Gastropubs

As everyone knows, pubs feature strongly in the social life of most English people. Towards the end of every week, groups of workers head for a nearby pub or wine bar for lunch or an after-work drink. This is a common ritual. You don't have to walk very far from street to street without finding a pub, often several on the same street within a few yards of each other.

When I grew up in England, the usual pub food was a ploughman's lunch (cheese, pickle and bread and butter), shepherd's pie, bangers and mash with gravy, or meat pie and chips. I read recently that London has about 5,500 pubs of different types - from the regular pub where locals go, to cozy bars and the now trendy gastropubs. I started thinking about gastropubs again when I saw that San Diego now has its very own gastropub, Jayne's Gastropub. So what's different about a gastropub compared to the average pint and a pie place? They began in England in 1991 when the Eagle opened on Farringdon Road, London. They tended to be started by young chefs (I guess that is the main difference - the food they serve) who take over neglected pubs in the hope of making a name for themselves at the pub/restaurant, rather than working their way up at a pricey city restaurant. The menu, in the tradition of a pub, started out chalked up on a blackboard, and although it wasn't extensive, it used fresh, high-quality ingredients, and it is not unusual to find menu offerings such as hearty crab salad followed by seasonal apple crumble, roast beef and fresh goat cheese salad or salmon with fennel. This is usually offered together with a good wine list, as well as usual drinks offered in pubs. Sounds a bit different to pie and chips!

If you want to check out a London gastropub try the Coach & Horses on Ray Street or the Oak on Westbourne Park Road.