The Anglesea Arms: Kensington, Sunday 23rd October 2011

There are indulgences in life that can sneakily trick you into succumbing without really realising you're overdoing it. I'm not talking about anything particularly outrageous here, just the odd meal out when you shouldn't really be having one. (Seems a little tame after the build up I just gave it, but there you go...) In the run-up to our fortnight in Asia, we'd agreed that we weren't to go out for any meals. In the event, this was the third of four.

The Anglsea Arms is part of the Capital Pub Company which owns The Ladbroke Arms, a place I once lauded as being the very pinnacle of great pub grub. I stand by the review to this day in saying that the food there was excellent and we had a lovely time. In fact, the two gentlemen I went with (who were once behind writing this very blog) still say that it was the best meal the three of us have eaten together.

With all that in mind, I was quite reasonably expecting a lot from the Kensington outpost of the Captial Pub Company's empire. With nothing to do on a Sunday night, we decided that was the place to go (it having been voted as the number one gastropub in Harden's a year or so ago), and that for some reason it was an expense we could afford.

We were certainly wrong on that count. I had not been keeping an eye on my finances as well as I ought to and was subsequently alerted by my bank the following week that I had gone overdrawn beyond my limit. A fairly ignominious phone call to receive and one that had me cursing my spending in the weeks preceding. Naturally the Anglesea Arms copped a bit of flak on that front, so the question is: was it worth it?

At first, the Anglesea Arms is nothing like the Ladbroke Arms. It's cosier, older, more as you might expect from a traditional pub. There is dark wood and paned glass everywhere. The bar area itself was rammed - and I mean rammed - with Sloanes and posh knobs trying to see who could laugh louder than the next group. I was fairly dismayed and suggested to the wife that we'd better look elsewhere. She insisted we at least enquire about the wait for a table and so we asked at the bar.

Joy of joys, the restaurant is another area of the place entirely. A sub-level section at the back, suddenly the guffaws of the wealthy were no longer an issue and the room was ours. Rustic, dark chocolate-coloured tables and shimmering candlelight were our ambiance, so we broke out a deck of cards and glanced over the menu.

There was a lot to get excited about pretty quickly. Clearly the Anglesea is similar to the Ladbroke in that they have a fairly English menu with elements of European refinery running through it. We went for a fairly home-centric set, thinking that this should be what they did best. Hungry and blissfully unaware the meal we were about to sample would plunge me into financial strife, we tucked in.

Starters were more or less a continuation of the excellence we'd sampled at the Ladbroke. The wife went for a salad, which is most unlike her. But let me clarify: this was a 'salad' of sweet potato, quail's egg and chorizo. With some broad bean and lettuce thrown on for show (left). The sweet potato was cooked to a mouth-hugging softness, which was offset by the bolder chorizo. The egg on top added some smooth wholesomeness, completing the dish nicely.

My choice was a chicken, pea, celery & carrot broth, with tarragon crème fraiche on top (right). It was served with crusty bread and was piping hot (perhaps a shade too hot in the event.) It was delightful, a real homer of a starter, reminding us what great British food should taste like. Distinct yet well-combined broth flavours and a texture that was chunky enough to keep the broth away from being overly thin.

I made a big mistake on main courses: ordering the Sunday roast. It's the most clichéd decision one can make when eating at a pub, but the voice in my head told me that this place really should be able to get it right. They should have been. They should have been... They weren't, sadly. I suppose I got what I deserved. Roast beef was well-cooked and moist (left). Gravy was acceptable and the cauliflower purée was a splendid touch. Sadly, the thing was festooned with green beans and the potatoes weren't cooked enough. It wasn't all there and I was a little upset, with both the food and myself.

The wife was far wiser than I, opting for rabbit braised in cider (right). It was served with mash, mushroom sauce and spinach. It was an exceptional dish; one of those that you want to start bragging about as soon as you've tried it. The rabbit was tender as anything, falling apart with little provocation, wonderfully complimented by the creamily smooth mash and the mushrooms. It was a delicious and perfectly constructed plate of food.

Desserts were ordered but we were beginning to feel the effect of some hearty fare earlier on, so we kept it simple: a crumble to share and some truffles on the side (left). The chocolates were as silky and rich as those at the Ladbroke (the one constant between the two meals) and we enjoyed them in that smugly, indulgent way in which one tends to enjoy good chocolates.

The crumble was a different matter. Apple & blackberry with custard should've been a glorious walk in the park for the Anglesea, who had proved (beyond the curse of the pub roast dinner) that they could cope with classics. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a mish-mash (right). The contents of the crumble appeared to have been cooked unevenly, and were too chunky. Great crumble should practically melt in the mouth and this was too much hard work. The topping was also unevenly cooked; charred in places, even. But somehow, it wasn't rubbish. The custard was proper and even though it was super-hot there was something to be said for its homely quality.

The Anglesea Arms is certainly a pub worth visiting. You can dictate the pace of your meal: it's not essential to have three or even two courses and the atmosphere is friendly yet reserved. The price is, well, okay. As I said, it was more to do with my irresponsibility than anything else that we spent £60+ on dinner here. The roast was definitely overpriced at £14 but the rabbit was definitely worth the £16 they were charging.

The highs make it worthwhile. Do yourself a favour and drop in next time you happen to be in Kensington (and you may as well get to the area - a nearby walk is as lovely as it gets for suburban central London), it will be worth your while. A bite for lunch or a more formal dinner would be equally well-suited here, which makes it an excellent food pub. Good job, Capital Pub Company. Again.

The Anglesea Arms