The Crooked Well is all things a brilliant gastropub should be... and then some…read more
Featuring a grand open space with a proper pub bar/lounge area -and- an adjacent offset dining room, mouthwatering food, plus a respectable classic cocktail program, this establishment screams, 'Come south of the river!' to me.
Our soup of the day starter, made with cauliflower, was much less impressive than I'd expected, especially after having a friend's homemade version very recently that was much more flavourful. However, the smoked salmon dish was every bit a satisfying and savoury way to launch into a meal.
... and what a meal it was! We hemmed and hawed over the roast lamb for two or the rabbit and bacon pie for two and were swayed by our server's recommendation for the pie. (Plus, it was absurdly frigid outside, which just begs for carbohydrate abuse.) Eventually, a pie the size of my head came out, along with the crispy kale and creamy mash sides we ordered. Take a gander at the photo. I think I need say no more.
Not to be outdone, the boy let me have my dessert of choice: a massive cheese plate, featuring a brilliant shaved bleu, a Lancashire bomb, and a creamy thymed goats cheese. Kitty (I assume that's our server's name, since that's what was printed on our receipt) was thoughtful enough to offer us some extra crackers, which we made good use of.
Along with our meal, I partook liberally of the libations offered by the bomb bartender. My Vieux Carré was easily as good as I could have come up with at home, and the Sazerac that followed kept me mostly warm on our way to the bus stop, a few minutes away. I will note that I found the Sazerac to be unusually heavy on the absinthe, both on the nose and on the palate, but not unpleasant by any means.
I did inquire whether or not this joint was frequently mostly by locals, or if it was a destination for dining, to which Kitty replied that it was a solid mix of both. Apparently in the seven months (only!) since they've been in operation, their name has quite rapidly spread.
Ergo, my final recommendation: get in here whilst you can. A booking during prime dining hours is a good idea, though we were readily able to snag a table for two around 1930 on a Thursday. The remaining seats rapidly filled up. Have yourself a cocktail, and settle in for a hearty feast.