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Fay Maschler's rating
The best of British for Gordy's pub
By
Fay Maschler
4 Apr 2007
Had he been supplied by central casting? As I was leaving The Narrow, in Limehouse, a disgruntled red-faced man sitting at the bar collared me. "Where do you live?" "Central London". "Why have you come here?" I said I was interested. "It's crap," he said. "We don't want that Gordon Ramsay crap here. We liked it how it was."
When it was the Barley Mow, this pub on the Thames - formerly the house of the dockmaster of Limehouse Basin - was generally popular. A more recent incarnation as The Narrow Street Pub & Dining Room has lacklustre reviews still simmering away on the net.
While I sympathise with anyone holding firm in the face of torrents of molten polenta and mounds of couscous obliterating the last refuges of grumpy old men, I have to say that the arrival of Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd at this point is assuredly a good thing.
It is a particularly good thing in its early days as, true to the approach of operations run by GRH Ltd, prices at the outset seduce with their perfect reasonableness. Pea and ham soup ( London Particular) at £3, devilled lamb's kidneys on toast at £4.50, Oxford lamb steaks, Portobello Mushroom and anchovy butter at £11.50 (tops for a main course), baked egg custard with Goosnargh cakes at £3.50; it can't last. I would lay a bet to say that it won't last.
Meanwhile, a menu which looked as if composed from book research starting with Dorothy Hartley (author of the 1950s Food in England) and concluding with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, turns out not to be theme-park stuff but traditional dishes prepared with empathy and skill by chef John Collin, previously working for Mark Sargeant at Gordon Ramsay at Claridges.
Mark Sargeant was at The Narrow last Monday when I was eating there. I discovered that gypsy tart, one of the puddings on offer, had been his favourite at school, just as it had been mine. In those days, evaporated milk whipped up with dark Muscavado sugar before being baked in a pastry case wasn't served with crème fra"che. It was served with "Shut up and eat up".
My dining companions included Mimi Sheraton, who for eight years held that all-powerful post of restaurant critic for The New York Times. She was intrigued, bemused and gratified by the food in equal measures. What is cock-aleekie pie, why are these called faggots, which vegetable is a neep; questions that perhaps many British people couldn't answer.
The cock-a-leekie pie had been prepared without prunes or even traces of prunes (as is stipulated in the Scottish original) and had a surfeit of pastry considering that it was partnered with mash.
Much better were the lamb steaks almost covered with a large grilled field mushroom soaked in briny butter, faggots (these meatballs made from pork and pig offal were a dish of the day) which came with marrowfat peas, comfortingly close to canned peas, and the funky braised pig's cheeks for which mashed swedes (neeps) were the foil.
The section of the menu entitled On Toast delivered excellent hot and lively devilled kidneys, which had retained a trace of pink at the core, and soft herring roes, a soothing dish now seldom offered. Much-liked first courses were potted Cromer crab and g rilled Dorset mackerel with a well-made potato salad.
Side orders included minted Jersey Royals, which must have been the hothouse variety-and a stingy amount of buttered Savoy cabbage for the price of £2.75.
Gypsy tart was just like the one they made at St Teresa's Convent in Effingham, Surrey - the Belgian nuns there were skilled bakers. Those nuns wouldn't have over-burdened the rhubarb with so much crumble. Gordy would seem to be making reparation to the Bramley apple with the inclusion of stewed Bramley apples accompanying lemon and vanilla cheesecake.
Loyally we drank a bottle of English wine - Chapel Down Bacchus - but Mimi wasn't persuaded by its sweetie-shop overtones and neither was I. Our knowledgeable Italian waitress, Marina from Puglia, recommended a Sicilian Nero d'Avola and we liked it so much we had two bottles - there were six of us.
The next Ramsay pub will be a renovation of The Warrington in Maida Vale, a pub with an extraordinary opulent interior and one of London's first in-pub Thai restaurants. I dare say there will be plenty of squeals about that, but you have to hand it to GRH Ltd, they have so far hit on two of London's best pub sites.
The relationship with the Thames at The Narrow is brilliant. It remains to be seen whether the kitchen can cope when the spacious terrace tables fill up.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (12)
The setting was beautiful. Evening sun was perfect, looking towards Canary Wharf. What more could you want?
Sorry to say that was where the perfection ended. Staff very indifferent and not particularly welcoming.
Now for the food. Starter Green Pea soup with mint. UGH. Just green water and no mint either. Main course. Indifferent steak with excellent chips. Chips served in aluminium bucket [ex Garden Centre] with small piece of greaseproof in bottom and when lifted it was rusty. Not quite 'there's a hole in my bucket Dear Martha but almost. Might go back for the view, but nothing else.
- Barbara, London, 13/08/2008 22:07
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As a local I was extremely pleased when the Narrow opened. I have now eaten there 4 or 5 times and have enjoyed each visit more than the last. Excellent wine selection, very reasonable prices and great location. I have yet to encounter any local nutters or moaners who are anti this restaurant. I am surprised others have and can only assure people that these are a rarity.
My only negative for the pub is the new extension to the rear. The Narrow has always been a great summer pub with lots of tables outside. No longer! Shame.
- Aidan Ellicott, Limehouse, London, 11/03/2008 13:45
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I dined at the Narrow with my partner last Friday and we had a most delightful experience. The food was fantastic the setting was wonderful and to top the evening stephen, my partner proposed. A perfect night at the perfect place!!
