I watched with great interest the opening of the Drapers Arms in Islington. I knew that the chef was ex St John, I knew it would in all probability be my kind of pub.
The only snag was it was in north London, a 'foreign' land to a devoted south west chap like myself, still I was determined to get up there and see what was on offer. I was delighted to see the arrival of the Drapers Arms on twitter and from that point early on was able to follow their menu's etc.
The first occasion for a visit arose with a charity quiz night that Nick(joint owner along with Ben Maschler) put together. The location of the pub was exactly what I expected, an impressive Georgian building overlooking an imposing Georgian square. Inside the decor is simple, elegant and stylish, with quite a few 'nods' to the term 'Drapers'; a lovely collection of cotton reels (inspiring the picture above), some impressive 'scissor art'. The quiz night was more of introduction to the place for me, I met some esteemed food blogger's for the first time, Lizzy, Chris, Helen, James, Regina, Krista, Dan.....a lovely, friendly bunch. It was a fun, boozy evening and I felt endeared to the pub quite quickly. I ate rather hurriedly and did not pay too much attention to the food. I knew I would be back.
My second visit was for a 'pig fest', again an event that Nick had thought up, a celebration of all things porky. There were highlights on the food front, home cured ham with pickles, a great bean and belly stew, there were also a couple of bits that were a touch off key, notably a slightly dried out pork loin. That was however a group event, feeding forty or so diners all at once is a challenge to any kitchen so I promised myself I would return soon after that and eat from the menu proper and get a firm handle on the place.
That moment came the other week and I was mightily impressed with the food I ate; jellied shin of beef to start with pickled red cabbage and toast was delicious, giving unctuous hunks of shin with the odd caper and balanced brilliantly by the pickled red cabbage. Visually pleasing too, the dark earthy color of meat against the bright red cabbage.
The main course I chose was quail with pearl barley, chickpeas and red onion. The quail was cooked to perfection, the legs easily pulling off so I could get to grips with the flavorsome meat of the little bones. Quail really is a fantastic bird to have on menus, it is versatile, relatively easy to cook, available all year and delicious. The pearl barley and chickpeas with red onion, mint and parsley complimented it really well, if it had been me making this I would have been tempted to dress it more heavily, but as I eased my way through the dish, I soon realized that was not necessary. In fact it speaks volumes about the cooking at the place that they have the confidence to send out such pared down plates of food, relying on the ingredients and quality of cooking.
I had the pleasure of eating with Nick that night in the pubs charming and well stocked garden; his main course of perfectly pink lamb sitting proudly on a heap of bright green pea puree looked splendid and according to the man himself it was delicious to eat.
To finish I ordered the 'Keens' cheddar, a hearty lump of top drawer cheese, it was in perfect condition, crumbly and strong in flavor. Simple water biscuits and a slice of quince were all that were served with it, it was all that was needed.
To drink I had well kept Sam Brooks wandle ale to kick off with followed by chilled Beaujolais. Prices are keen and offer real value, starters five to seven pounds, main courses ten to fourteen.
As I plodded down Liverpool road back south after I reflected on a delicious and highly enjoyable dining experience. The menu has it's own interesting and innovative twist on the bible that is nose to tail eating, the service is friendly and efficient, the pub is reassuringly pleasant and calm.
I look forward to my next meal at the Drapers knowing that if I was local I would almost definitely be there weekly.
four out of five stars
The Drapers Arms
44 Barnsbury Street
London
N1 1ER
0207 619 0348
No comments:
Post a Comment