Paddington Lunch Box

Tag: pub

  • Three Falcons Hotel

    Three Falcons Hotel

    It’s been a while, maybe you thought that I’d finally escaped the weekly commute?

    Alas, no.

    And I had a particularly crap office chair today from the delights of hot-desking in an unusually busy office.

    Busy.

    AND LOUD.

    Guess AI doesn’t need silence to concentrate.

    The Three Falcons Hotel was a miracle – an Indian restaurant with less than 500 things to choose from on the menu. There were starters too, but maybe I’ll be back for a few of those another week.

    Part of me was tempted to order fried chicken just to be ironic when dining with Indian colleagues and with the IPL on the TV screens, though there’s a danger that might be really good also.

    Can I come back to Three Falcons Hotel already?

    Oh I haven’t talked about the food yet.

    I’d never had Laal Maans before (and possibly never goat either) – I was kind of expecting something hotter and spicier given the description on the menu, so either Indians exaggerate when talking about how spicy their cuisine is or they’ve watered it down for us English folks. Damn.

    However there was a gorgeous depth of flavour to the curry, coriander vibes, the meat earthy yet tender – and plentiful.

    Roti was decent too, quite pillowy. Alas I ran out before being able to finish the sauce.

    One of my favourite places (as are most Indian restaurants somehow) in the area – a must try if you haven’t yet.

    Rating of 8.20.

  • The Monkey Puzzle

    The Monkey Puzzle

    It’s sunny, it’s warm, I love commuting and I love sitting by myself in the office all day.

    And even more, I love flat roof pubs with a garden such as The Monkey Puzzle.

    OK, I’m way too snobbish normally to go in a flat roof pub, but I’d clocked the garden, I was craving sunshine, and I decided that I was going to reward myself with a lunchtime beer in the sun.

    Quality be damned.

    It was a West Coast IPA, not bad, if a bit too hearty compared to my NEIPA/Pale Ale usual.

    Despite the prettiness of the garden, I cannot say I expected too much from The Monkey Puzzle. As I mentioned, I was here for the sunshine, not the cuisine. But I did need food.

    It being lunchtime I had no desire for steaks, pies or burgers…and I wasn’t sure if I could trust a flat roof pub with a salad.

    But actually the salad was quite nice (normally it comes with peas…yuck) – all fresh ingredients, cherry tomatoes, some leaves, cucumber and a little red onion (possibly marinated, not sure) – with some balsamic.

    Fries were quite salty and had a crunch to them. Nothing amazing, but pleasant enough.

    Also the fish was pretty good – cod (I’m more of a haddock guy), the batter perhaps more browned than ideal, and too crispy near the tail, but again I enjoyed the crunch of the batter, and the silky nature of the cod.

    Ketchup was a bit naff, but I’ve had worse – though also I then had ketchup on my crotch for the afternoon after having to slice my way through the sachet. But I don’t speak to anyone in the office, and I highly doubt anyone looks at my crotch either.

    Price was £23.80 – my rating is a 6.90 out of 10. I would eat here again…and I will almost definitely have a beer in the sunshine here again.

    Also I love the trains being delayed on the way home.

    And I loved how packed they were too because of said delays.

    Ahhhhhh London in the sunshine. Can I work from home next time though please?

  • 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? 😍