Clissold Arms

New Jersey, Norway… the crowd of Kinks fans expressing their disappointment on the internet that the Clissold Arms, scene of the band's first gig, has been turned into a gastropub is as international as it is indignant. Presumably, if dedicating a corner of the pub to Kinks memorabilia had been genuinely profitable ('Since I was there, I decided to have a pint, and then a meal. They would never had gotten me as a customer if they had not had that little shrine,' wrote a Las Vegas resident of his one-time visit) the place would not have been sold and converted in the first place. But the new decor is so tediously bland (muted heritage paint colours, chairs that look like a job lot from All Bar One, lamps that ceased to be quirky in 2005) we do think the new owners have thrown the baby out with the bathwater, seven-inch singles and vintage posters. A bit of genuine kink would be welcome. The bad news for grumblers, however, is that much else about this opening is good and, with few quality gastropubs in the area, locals have been enthusiastically first-footing. There is an excellent range of beers including Harveys Sussex Bitter, London Pride, Timothy Taylor Landlord and Ruddles County, plus Addlestones cider on tap. This is not a stand-up-and-drink pub but the front room has a cheerful communal table amid its mix of chairs, tables and sofas. The bar is in the rear room along with the new open-plan kitchen, skylights and restaurant seating that is awkwardly roped off from the car park entrance. A discretionary service charge of 12.5 per cent is added to bills in the restaurant area but not to meals ordered from the bar (as we did), which offers the same appealingly seasonal menu. Dishes are largely well executed and feature ingredients sourced from esteemed food suppliers such as Neals Yard Dairy (for the cheese), Ramsays of Carluke (black pudding, which is inventively combined with pot-roast poussin, barley risotto and curly kale), and Derreensillagh (smoked salmon). Great fat chips cooked in dripping are offered along with other sides of cauliflower cheese and rocket and parmesan salad. Main courses are huge and while hats are doffed to Mediterranean and particularly French cuisine, the star of our meal was a superb fish pie served with juicy, crunchy sugar snaps. Desserts such as chocolate pot and lemon tart with Chantilly cream had good flavours but lacked some textural finesse. The service was genuinely friendly and mostly hard-working. The owners have had some success with food service at the Three Crowns in Stoke Newington, though their other venues are geared more to drinking. Here, the placement of bar and restaurant have resulted in a bizarre layout but most importantly everyone - and the place was packed on our visit - seemed to be having a terrific time, if not all day then all of the night.

http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/12531.html