Chiswick High Street is quite a bustling, yet tranquil part of West London. It is green and full of environmentally conscious people and yummy mummies. We headed to the newly refurbished Crown & Anchor to review it.
The Decor looks great and there is a good atmosphere. It is a sunny day and the flowers on the table all add to a lovely vibe. We start with the Pork, Apple and Leek Terrine With Piccalilli and Baby Toffee Apple & Toast and Watercress, Tarragon, Mint & Purple Carrot Salad With Roasted Pistachios, Sunflower Seeds & Orange Blossom Dressing. The terrine is delicious, very well done and all of the ingredients work well together. The salad is interesting and too tasty for something so green, but could of done with a little something else, more colour perhaps, or more dressing. It was a popular dish, the manager, Gordon, told me, and it was delicious. I just thought it could do with a little kick of something.
We also had a good bottle of prosecco. Perfect for summer.
There is a lot to say about our mains, mostly because they were so huge and generous that we really didn’t need a starter or a dessert. In fact, it took us ages to finish them and we still didn’t actually manage to polish the plate off.
We had the Cider & Tarragon Battered Cod With Mushy Peas & Tartare Sauce With Double-Cooked Chips and the Half Roast Chicken With Bread Sauce. The cod is well-battered with a good twist thanks to the tarragon and cider, the mushy peas are great and have some mint in them, the chips are double-cooked and there is also a good tartare sauce. The chicken is huge, an actual half chicken. No stinginess here. The bread sauce is very good, as is the gravy. It comes with a huge Yorkshire pudding, carrots, broccoli, parsnips and roast potatoes. This is a meal and a half, and you certainly get a lot for your money. It tastes good too.
All the way through our meal the service was amazing but seemed to completely drop off when we were ready to order dessert. It took a while to catch a waiters eye and order something. To be fair, they probably got sick of waiting for us to finish. My colleague and I hate wasted food but gave up towards the end.
For dessert (yes, our legs are hollow) we had an Earl Grey Infused Tart With Creme Fraiche and a Chocolate and Pear Tart With Creme Fraiche. Both were great and came with a biscuit and another sauce that really complimented the other ingredients. Very good desserts. I loved my chocolate and pear one. The combination of flavours really worked.
We enjoyed our meal at The Crown & Anchor. They also have a newly refurbished upstairs bar and more seating. It is a gorgeous, friendly pub with good food.
The Crown & Anchor
374 Chiswick High Road
London
W4 5TA
020 8995 2607
www.crownandanchorchiswick.co.uk
enquiry@crownandanchorchiswick.co.uk
www.facebook.com/CrownAndAnchor.Chiswick
@crownanchorw4