the High Field”
Man: “Drive back the way you came and take the left instead of the left you took”
Us: “…”
Man: (He finally succeeds in closing the door)

We are about to knock on the door again to ask about the facilites but decided against it thinking we should be able to locate them ourselves. Shortly afterward as we set up our tent on the raggedy unkempt lawn we noticed that the equally raggedy denizens of the campsite who emerged from their trailers to gather in small groups to peer, alluding somewhat to the mise en scene of David Lynch’s earlier works.

So onto our reason for this adventure; walks and picnics. These were, to give the locale its due, lovely. The lakes around the Brecon’s are well worth your time. The way-marked trials are easy to follow, none too crowded, and very scenic. What the surrounds lack in drama they make up for in tiny treasures. Bursts of bluebells beneath sagging old oaks; lines of silverbirch sketched sharply in the dark under the pine trees; fascinating little treasures of owls and foxes sculpted into tree trunks dotted along the path; all rather lovely.

After our jaunt, we drove on back to our campsite; relishing what the Curry Night sign by the pub door promised. Relishing in vain!! We rocked up to the bar, eyes wandering over the menu, to be told that we had missed the closing of the kitchen by 10 minutes. Asking for just a basket of chips or even some toast was met only with apologetic smiles. So… we accepted it as being our own fault and settled down with pints hoping to mask our hunger before returning to our cold tent.

… What led us to into a simmering hunger-fuelled rage was our spending the next 40 minutes seeing every table around us being served heaped portions of lasagne, fish pie, steak and the like. Their mild irritation at being served some three quarters of an hour after ordering didn’t quite meet ours as, again, we were told that the kitchen had closed an hour ago and we would have to try again tomorrow night.

These kind words of advice unsurprisingly failed to cheer our spirits as we tucked into our peanut dinners…

The following morning we decided against spending even a few coins on the battery operated showers; the dank unlit rooms with no shelves and crooked doors failed to entice. We simply packed our tent and headed on our way.

Billy: 0
Eoin: 0

Google map location here
Black Mountain Campsite: http://www.blackmountainholidays.co.uk/

Mint in Streatham was a very pleasing find last Saturday night. Having recently moved into the area we haven’t really had much of a chance to explore as of yet. Poor litt’ Billy’s been gnarling and gnashing indignantly.

Oddly it seems that I’ve discovered one of the best kept secrets in London, or I imagined the entire evening. As the bar fails to make an appearance on beerinthe evening, fluidstyle, viewlondon or any of my usual mainstay sites. But this looks like the only mistake the management have made as everything else is spot on.

We arrvied back from the West End after a day of serious shopping. I always find shopping for glasses or shoes stressful and, having spent hours doing both, I was in the mood for beer, and a lot of it. Thankfully Mint provided.

We popped off the 159 early to see more of our new area; full of high hopes for Streatham High Street (recently voted the worst high street in Europe). We weren’t too dissappointed spying a few places to try out again: Bar 61, Perfect Blend and Chico’s among them.

Mint is simply a nice place with nice people. The staff are attentive, chatty and quick-witted and the customers seem chilled and good-humoured. Even the security carry out their job with inobtrusive efficiency and humour.

We order a steak sandwich. Always a risky venture as you’re never quite sure what will be served up to you. Billy was delighted as the meat came as steak always should; seared, rare and bloody. The large fleshy portobello mushroom and the thin layer of strong cheddar worked a treat.

A moment should also be taken for their cocktails (happy hour from 5 til 7). The aptly named Lychee Love Machine is composed of ground fresh lychees, lemongrass, something else that I’ve entirely forgotten, vodka and topped off with cinnamon bark. It’s an interesting and varied cocktail menu, and not too pricey.

In short, Mint is something Streatham needs; somewhere with good food and service with comfortable surrounds where you can sit, chat and relax.

On a tangent, I’ve read recently that Lambeth council plan to take action against the bar as its shopfront is breaking the conservation order placed on the area. I find this startling as the street is simply ugly: plain and simple. Rows of bookmakers, takeaways and franchise stores do little to add to local character. It would be something of a disgrace if one of the few businesses to add at least something to the appearance of the high street with well-designed and welcoming front was taken to court for its efforts.

Billy:7
Eoin:8
Location: As mentioned above, this bar is impossible to find online so I don’t have an address for it. You’ll find it on Streatham High Road, opposite Streatham Hill station.

