Randomness Guide to London Menu

Pub in Soho, serves real ale, real cider, Belgian beer, and good food.

The downstairs has an open-plan bit plus a few tables in a little hidey-away bit to the side of the bar. There's also a lounge upstairs with sofas, cushions, and even a standard lamp and recliner chair. There's a bar in the upstairs lounge, but it's not always staffed.

We've been here a few times now; it's possibly better in the afternoon, when it's less crowded, though it wasn't unpleasantly full on our one evening visit (on a Tuesday). Ewan has been there on evenings when it's been extremely full with loud, media types and it wasn't particularly pleasant, though the beer was some recompense. Even worse, when the place is busy, the staff turn the music up despite it being full of people *having conversations*, so customers have to shout at each other. On a Monday evening in June 2008, it was full by 6pm and getting more full; they were showing the European championship football in the room upstairs. On non-football nights the upstairs area can be completely empty even when the downstairs is standing-room only, so it's always worth checking up there.

Beers that we've seen on tap here include Adnams Broadside (£2.85/pint, June 2007), Bonkers Conkers (what a splendid name!), Crop Circle, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Greene King IPA, Belle-Vue Kriek, and some form of Frambozen (not all of these are on all the time). We've also seen Addlestones (around £3/pint) and Weston's (either Vintage or Organic, can't remember) cider on tap, as well as Brother's Bar perry in bottles (Festival Strength! 7%!). In June 2008, there was Bombardier Burning Gold (£2.95/pint), London Pride, Deuchars IPA and Old Rosie scrumpy. On the non-alcohol side, they offer acai berry juice and blueberry juice.

As well as bar snacks such as wasabi peas and pistachio nuts, they offer a varied and interesting-looking food menu (mains range from £6.90 to £9.90 for the steak), including several vegetarian options and some that looked potentially vegan.

"Light bites" might include smoked trout served with horseradish cream and buttered brown bread (£4.90, rather good, and not an insubstantial portion). Sandwiches are also on offer, costing from £3.90–£5.90; worthy of note is the fish finger ciabatta sandwich. Burgers are £7–£8, including the (vegetarian) falafel burger with stilton and mixed peppers. Chips are £2.50 (including aioli).

Platters and sharing dishes (only served after 5pm) feature things like olives, hummous, baba ganoush, pitta bread, falafel, wedges, etc. One dish is £3.50, three are £9 and five are £11.

They do a selection of desserts, all at £3.50, and we've also previously spotted a cheese board at £5.50, though it wasn't present on the June menu.

(Note that the menu does change, so the above-mentioned dishes may not be available on your visit; we were sad to see on our latest visit that the fishfinger sandwiches had vanished since the previous month.)

Food is served noon-10pm Monday to Saturday, and noon-9pm Sunday. They have a pub quiz (£2.00 entry) on Mondays from 7:30pm, and show short films on Sunday evenings.

Ewan comments: On a lunchtime visit in March 2008, the beers on tap were Erdinger and Paulaner Muenchen, Hoegaarden, Leffe and Frueli lagers, Deuchars IPA, Abbot Ale and London Pride (which was off on our visit), and Old Rosie, Addlestones and Aspall ciders.

It's not at all busy at lunchtime and was almost empty at 12:30pm, though the place started filling up while we were eating. I had the grilled halloumi with couscous and roast vegetables (£7.90, Flickr photo), which was very tasty, with expertly grilled halloumi, though the vegetables (aubergine and courgette) were a little dry and tasteless. Alice's toad-in-the-hole got a positive review (though the yorkshire pudding was a huge one into which bangers and mash were placed, rather than being an integral part of the dish). Note that the toad-in-the-hole was advertised on the specials board at a slightly lower price from what it actually cost (£8.50).

Bec comments: My lentil and spinach veggie burger (£6.90, Flickr photo) was massive and lovely. Very garlicky and not at all dry, which I think is where some veggie burgers go wrong. It came with massive fat chips and sour cream/mild salsa for dipping.

DrHyde comments: while the burgers and chips are a good size, some of the other dishes are decidedly miserly.

Accessibility: downstairs bar is accessible. Toilets are upstairs. The staff's moronic habit of turning the music up when it gets full makes it decidedly *un*-deaf-friendly.

See also:

• Beer In The Evening comments
• Fancyapint review
• Time Out review
• Ultimate Pubs Guide review
• Chris Heathcote's photo of the Sunday lunch