The Drayton Arms

The Drayton Arms, Old Brompton Road, South Kensington, built in 1860 and then rebuilt 1891, has to get a tremendous honourable mention here. We stumbled across this pub on our way back from Brompton Cemetery. Very charming and cozy and quite taken with the fact that there is a theatre upstairs. Still trying to figure out why I didn't take a photo of our lunch... guess not everything needs to be photographed or probably and more likely, too busy tucking into our scrumptious plates, my husband had the Devonshire Cheddar and Pancetta Burger and I had the Chicken Milanese. The gentleman that was working behind the bar, was the presumed host, delightful and friendly and the service fantastic. The pub had such a warm and elegant feel to it. The food was spectacularly delicious and hit the spot. Worth a visit and revisit! 

Ode to The Drayton Arms. Thank you and until next time... 

Tom Cribb

 

After a lengthy walk and a visit to the National Portrait Gallery left us spent and in search of lunch, we came across the historic Tom Cribb. Famously named after and in honour of the English bare-knuckle boxer, Tom Cribb, who was All England Champion from 1808 to 1822. From the early 1900's the pub was known as "Cribbs Parlour" and it was mention in M.W. Thackeray's novel Vanity Fair and was also referenced by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in Rodney Stone as "Tom Cribb's Salon".

The pub is cosy and characterful with all the usual pub fare in food and drinks. Our lunch time meal was a classic... fish and chips, Whitstable Bay battered Haddock and chips, with minted mushy peas, creamy tartare sauce, the fish was fresh, arrived that morning and the plate was generous... I needed help to finish mine. The cider and ale were refreshing too. Such a delightful and relaxed experience and meal.

To read more about the pub and its history visit their website: tomcribblondon.co.uk

Hitting the spot and kept us exuberantly full for the rest of the day. A scrumptious and generous meal combined with a friendly and warm atmosphere definitely worth a visit or in our case a revisit upon our return to London.   

English Pub Favourites

I have only been home for a few days and I am already itching to get back into the kitchen. There is really no big surprise considering that I brought back six cookbooks. However jet lag is lingering. So I thought I would do this post and share some of the menu choices I made while eating out.  

Usually when I go to England the ploughman's is the menu item I order. A quick glance at any menu when eating out and spotting a ploughman's means the search to fill the void is no more. Second to that is fish and chips followed by the Waldorf salad. 

The Ploughman's - The first Ploughman's I had was at the Old Bell in Rye, pictured here. By far this was the best one! The bread was cut thick and so was the cheese. The salad, fresh. The ham, tender. The apple slices crisp and a few crisps for crunch. Even though the ingredients to make up a ploughman's remains the same, every pub does it's own take on this pub classic. 

Fish and Chips - That is the standby favourite and I always have to have my fill. I do find fish and chips here and fish and chips in England are two different things. However this time I was able to try a vegetarian version at the Victoria pub in London, pictured here. Pieces of fried halloumi cheese, chips and mushy peas served with a side of tartar sauce. It was equally delicious and just as satisfying as the real thing. 

The Waldorf Salad - When I see this on the menu I feel compelled to order this. Waldorf salads are few and far between in Canada. Also I always have a bit of a laugh due to the Fawlty Towers episode. Therefore I find it amusing and comforting. I view this salad the same way as the ploughman's, the ingredients remain the same however some may add a few extras. This Waldorf salad, pictured here, from the Riverside Inn in Ashford, Kent was great. It was served with a bed of lettuce and bunches of diced veggies placed around it and then the salad topped with pumpkin seeds crowned the top. Very filling! 

- JW