I think this is a pub that deserves a lot more attention (though not too much; then Billy might not get through the crowds to get his Friday night feeding).

In an area often derided from being devoid of any daring dens of.. okay, I’ve run of of ‘d’ words… New Cross isn’t exactly famed for its tempting array of eateries and bars. To be fair, that’s not without reason; the A2 snakes through the area covering everything with a thick lair of soot. Many of the shop-fronts on the street are boarded up and there’s always some hassle by the train stations. In New Cross, the sirens never stop.

But, I have to point out, having lived there for well over a year; there are some fantastic places to go and things to see. While, you might have to put more work into finding them then you would in Brick Lane or similar; I’ve found that there are often of more genuine worth and sincerity. Whether a gallery, a cafe, a market, or, in this case, a pub.

The Walpole is, simply put, a bloody good pub.

On a Friday evening, you can usually get a seat with after a short wait at the bar. On a Sunday you can stroll in and there’s still some hustle and bustle to keep you alive and entertained. The crowd’s a great mix of students from Goldsmiths across the road, market traders and locals. There may even be a gig on and, should it be the guy we saw a week or so ago, you’d be very lucky. Somewhat reminiscent of Billy Bragg, the singer-songwriter had string of lyrics both cynical and loving of the area.

The food is unusual in two distinct ways: 1) it’s New Cross and it hasn’t been deep-fried and 2) it’s thai food and it’s varied and good. We’ve had chicken-on-a-stick with satay (good sauce; rich and nutty), pad thai (the thai staple; served hot, very spicy, and with that fresh bite that Thai food should always have), green curry (this, frankly, wasn’t all that hot), and beef fried in basil (which was excellent). I’ve been served far worse in Bangkok… and I was never served bad food in Bangkok.

Billy: 6
Eoin: 8
Locations:
407 New Cross Road
SE14 6LA
Google it here

(Image is stolen from http://www.fancyapint.com/main, sorry guys).

A very short entry; it’s not a particularly interesting story. It’s just to highlight a pub that we think is rather nice and serves rather nice food in an area that is largely devoid of such. Also it gets slated on beerintheevening and we think the entries are a bit unfair.

The menu is a fairly basic pub food menu; meat and chicken dishes. They do however succeed in that one criterion that so many fail to even realise is important; simple food is fantastic if you just use good ingredients.

We had:
Italiano Chicken. Described as “chicken breast wrapped in bacon”; it rather impressed our companion as being wonderful moist roast chicken wrapped in crisped parma ham.

Lamb shank was excellent; the meat strongly flavoured and waiting to fall from the bone and into my belly where Billy waited with great expectations.

It’s an area where it can very difficult to find anything at all nice to eat (unless you really do enjoy the endless mediocre tapas of Greenwich village). It can be difficult to find a nice pub where the television doesn’t blare out over your every word. It can certainly be very difficult to find a quiet table on a Saturday night. The Guildford Arms provided all of these and, for anyone living in the area, it’s a hidden treasure for doing so.

Eoin: 7
Billy: 8
Extra super new score for general niceness: 8
Link to gmap here

The Alexandra Bar and Eating House
376 Seven Sisters Road,
London,
N4 2PQ

Very mediocre pub. Not too bad, but nothing really to recommend it either.

Nice staff (though 5 minutes for two beers when there are no other customers is a bit much; also just dropping them on one end of the bar and not telling us they’re there, when we’re sitting by the bar, was also none too welcoming).

Full of irritating little wideboy-wannabes. Group of 5 or 6 lads kept pushing around the very small bar, calling to each other, and opening all the doors on a really cold night; pretending to look for dealers/customers. Ch*v w*nkers.

Though, to be fair, pretty good thai food at a very reasonable price. Served very promptly from an interesing menu. Unfortunately, the slightly-too-loud crap dance music didn’t exactly add extra spice to the meal.

Link to gmap
Billy: 5
Eoin: 4 (lost a point or two for atmosphere)

The Salisbury, Harringay
1 Grand Parade,
Green Lanes,
London,
N4 1JX

Very very very nice pub.

We headed in on a cold night after a long long day and received a warm welcome in this warm comfortable environment. The pub itself could easily veer toward the ostentatious on account of the impressive ironwork over the door and roomy wooden rooms. But friendly staff (made all the more obvious by how many regulars they knew the names and regular drinks of) certainly produce an excellent pub.

