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Perseverance

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11 Shroton St, NW1 6UG Full details & map

Gastropub

 

Time Out says   8 Users say 5/5 Rate it

Posted: Feb 1 2011

This pub was recently spruced up by new tenants with culinary ambitions. It looks good, nicely understated to the point of being spartan, with chummy staff and a simple printed menu on the bar.

On our visit there was only one real ale available - Young's Bitter, at an affordable £2.75 a pint. The wine list is confusingly written, but contains some decent wines across a spectrum of prices.

At the moment food is only served on the ground floor, while the first-floor dining room is still work in progress.

We tried a starter of monkfish liver, which is a delicacy in Japan where it's called 'ankimo'. There, the huge livers are bought sushi-fresh and served lightly steamed as a winter delicacy. At the Perseverance, ours were cooked in butter, but their offal flavour was overpowering and not pleasant. This can happen if the liver is anything other than very fresh. The shallot and caper dressing didn't mask the flavour.

The main courses were better, though the pricing is a bit steep for pedestrian cooking. A venison wellington (£14.50) had a pastry shell that was doughy and undercooked; filleted mackerel (£11.50) was harder to get wrong. Puddings include prune and Armagnac tarte, or chocolate pecan torte.

We'd pop into the Perseverance for a glass or two of wine, but on the basis of our visit, there are many gastropubs doing a better job, at a fairer price, to make this a culinary destination.

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Perseverance details

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Address

Perseverance

11 Shroton St NW1 6UG

Transport Marylebone tube/rail

Telephone

020 7723 0224

Bar open noon-11pm Mon-Sat. Meals served noon-3pm, 6-9pm Mon-Fri; 6-9pm Sat

Meal for two with wine and service: around £50

Perseverance map

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Comments & ratings 5/5 (Average of 8 ratings)

By Sharon B. - Apr 14 2012
5/5

Funny how this limp and brief review came out one day after Dos Hermanos' rave review. Both noted that the Perseverance at the time was fairly new and still coming up to speed, but unlike Mr. Dimond's snippy dismissal, those boys couldn't wait to come back (again and again) to sample the wonderful, fresh, seasonal, and truly inventive offerings on the Perseverance's ever-changing menu. The hamhock terrine was divine, the poached trout perched atop jersey royal potatoes, cucumber and sorrel was a virtual taste of spring, and the red cabbage slaw nestled beside a pulled pork sandwich that could hold its head high at any Texas bbq was a revelation. I hope Mr. Dimond gets a chance to return to the Perseverance now that the charming owners are fully up to speed. I'm sure he'll eat his words...with pleasure.

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By Joe - Apr 4 2012
5/5

Brilliant service by friendly owners. Triumph is usually kept on tap, and the atmosphere is wonderful. Very nice place to have a couple pints.

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By Caller - Sep 19 2011
5/5

This is, in my opinion, one oe the best, most understated places I have been. I had confit guinea fowl, with fois gras crouton, superb, doesnt do it justice. I have been back several times since, each time the menu was different, catering to only the freshest seasonal produce. The wine list is so NOT confusing, and has some really lovely wines. I tohugh it was fantastic value for money, given the fare, excellent friendly, knowledgeable staff. I can't wait for my next visit, which I plan for later this week!!

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By Olwen Peel - Jun 30 2011
5/5

Wow, I have to agree with the below because I really loved this place. I took some clients for lunch thinking it would be standard fare having not been before but I was really, really impressed. The food was amazing start to finish. I had a great time and I'm heading back tomorrow for more.

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By Sn - Jun 26 2011
5/5

It just goes to show how you shouldn't trust reviews!! This place is the best thing to happen to the area in a long time....great food - and I mean that as I am fussy, and have also tried at least 10 things on the menu and couldn't fault them...in fact I'm still drooling at the memory of the lamb....great atmosphere, with real buzzy after-work crowd....decent wine list at reasonable prices...and really lovely hosts who are doing a fantastic job! If you're not a cynic who believes all of time out's less than favourable reviews, I can guarantee there's no way a meal or a drink here would ever disappoint.

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By John & Sheila - Jun 11 2011
5/5

Excellent place - great food, Dom is very knowledgeable about his wines, and good service. Plus you've got a choice of the buzzy bar downstairs or the quieter room upstairs - get a window set there and enjoy the fresh air!

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By SteveT - Jun 7 2011

I agree: the reviewer couldn't be more wrong. I've been there twice for lunch in the last month or so, and the food has been consistently very good and reasonably priced, with changing recipes and friendly staff who could not have been be more helpful. Little things, such as home-made bread and lemonade, add to the experience. Recommended.

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By Joe - May 23 2011
5/5

The reviewer couldn't be more wrong. First of all there were three real ales on tap and were poured by someone who clearly has a passion for beer. They have pulled of the perfect combination of the charm of old but the cleanliness of new. Great atmosphere and I will definitely be back.

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By Pepe Bermejo - Mar 18 2011
4/5

The reviewer (or the kitchen) must've been having a bad day. This is a great, independent gastropub. Prices are actually on the lower end of what one finds in more mediocre counterparts in central London. The kitchen is creative but unfussy - the monkfish liver I tasted was incredibly subtle and a pleasure to eat. They do a cracking barnsley chop and house-made ice creams genuinely tasty. Interesting wines to boot. You can tell the people behind the bar and kitchen care about their trade. Definitely worth a diversion.

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By Mary Margaret - Mar 12 2011

Had an opportunity to eat here while on holiday, and I have to say, I totally disagree with this supposed "review"! My meal, from starter to dessert, was delightful! The service, impeccable and attentive! I had a crab and avocado starter, which was heavenly! My entree, the venison wellington, was probably the best thing I have ever eaten! The dessert, a salty caramel ice cream, can only be described as "sinful"! I also found the prices to be comparable to other pubs in the city. Please give this pub another try, otherwise, you'll be missing out on a great dining experience!

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