The Clarendon

The Clarendon
52 Cambridge St
11 April 2010
£40
http://www.theclarendon.uk.com/

It used to be the Last Country Pub in London or some such name. Now it’s much more gastro than pub. In any event, they have had a loyal clientele for over 150 years (not the same people I hasten to say). Having said that, I have had the odd pub drink there and it’s grand; I will be back. Today, for lunch I had a Rioja Crianza to start, and to accompany, a medium-rare sirloin, shrooms and grilled tomatoes. OK, it sounds like an English fry-up save the sausages. The sirloin was good. Not the best beef I have had but they did a good job of it. Good thick cut, cooked to medium rare. Actually it was medium rare. It’s not like some waiter heard you say medium rare and blithely goes away and delivers either some shoe leather or a mooing cow, it was actually medium rare. Rioja. We should spend some time on the shrooms. They were very good. It would be so easy for a pub to get a tin of mushrooms and do something to them, but in this case, I think they were hand cut. Either way, they were fried in butter, garlic, and some cilantro (you British call it coriander…the Italian is nicer). Tasty.

We arrived early on account of me being in China for five days and eating 100 courses of Cantonese banquet. Eating food that I ordered, knowing what it was and enjoying it at my own pace was a delight. When we arrived there was a group of four finishing and when we left, three tables of four full (someone brought a dog - fine looking). Service was quick, attentive and friendly. I passed on dessert on account of the previous 100 courses, but I saw someone else eating one and now I know I will be back just for that…that and the food was good as was the wine. Mmm as I write this I think I should go back for a beer there now as they have a sidewalk to hang out on in the lovely spring sun. MP

I haven’t much to add to Meaty’s rhapsody. One of my (many) guilty food pleasures is scampi so as soon as we got there I knew my destiny was to have scampi and chips. Cheaper than the chippie (we haven’t been there yet because Meaty thinks fish n chips is a murder attempt) - fab. I was v pleased to get peas too because they’re so right with pub food. It isn’t a vast menu but who cares? It is our local pub and our first time stopping for food so we know we’ll be going back. Cheers Clarendon! HP