Food was quite good. It can be hard to find good mussels in London pubs and I wasn’t disappointed. Just a personal preference; I’m not a big fan of a white sauce on seafood.

Link to gmap

Billy: 8
Eoin: 6

The Freemason’s Arms
32 Downshire Hill,
Hampstead,
NW3 1NT

Neither Billy nor I had been to Hampstead Heath before. Billy claimed he holidayed in the area some ten years ago during a crazy hedonistic student binge weekend… but I’m not sure I believe him (luckily he rarely reads the blog, so probably won’t see that…).

The three of us ventured up on a Sunday afternoon, just to go somewhere different. It really is a lovely park. It’s large enough to actually be able to stretch your legs without just running around in circles desperately avoiding an exit. The view across London is truly spectacular and great for the inevitable “what’s that over there?” game. Very pleasant afternoon.

And a very pleasant pub. The Freemason’s Arms is quite a find; it’s one of those pubs you stumble across at just the right moment of thirst, hunger, and chill and are met with good food, good beer, and chatty good staff. The interior is very well decorate; bare stone walls with various Buddha statues and similar dotted throughout. It’s subtle enough to create a pleasant interesting atmosphere without falling into pretension.

The staff are very fast on their feet without seeming hurried (I think the word I’m searching for is competent). Billy was delighted at a good range of filling foods. What’s on offer is basically pub grub (mash potatoes, steak, pie, etc.) with a touch extra (some roast asparagus on the mash) which actually works very well. To be honest, for the price, I expected slightly something more flavoursome having ordered a seared tuna steak on a bed of crunchy asparagus and mash. But, it was perfectly fine.

The reason I would recommend the Freemason’s so highly is a combination of staff, atmosphere (noisy with people laughing and chatting; not music or flashing machines), and a great location (just at the edge of the park).

Eoin:7
Billy:9 (though, this is in the throes of illness so his appetite wasn’t all that it could be)
Super new special score for atmosphere: 9
Googlemap: here

The Dicken’s Inn in St Katherine’s Docks

To be fair, before we start slapping this pub about the face, we should lay out the context. When I first came to London (when I were a wee lad, and Billy hadn’t even learned to wiggle), I went to Katherine’s Docks and was gobsmacked. I hadn’t travelled much at all, and this lovely mess of water and walkways, bars and ships really grabbed my imagination. I returned a few years later with some friends, on an absolutely wonderful weekend of debauchery, had drinks and chats in this flower-laden pub in the sun. So, to be fair, when I revisited this spot today… it could never live up to the memories I had.

… though also, to be fair, the food and the service are shit.

It’s always empty inside and with good reason. The outside area is actually lovely on a sunny day. The exterior of this three floor wooden building is covered with bright cheery flowers flowing over the solid balconies and mezzanines. It has a large interior bar on the ground floor, a pizzeria and a full restaraunt on the second and third stories.

But the food and service are shit.

It has big wide windows, affording striking views of the Tower of London, that are great for people watching. It’s in a great location far from the sounds of London traffic and should be a relaxing location to meet mates, have some nosh and slowly reach a very satisfying state of inebriation.

… But the food and service are shit.

On a Sunday afternoon, most of the menu wasn’t available. What was on offer was either cold and jelly-filled meat pie, a rather soggy cold quiche, or a roast that looked like it was left over from the week before. The staff were unhelpful and aggressive (moreso with each other than with the customers admitedly; the barman took a break from my order to shout at the top of his voice some entirely intelligible at the floor staff, before walking off and shouting at another barman to serve me).

The beer was poorly poured (and, y’know it’s not that hard to pull a pint), the food wasn’t even stodgy enough to interest Billy (and Billy’s interest would be piqued by a fried rat), and the staff ill-mannered.

It’s a shame as it is a lovely building and it does have great views, but… the food and service are shit.

Multimap: here

Billy: 4
Eoin: 3

The Lamb and Flag

24 St James Street
London
W1U 1EQ

“The Lamb comforts you and the Flag salutes you!”… or something like that. I was rather drunk at the time and can’t quite remember what the blackboard (sorry! chalkboard) exclaimed.

