Well the food was a lot better than the football! Ever since the late much lamented Langan's coq d'or shut down last year we have been trying to find somewhere to go pre-match for a bite. We are currently taking it in turns to pick out a place so yesterday was Beardy Marc's turn and he picked the Butcher' Hook which is just over the road from Stamford Bridge. I had often wandered past but just assumed it was standard footie pub. However a wander in showed that though the bar was heaving there was also a bustling open kitchen turning out lots of food for hungry fans. We had a table by the kitchen which was nice enough which plenty of room. A few people bustled past as at times but really nothing to worry about. The menu was fairly straight forward but I can could tell we were in for a bit more than the usual Sunday roast.
The boys all went for the Sunday ribeye roast but as I was having a steak later for dinner I opted for the slow cooked shoulder of lamb with flagolet beans and cabbage. The waiter was very helpful with the wine list he advised to try a Malbec they had been sent in error by their supplier which was going at a steal at £21 a bottle. It went particularly nicely with the roasts which came out looking very good, nice big yorkshires, lots of gravy and potatoes. My dish was nice but I felt they were a bit mean with the portions. I was expecting a lot more lamb and cabbage. The dish felt a bit unbalanced. Baldy Mark who went for a very nice pasta dish asked if he could have a yorkshire on the side, again the waiter was very helpfull and gave him one without charging extra.
The lovely wine was flowing, there was banter aplenty and being so close to the ground we even had time for dessert. Most of the guys went for the crumble which looked very nice and was served in a minature pan. I went for the hokey pokey ice cream which tasted nice but sadly there was no hokey pokey crunch. The guys all had a good lunch though I perhaps should have chosen better. The bill came to £40 a head which was reasonable for the high standard of food and the drinks we had. The service here was very good, the place was rammed but the kitchen and waiting teams were working hard to keep everybody fed and watered. This is a place I would like to visit on a non match day to see what they can turn out as it appears a very accomplished gastro pub. So in conclusion a good debut for the Butcher's Hook which is more than I can say about Torres!
Monday, February 07, 2011
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8