Marquess Tavern

A booking line open only during office hours had us worrying that pretension had taken hold at the Marquess, winner of Time Out’s Best Gastropub award in 2006. But fears quickly dissipated on arrival. The front half remains a true, pubby bar, serving the entire Young’s beer range. The glass-roofed dining room at the rear has a pared-back aesthetic of white and wood. Simple English cooking is the aim, with starters including devilled whitebait, smoked sprats with horseradish cream, and a seasonal salad of soft lettuce, radishes and young goat’s cheese. Devon crab came whole, with tools for cracking and picking. Winningly restrained poached chicken sat in a clear broth with chunks of carrot, celery and potato; roast lamb was lovely too. You can also get roast rib of beef to share: available joints are listed on the blackboard by weight and size, and crossed off as each is ordered. For desserts, chocolate pudding was intensely flavoured, while gooseberry fool boasted a practised balance of tart, sweet and creamy ingredients. This is one of the few venues in London conscientious enough to note vintage changes on its wine list, a fact typical of the Marquess’s attention to detail. We still like it.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008

Services:

Child facilities: Babies and children admitted (until 6pm)
Function room: Separate room for parties, seats 14
Outdoor tables: 6, patio

See other:

Latest user reviews

Ate here on Sunday evening with a group of friends. Realised within the first 2 minutes that the service was going to be bad. Although we received our table straight away nobody took a drinks order or provided a menu. After 10 mins I went to the bar but nobody seemed interested in serving me... [More]
Anonymous  Apr 7 2008

The chef has changed. It’s now very average. On a recent visit our beef was overcooked, the vegetables and Yorkshires in short supply, the gravy watery and tasteless, the waitress rude, and the manager constantly in heated debate with the kitchen which clearly couldn’t cope. In fairness they... [More]
Steve Moss  Nov 19 2007