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| - There's something about a well-curated English Pub / restaurant that I find deeply comforting, and I know just what it is: Unity.
Think about it. "Canadian (New)," or "American (New)" you really have no idea what the hell you could be walking into. Yes, chefs / owners come up with a baseline m.o. that connects all the dots on their business, but one point of that is the elements are left up to the whim of the designer they hire and the other point is the menu. Is the menu anything but styling the choices around trends? Do we need another curious placement of pork belly? Do we need bacon in our orange juice? And do we need another mention of something cooked in something that you can't place when you eat it so it only matters that you read it? Okay, in fact, likely, yes. Those folks do have a place in that they're figuring out new ways to take on a trend, buck them or even create their own.
Now, that's not to say an English pub, or this place, is at all immune to the effects of design or trends. In this case, when you walk in you feel you're in a home, and you know straight away that it's an English pub / restaurant. There's security in the known quantity. There's security in strong hospitality too. They were as welcoming as the warm environment.
The upstairs is cozy, and seat yourself, the downstairs isn't too big so reservations are recommended. The bar seating downstairs is where we ended up. Walk ins are welcomed and full service is available. While the burger was delicious, I should've gone with the venison pie. Having a burger on my birthday had a strong enough appeal to woo me. The scotch egg is impressively deep fried. Don't doubt how much it'll fill you up.
Often pubs can attract a mixed crowd from surly to soft spoken saints, but this seemed to attract a crowd tied together by being comfortable, casual and not unhinged despite all the Imperial pints.
If I worked in the area, this would be a staple to after work drinks, or dinners, and likely stealing away next to the fire place for lunch. There are great expectations that come with being a known quantity, and this place exceeds them with executing every staple, and giving the English pub a new level of warmth.
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