Bars & Pubs

Charmingly small, like the cottages of Barnes surrounding it, the Brown Dog makes good use of its 150-year-old space. To the left is a cosy bar (ales include Adnams Bitter, London Pride and Harveys Sussex Ale). To the right is a modestly proportioned dining area, filled with sturdy wooden tables. A main of boneless quail was one of the best gastropub dishes we’ve had: juicy meat, perfect crisp skin, served in a complex sauce stirred with peas and pancetta. A pint of prawns to start was, in pleasant contrast, as simple as could be: the prawns wonderfully fresh, a tart mayonnaise the only accompaniment needed. A satisfied customer on one side of the table then; our companion was not so lucky. Vegetarian, he had only one choice of main (a rather lifeless feuilleté atop mushrooms and spinach) and not a single choice of starter; he was left to order the cheese plate. A good-natured waitress did her best to minimise the gloom – ‘And you’ll be having the feuilleté… obviously!’ A toffee pud for dessert (sticky, dense, excellent) returned smiles to our faces. The wine list is brief and wallet-friendly. An excellent gastropub, but one that needs to cater better for vegetarians.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008