As a British chick who lives in the neighborhood, I was super excited for this place to open. Sadly, my expectations were not met.
When we walked in the door, a woman approached us. I smiled warmly and said, "Hi, Rebecca party of two." She looked at me aghast and said, "I don't work here!" We were off to a poor start. The actual maitre d'/second waiter was friendly enough, but there was nowhere for him to put his iPad. The space is so small. (Former location of Thai on Hillhurst for those who remember.) They really need check-in counter. Just something to make you feel like you've arrived. Rather than awkwardly standing in a crowded space. Accosting strangers!
The food was hit or miss. Some real highs, some real lows.
We started with the rockfish carpaccio, which was delightful, but didn't feel British at all, very Italian flavor profiles. Also it lacked textural contrast. It had a little finely julienned fennel but it wasn't enough given the fish was (over generously) doused in olive oil. It could use some fresh herbs, or capers, for pops of flavor. Plus, it didn't feel English. Perhaps some cockles or some Scottish mussels would have tied it together better. I also asked our waitress if we should order the bread and butter, and she said no. I disagree. I think that dish could have used a nori cracker, some thinly sliced apple, something to give it a bit of body and crunch. But flavor on point 4/5
Next we had the Coppa Di Testa - again very Italian - England is renowned for it's meat work, head cheese, pate's etc and this was just very average deli meat. It was cut wafer thin, I don't come to a restaurants to eat first communion, sadly the body of pig did not enter my spirit. It came with a slimy melted butter which had no flavor and added a nasty fatty mouthfeel to an already fatty cut of pork. On top of that, the toast they served it with was utterly stale and burned. It's a massive pet peeve of mine when I eat toast that scratches the roof of my mouth. 1/5
Of course we ordered the classic fish with mint, which was incredible. I highly commend them for getting a massive piece of fish perfectly cooked in the middle with a thick but light and airy batter. This was a work of art. Also, the mint sauce it came with was drinkable. That being said, there was a mysterious pile of mint leaves on my plate. Not a a dressed mint salad but not a garnish either. It seemed like someone in the kitchen had scraped down a cutting board and accidentally pushed the leftover mint onto my plate. 5/5 for fish and sauce work.
I also did not care for the malt vinegar fries. They were thick-cut and not particularly crispy. That being said, my partner loved them, so I think French Fries diameter is the personal choice, and size really does matter. A point for the kitchen though, their sauce work is amazing. The garlic-y, mustard-y aioli that the French fries came with was excellent. I could have had two more buckets of it. For sauce alone 5/5
We ended the night with the bangers and mash. "Bangers" is a bit of a stretch as they only give you one. Sausage itself was made in-house, and I think they did an excellent job. Well seasoned, beautiful texture. Nicely cooked. But it sat on top of a gummy, over whipped, under seasoned pile of spuds. Again, pretty unappetizing. An insipid gravy didn't do it any favors. Felt like an Oxo cube in some hot water. But again, the sauciere to the rescue. An incredible sort of apple jam mustard relish chutney delight. Plonked right on top. Again, three more buckets of this, please, Chef. 5/5 for sauce and sausage 1/5 for potatoes and gravy.
I was disappointed by the decor. It felt like hipster chic meets grandma's attic, and not in a good way. I'm British. I love a homey British pub feeling. I also live in Silver Lake, so I understand minimalism and modern refinement. But I don't like an uninviting space with no artwork. The dominating feature is wooden wainscoting and completely random assortment of vintage mirrors and mismatched lighting. Especially the one ceiling lamp with the wicker shade just felt so late 70s try-hard and utterly out of place. Plus provided no light!
But the greatest crime of all was how bloody loud it was. My partner and I, sitting at an intimate two-top, could barely hear each other. There was clearly no soundproofing in the whole space, and the bare walls did nothing to help this. Creating an environment of cacophonous hipster gibberish at an 11.
I suggest they get some artwork in there to liven it up a bit, and possibly put some sound-baffling material behind said artwork to try and help with this problem. It really made the whole experience untenable.
Service was subpar - our blond waitress was friendly until she found out we weren't ordering drinks - then we never saw her again. I wouldn't rush back sadly without a menu overhaul. I was hoping for elevated British comfort food not minimalist twee Italian offerings. read more