A gastropub with real pedigree
The Brown Dog in Barnes is no mutt. From the same kennel as the critically acclaimed Pig's Ear in Chelsea, this is a gastropub with pedigree, chum.
Tucked away from the heavy traffic of White Hart Lane in a residential area (nearest neighbour, Barnes Primary School), the pub is an easy ten-minute walk from Barnes Bridge station. It's a journey worth making for some seriously superior gastro pub grub.
Spring is in the air - and on ex-Pig's Ear and Ransome's Dock chef Steve Guntrip's admirably concise menu.
Tender baby artichokes came in a flavour-packed vinaigrette and with a good chunk of toasted Poilane bread spread with new season's wild leaf garlic.
A generous bowl of pea and mint soup benefited from a base of well-made stock and enough cream to add richness but not cloud the soup's bright flavours.
Main courses were slam-dunk delicious. Seed mustard added welcome sharpness to the rich mash that accompanied a simply grilled, pleasingly thick pork chop.
Sea bass, winner of the fish-most-often-overcooked-in-a-restaurant award, managed the dream double of juicy flesh and impossibly crisp skin. Meringue, caramel sauce, cream and chopped banana made for an unbeatably gooey twist on a classic Eton mess.
Only an unimaginative wine list full of famous names such as Pouilly Fume from undistinguished producers failed to impress. But with a warm welcome from manager Mike Milne and Mr Bojangles the friendly Jack Russell, ska on the sound system and the chance of a game of Connect 4 in the bar, it's difficult to hold that against them.
The Brown Dog
Cross Street, London, SW13 0AP