- Andrew Mc Coll, Liverpool, 26/10/2007 13:00
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My family and I went to the Narrow on Sunday 26/08/07. The food was excellent however the one thing that spoiled it was the resident nutter who walked around outside screaming on his mobile. We learned from the staff that he is a problem and they have barred him. His language was foul. He later went onto the tow path and sunbathed on a dirty blanket, only to keep reappearing in a different outfit. He was a pain and offensive. I won't be going back until something is done about him. Such a shame other than that we had a nice time.
- Jody Chamberlain, London, 28/08/2007 11:24
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Bitterly dissapointing after visiting on 11th May. Gordon needs to take his own advise and ensure that his staff can deliver the simple menu offering. Starters ansd vegetables were good except the welsh rarebit which tasted as if a whole pot of french mustard had been used for the portion. There is a much better product at the Canteen at Spitafields. A poor main course. The vegetarian tartlet too salty and gritty in texture. Lemon sole overcooked and greasy. Lamb pie was tasteless. Desserts: Cheese platter was too cold to eat. Service was not as expected we booked over 1 month ago for a noon sitting. Desserts were ordered at 1.45 at at 2pm asked to eat them in the bar as there were other guests waiting for the table. Having taken out very important customers this was very embarrasing. My guests and I have been in the trade for more than 20 years and cannot recollect so many issues on one eating occasion. Gordon if you are to make the "Gastro " pub successful I suggest you look at some successful concepts in the market place such as the "The Orange Tree" and some of the project Orange pubs. I still think that Ramsay is excellent in his profession although his disciplines are clearly not used in all his concepts. I think it's time Ramsay went back into the Kitchen and Front of house at the Narrow for some much needed staff training.
- Claire Phillips, Cwmbran south wales, 28/08/2007 10:24
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A very disappointing experience - especially from the man that created Kitchen Nightmares. Front of house staff need to learn the basics -which means bringing food out all at the same time & remembering orders. The bar staff were surly at best.
The food was fine, nothing special - but the inconsistency of the experience was a real let down and we definitely won't be recommending this to anyone.
- Emma Sant, London UK, 28/08/2007 10:24
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Me and my fiance had dinner at the Narrow on friday for my birthday. I wasn't expecting great service/food after reading reviews but was pleasantly surprised. The staff couldn't have been more helpful and the food was delicious! I had the potted shrimps for starters and my partner had the welsh rabbit, the cheese was melt in the mouth. I had the special of lamb with portobello mushroom for mains and have never tasted lamb so nice. For dessert we ordered the egg custard and english trifle, both were heavenly. We had a great evening and with a bottle of wine and service, our total was £65, bargain! Will definately be going back in the near future, would ask for a table with a river view next time.
- Kerrie And James, london bridge, 28/08/2007 10:24
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Best located pub in London, so where have all the outside benches gone? Spending long summer afternoons sat by the river at the Narrow Street used to be a real pleasure. Now you are lucky if you manage to grab one of the child sized picnic tables... otherwise its the floor or a last man standing event! It is obvious that the real attraction of the pub has been seriously overlooked by whoever designed the terrace.
Admittedly Ramsey has given the interior the re-vamp that it needed, but I feel that the local charm has been lost and it feels more like any other run-of-the-mill restaurant than a pub as it should....
- Alex, London, UK, 28/08/2007 10:24
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Hmmm. Things need to settle in at The Narrow: the limited menu seemed out of kilter with the spring/summer day, and the lack of any 'specials' made choices limited. Starters were generous enough, if truly unexciting, with a beetroot salad (plus world's chewiest parsley) and mackerel dishes kicking things off. Fish (monkfish tails) and chips was OK, but dare I ask: were the chips made in house? They certainly weren't star attractions. Rhubarb crumble was overcooked, although the topping - very little of it - was nicely gingery. Service was the real let down though: on a quiet day, it took ages to take an order and the messy table next to us was left until after I'd pointed out that it would have been cleared by now in my local Toby Carvery (where we would have had time for another pint too). Again? Possibly. Soon? No.
- Paul, East London, 28/08/2007 10:24
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I went to have a look at the Narrow on Easter Monday, didn't eat, in fact didn't stay longer than it took me to realise that you still have to queue for much more than 5 minutes to get a beer, the biggest problem with the place when it was the Narrow Street dinning rooms and there was nowhere to sit outside. Not because it was packed you understand, but because some idiot has replaced the big 8 seater picnic tables with little two seater versions. We watched a larger couple comically tried to balance on one of these "love seats" so their son could sit the other side, a bit of a joke really.
Ramsey should spend some time in the Grapes down the road to see how it should be done.
- Mark Dean, London, 28/08/2007 10:24
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'One of London's first in-pub Thai restaurants'- a few years back it seemed like EVERY pub in North London was offering Thai food, so it's hardly a first! But presumably it won't be bog-standard Thai so that's the difference.
The Barley Mow, as was, used to be a local of mine, will definitely revisit now that Gordon Ramsay's at the helm, but The Grapes a few doors down the road is even nicer.
- Alison, London, 28/08/2007 10:24
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Alison, London - Perhaps you should actually read the article before commenting and then to be really sure re-read it again. The report mentions that the Warrington WAS one London's first in-pub Thai restaurants. Gordon Ramsay is hardly a Thai Restaurant proprietor.
- Andy H, London, 28/08/2007 10:24
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