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Review

The Lansdowne

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90 Gloucester Ave,
Primrose Hill Tel. 020 7483 0409
NW1 8HX



At first thought, you may think that a pub in North London called The Lansdowne would be nothing more than a themed Irish pub selling ye olde Guinness to tourists. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. The Lansdowne in Primrose Hill is actually a well-respected pub with an equally respected restaurant, serving hearty and adventurous food to an appreciative crowd.

After making your way through the frenetic bar with its mix of media darlings and North London luvvies chatting on sofas and munching on superior pub grub, you climb the stairs to the Dining Room. Here, things are much more serious. The first floor has been converted into a burgundy L-shaped restaurant with chandeliers on the ceiling, modern art on the walls, and a number of small tables perfect for intimate meals. It seems the staff have also been transformed from surly and rude to friendly and helpful (if somewhat slow).

Great attention has been paid to detail here: almonds and sunflower seeds as pre-dinner nibbles, the dimming of lights as the evening progresses. And the food itself ? At first glance, the menu constitutes of typical standard British fare, with few concessions to the vegetarian. Nevertheless, the chef has managed to bring together simple ingredients to give a new twist to mainstream recipes – though this simplicity can sometimes lead to certain blandness. The starters of chicken livers on rocket and potted wild salmon with toast were satisfying if somewhat tasteless. The rocket felt limp and the salmon mousse (for that’s what it was) was, well, mouss-ey.

To follow, both my companion and I decided to go for the two fish dishes: the pan-fried halibut and the grilled salmon with fennel. After a half hour wait, the waiter returned to inform me that the chef had burnt the last piece of salmon. I grew increasingly concerned when I was only allowed thirty seconds to decide on a replacement – was something else about to go missing from the menu? I plumped for the seabass on the promised fennel and tomato confit.

Whether it was my desire to eat or to find fault by the time the food arrived, I thought the fennel too vinegary and the seabass light, but flaky. The chef was more accustomed to cooking halibut it seemed, as that fish was soft, flavoursome and perfectly done. Both were beautifully presented, but was this a case of style over substance?

The desserts however could not be faulted. A sumptuously rich chocolate and hazelnut ice cream and a sharp summer sorbet terrine rounded off the meal perfectly. Understatedly British, sophisticated not pretentious, they were much like the Lansdowne itself.