Billy and I were meeting a mate from our old work place (I say “our”, all Billy ever worked at there was pasty-consumption). By coincidence, this particular friend was the person who first suggested Billy’s existence and who most celebrates his ravenous appetitites.

We were exhausted (having been kept awake half the night by a gymnastic mouse who kept scaling our curtains only to fling himself bodily to the wooden floor… furry little git), but delighted to meet up again in St. Christopher’s Place. Friday night by Bond Street and we, after a perfectly acceptable wait, had a table to ourselves in a rather nice pub. Wood panelled walls and a fair selection of beers. Staff who can pour Guinness and smile. Not too bad at all.

Food is a familiar menu for pub grub in the area; pastas, baked potatoes, roasts and… Pies!! Seeing as the dinner was, in some ways in Billy’s honour, Pies seemed most appropriate.

I selected the special Pie of the evening; a beef and ale Pie served with mashed potatoes and vegtables; our companion for the evening ordered a similar dish but with chicken and bacon Pie.

The meal was a good size of filling stodgy food (Billy was delighted, doing little wormy somersaults). The spuds and veg were covered in a good portion of a nice mild gravy. The mash was real potato; very creamy and ‘moreish’ (damn, I can’t believe I just used that word), but a little on the tepid side. Veg were fine; but I think it wouldn’t have hurt too much to have looked in a market rather than a fridge. But… onto the Pie. Good think pastry, thick dark sauce, big chewy chunks of beef… Not too bad at all.

Not great, but none too bad; especially considering the location. I’ll certainly be going back (to Billy’s delight).

Billy: 8 out of 10
Eoin: 6 out of 10

Multimap link here

O’Conor Don
88 Marylebone Lane, , LONDON, W1
Tel. 08713326389

Billy’s still surprisingly quiet from last week… poor little fella. He stuck his head up briefly to holler for food as I left work; so a ‘ham and cheese melt’ bagel was procured on the way out. We were meeting a friend for a poetry reading in Marleybone. Which seemed good, but it was too hot and we were too tired to stay standing. Which was a shame.

But we discovered a new area in the process, and both Billy and I are delighted at it’s possibilities. It’s called Christopher’s Place, and it’s hidden just off Oxford St. It’s an area that has confounded me a thousand times over while searching for a snack and/or a pint at the end of scouring sales. So finding streets chocked full of food vendors offering all varieties of treats was cause enough to rejoice.

We were searching for pub grub and were directed to the O’Connor Don. Nice place and, oddly, it even seems like a real Irish pub (which makes a welcome change from O’Neills; which still makes me want to flay myself with a rusty spoon whenever I pass one by). Very friendly staff, a genuinely good pint of Guinness and competent food. Not great, but competent. I had a Caesar salad with anchovies. Tad too heavy on the sauce and not a lot in there bar lettuce. The boiled egg on the side I assume was to ‘Irish it up’ a little.

The sandwiches and sausage and mash our companions had seemed, likewise, competent. Nothing special, but perfectly reasonable. But, to be fair, very nice surroundings and it being none too crowded (this was a Tuesday night though), made for a pleasant chat about torturing mice in some bizarre Fight Club scenario in university courses, cadaver harvesting, trekking in Siberia and excusing flatulence by blaming the volcanoes and holiday plans.

Billy: 5 out of 10
Eoin: 5 out of 10

Multimap link here

The New Globe pub in Mile End.

Link

Nice pub; always quite empty whenever I’ve been there (which is both good and bad I suppose). I’ve been told it can get very crowded with vomiting students by night though (but I have to point out; that I lived in the area for a few years and never witnessed such debauchery). I work nearby, so am starting to frequent the Globe whenever Billy gets angsty. Their brunch special usually seems to placate him for a few short hours.

For £3.50 you also can get:

• One fried egg
• One portion of chips (either really rather nice, or soaked through with grease depending on which member of staff is in the kitchen behind the bar)
• Two fairly good sausages
• One portion of beans
• Two pretty good slices of bacon

Coffee really ain’t too good. It’s pub coffee; so if you don’t expect too much, you won’t be dissappointed.

Rather nice and one of the only places in the area you can get this type of lunch in a pleasant environment. The staff have always been friendly, and the pub itself is a bright wooden interior by the canal (so you can even go for a stroll afterward if you’re so inclined).

Multimap link

Billy: 7 out of 10
Eoin: 7 out of 10 (remember marks are relative to the type of food)