Bangkok British Bites

It is quite surprising as you walk through the doors of the Londoner just how many Thais are seated up at the bar, eating British bar snacks and drinking that dark, slightly warm drink that the English like to call real ale. However, regardless of the world’s love of Thai cuisine it is the conviviality of the classic English pub that gets many home-grown Brits and well-traveled Thai all misty eyed.

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You just cannot beat a good old chat, in a down-to-earth-pub, with a roast dinner thrown in as well. The Londoner is something of a weird, big and sprawling space and it is only really around the big, central bar area that the cozy pub feeling can be found in the cubby hole banquette. However, with nights that promise cut price drinks and meal deals the space can fill up quickly.

There is a distinct local crowd element, as should be in any true British pub and whilst this is a sign of a good pub there is a slight feeling that you might be left to fend for yourself when it comes to attracting attentive service. There are a lot of waitresses but in true, British style they never seem to be looking your way. There are some good, hearty dishes on the menu and to really mirror a British pub there are some dishes which are great and some that are not quite as impressive.

The prices are reasonable for what is called farang food, with starters at a hundred or so baht or more and mains at around a couple to a few hundred. The beer is brewed on the premises and this is definitely home cooking style with a classic menu. The pate on toast was edible but really not that attractive and the taste was café style standard.

The Cornish pasty is always a favorite in any pub, served with chips and baked beans. The near perfect pastry encases some of the tenderest tasting lamb. Traditionally, the pasty is mainly diced potato with some carrot and some meat added but the Londoner pasty is mainly meat. However, what it lacks in following a regimented recipe it gains for being supremely delicious, with rich gravy and a generous meal that is full of the gusto of British cuisine. A definite after-work man’s meal if ever there was one.

The roast beef dinner, given this was not a weekend carvery day, was impressive and although the potatoes and veg did not quite live up to a Sunday roast smasher, was still wolfed down and the cauliflower cheese was cooked perfectly. The apple pie had a little too much cinnamon and was a bit too American tasting to improve on the stodge factor.

The Londoner has a lot of plus points but in veritable British style, it carries its less impressive elements proudly as a badge of authenticity that it is truly an English pub, like it or leave it, and herein lies its ultimate English charm.

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