Tag: pub food

  • The Bridge House, Little Venice

    The Bridge House, Little Venice

    Another week, another pub – this time The Bridge House in Little Venice.

    And another week, another slow commute to work. Another person who hasn’t worked out how to use a ticket barrier. Another person who switches ticket barrier lane to push in front of people.

    How did I used to do this 5 days a week?

    Anyway. Pub time. The Bridge House is a proper pub, and actually has a couple of half-decent IPAs on. Alas…working. Granted I am allowed to drink, and heck I’ve been known to drink at my desk, but I tend to eschew.

    There’s both an extensive main menu, along with a sandwich and drink menu – and it was the latter I plumped for, as £12.50 for a sandwich, fries and an apple juice is actually quite reasonable value for 2025.

    The fries were a bit of a mix, they were freshly cooked but also slightly over-cooked, some had a satisfying crisp to them, others were a bit floppy.

    For the sandwich itself, the ciabatta was nicely toasted – though I’d suggested supermarket ciabattas can have a nice texture.

    Generally the ingredients seemed fresh, at least the rocket, avocado and tomato – maybe the chicken was from a pre-cooked packet, it was of that quality.

    The bacon was smoked, and that was probably the highlight of the meal.

    It was all a bit underwhelming, but pleasant enough for £12.50 – and the apple juice was good.

    Rating of 6.30. Comparing a sandwich with a salad probably isn’t the best comparison I can make, but I’d go to The Union again for their salad, I doubt I’ll be back to The Bridge House. But I stress it seemed like decent value…so there is that to it.

  • The Union (Paddington)

    The Union (Paddington)

    Here’s a surprisingly little story about a pub called The Union.

    What wasn’t a surprise was my train being delayed in the morning.

    But at least I was on my way for my weekly trip to the office to collaborate by myself because all my meetings had been moved to the next day.

    Oh well. I collaborated with myself in choosing to go to The Union, a slightly garishly modern “pub”, with exposed air vents, and far too much bright red for a pub. A spacious place though, and plenty of empty tables to make a solo diner comfortable enough.

    The more interesting things were probably on the starters menu, quite how I eschewed the chorizo croquettes I’m not sure, plus I ignored the Greek salad, honey and sriracha chicken (gosh I love sriracha), halloumi, avocado on toast…yet I didn’t even look at the starters until I’d ordered.

    My eyes were on the chicken schnitzel – it seemed kind of not too unhealthy for a lunch. Maybe bar the truffle mayo.

    And then the surprise happened. Really fresh tomatoes and actually tasted like tomatoes that you get abroad – not just the mass-produced Greenhouse shit from the UK.

    The fennel worked really well together with the rocket, along with some lemon juice.

    Oh and the truffle mayo was banging. I thought I was done with truffle. I wasn’t.

    Finally, the chicken schnitzel – well, I’m guessing it was probably re-fried as I’d had fresher fried chicken, but I still enjoyed the crunch of the chicken, it was juicy inside too.

    There was no pecorino though. Not sure what happened there.

    Lunch including an apple juice and service charge came to £21.38.

    Surprisingly good pub food, but then again…maybe it isn’t a pub. My rating is an 8.10 out of 10. I will be going back in due course.

  • Lockhouse, Paddington Basin

    Lockhouse, Paddington Basin

    What a disaster of a commute. My usual train delayed by 15 minutes, then a Circle line that just never turns up. Sometimes I wonder if the Circle line exists. And then I went to Lockhouse.

    Gosh I hate going to the office. Don’t mind being there…but fuck the commute.

    And as you may have worked out, lunch didn’t improve matters.

    Well, the beer did. Sat outside Lockhouse on Paddington basin, it was a pleasant time with a pint of Steady Rolling Man in the very warm sunshine. ☀️

    A beer!

    And then my beer battered haddock sandwich arrived, apparently 1200 calories according to their menu, and definitely £13.50 in price.

    Alas it was more of a salad sandwich. Yep I’d paid £13.50 for a load of salad in two slices of bread, with some puny bits of fish in batter. And of course more batter than fish.

    Tiny bits of haddock, plenty of lettuce and some bread.

    At least the bread was good quality.

    Damn, easily the worst meal I’ve had around here. Well, except that fried chicken at Chicking.

    Side on view of a fish finger sandwich

    I did enjoy my beer in the sun though.

    Rating of 3 out of 10.

  • The Bear

    The Bear

    The Bear. Last Wednesday was just one of those days where everything went right.

    No 15 minute wait for a circle line… straight on! 😱
    Had the perfect corner desk at work so I could look at lingerie models without anyone seeing. 😬
    England won a semi final… again!😱😱

    And I went to The Bear…who easily have the best beer range in Paddington, around 15 different beers on draught of all types, maybe more…I didn’t count. Some are a bit pricey and the one I wanted, by Pressure Drop was out.

    I settled for a pint of Yes, a decent session IPA… I couldn’t have anything too strong with my 1:1 straight after lunch… I’m still deluded enough to think a promotion isn’t impossible this decade.

    Food is mostly burgers, or some sides of the sort that come with burgers, like chips.

    Burger menu at The Bear

    Burgers are not my favourite cuisine but I enjoy them enough, and this more than most. I had the Cajun chicken burger, plenty of Cajun sauce, a little avocado and lettuce, a decent brioche bun that didn’t fall apart… important to someone who gets annoyed eating sloppy burgers.

    And the chicken was good too, freshly cooked and marinated, plus a nice tang afterwards but not too much.

    Chicken burger and chips

    Chips were slightly more fries, salty and crispy… about as good as they get.

    Chips (well, more fries)

    Extra points for Stokes ketchup instead of cheap shit…and 4 different types to choose from.

    High scores from me. An 8.3 out of 10.

    Great pub, super beers and top burgers. What more do you want? 😍