The Quest team today comprised of the founding fathers Darren, Francoise and earnest Oscar. A smash and grab set-up, if ever there was one, of experienced questers who know what they like and how they like it.

Passing The Crown, and the ever-popular Green, the underlit City Arms and closed Betsey Trotwood we headed into The Eagle, a bar of rumoured conflicting levels of hospitality and service according to Google searches. No website though, although given the level of effort the staff exhibited the whole time, this fact is now no longer surprising.

The Eagle

The Menu

The menu was written up on chalk boards above the open and very small kitchen. One stove, only four burners. Most of the menu was served cold and was prepared and sitting on the bar. While this did allow for fast turnaround in plates it did upset everyone (Darren) wanting hot accompaniments to his meat.

There were half a dozen large and small plate options, sardines (whole and nothing done to them) on toast, steak sandwich (their signature dish, although often reviewed as being stringy), pork belly with lentil salad, veal stew with polenta, veggie lasagne, rump steak with roasted tomatoes. No dessert menu other than gorgonzola and grapes, and pastal de nata (custard tarts).

The detail of our choices being – veal stew with thyme, white wine, anchovy, tomato and polenta, red poll rump steak with jersey royals, tomatoes and horseradish, roast pork belly with fennel, parsley, garlic and lentil salad, tomatoes, mint and spring onion.

Food ordered – Left to right (Veal Stew – Franc, Pork belly – Darren, Steak – Oscar)

Dessert

We did have cheese but no picture was taken. The gorgonzola was great, came with toasted rustic bread with olive oil. No grapes though, so figs were offered as an alternative.

Thought and observations – Collective and Individual

• Service is terrible. Like the slow motion version of time lapse, or that episode of the original Star Trek where Kirk was poisoned by an alien race and was sped up so much it looked like the the rest of the crew were frozen. After watching our sailor shirted waiter not move for five minutes while we waited at the bar (no table service, only bar service) he called over his colleague, the human equivalent of a two-toed sloth. The creature couldn’t move slower if it was swimming through treacle.
• The menu was interesting and seemingly fresh, as it was out on the counter, including the polenta. Although the veggie lasagne looked over-baked and if it had been there since the day before.
• The staff seemed to be just hanging out. When we arrived at 12:45 there were 30 people waiting for food and a couple with melon peel on a plate clearly hoping for their main course to materialise.
• Ordering at the bar confused people. People were sitting dumbfounded and the staff (surprise-surprise) didn’t think it was in their remit to tell people of this protocol.
• For small groups and couples they cram you on a table, so if you are socially inept or shy, avoid like the plague.
• I saw this and it gave me horrific flashbacks to the Sun in Splendour

Yes, a tiny low coffee table with eight seats around it. Someone is in line for a backache.

• Steak was pretty rare as requested. (Oscar)
• Steak came out, and there was a five minute wait before it was joined by the pork.
• Shockingly there was no mustard. No mustard? But there is a corner store opposite, a Waitrose and a Tesco three blocks away. How can that be an excuse? Oscar offered to go to a store for them and get some.
• Potatoes were served cold, as was everything with the pork belly, which is how a small kitchen can turn over so many plates.
• All very tasty, all said and done, fresh and flavourful.
• Oscar gave Darren the potatoes, after Darren gave Oscar the crackling.
• Had a bad spud. It was black on the inside. Once spat into a napkin the meal was over and I turned to the booze course. (Darren)
• No dessert menu WTF? (Darren)
• This stew was, like,  fantastic. (Franc turning momentarily Californian) *She then dabbed the remnants of the stew up with the bread.
• I could eat that again. It was arguably my favourite pub meal. (Lofty praise indeed from Franc)
• A stew in summer was an unlikely choice, in winter it would have had potatoes, which would have been too much. The polenta worked. (Franc droning on)
• I want to eat the plate itself. (Franc)
• Steak slightly stringy but came the way I wanted. (Oscar)
• Would have liked hot potatoes but food arrived quickly so that is the trade off. (Oscar)
• I wish I had the stew but HATE polenta. (Darren)
• Ordering from the bar sucks but it not the end of the world. (Franc)
• Space is okay. (Franc) And then we pondered about what the space was originally, given the high ceilings and hole in the ceiling.
• The service was so bad from sailor boy, sloth and a girl, who couldn’t been seen to be doing anything for much of our time there, and was dressed like a Roman slave girl, that Oscar cleared our table.
• I like the open kitchen. (Franc)
• Wish I had mustard now. If we’d known we could’ve bought some on the way. (Oscar tweaking the nipple of that particular Zeitgeist)
• With roast meat I want roast veg. (Darren)
• I want the f’@#king stew again. (Franc)
• Stew pressed all my buttons, on par with the famous lamb carbonara we had on the golden strip in Venice. (Franc really waxing rhapsodic about her damned meal)
• Furniture old and falling apart. Didn’t take plates away for 15 minutes. (Oscar)
• Staff never checked on us, or asked if the food was okay, or bring us water, or clean. (Darren)
• I would say they need a bar manager. I have been here midweek writing and the place seemed more like a hangout for staff and friends of the owner. (Darren)
• The reviews from others point toward non existent service, rude management and it all would probably have seemed better in a different atmosphere. We agree.
• Bottom line. Did we go to The Eagle for food? Yes. Was the food good? Yes. (Darren and Oscar) Hell’s yes! (Franc)
• Paying at the bar does do two things. 1. It eliminates any conflict over the bill. (Not that there is ever any conflict unless Oscar is ordering bottles of booze) and 2. it means that, with the diabolical service, you do not have to wait 45 minutes for the bill when you have finished. (Darren)
• I am stuffed to the gills. (Franc)
• Oscar, what score for the service? (Darren)
• What service? (Oscar)
• Food, the cheese on the toast with the olive oil. That’s me. (Oscar)
• Ladies Toilets had a handle coming out of the wall. It was like using the loos in a Little Chef. (Franc)
• Tarts are as good as any I had in Portugal. (Oscar) Although clearly they were bought in.
• Mens Toilets on par with a stinky train platform loo.
• I want to like this place but I can’t. (Oscar)
• I would only come back here if I lived upstairs. (Oscar)
• I would have had coffee but it was sitting, stewing on the stove in metal pots and not fresh. (Oscar) Prompting a walk to Exmouth Market and Cafe Kick for coffee and more Pastal de nata.
• Single rainbow. The stew was awesome. If I could move that food to another place it would be Double rainbow all the way. (Franc referring to a viral YouTube video). Dyson Airblade in the loos would have made it a triple rainbow lunch.

The Scores

In Conclusion

What no service?

The Coach and Horses

This rainy Sunday, we headed to Clerkenwell’s The Coach & Horses, which has been on our to-eat list for quite some time. Local to Franc & Darren and winning Harper’s 2010 Wine Pub of the Year, we’re surprised we haven’t been here already.

And arriving early at this wood panelled and small pub (seating 60 in the main room) we spied potential.

The closest tube stop for this pub is Farringdon, and it’s right off Clerkenwell Road. The 55 and 243 buses come right by as well.

Joining us on the Quest today on a grim and dismal rainy London Sunday are: Vera, Roland, Asami, Andy, Claire, Dom, Franc, and Darren.

Dishes Ordered: (left to right)

Appetizers:

• Heritage tomato salad (Claire)
• Coach cured salmon with pickles (Asami)
• Duck and chestnut rilettes aka Duck in a jar (Andy, Roland and Vera sharing)

Entrees:

• Roast beef (all except Vera)
• Handmade salt cod fritter (Vera)

Desserts:

• Lemon Posset (Claire, Franc, Andy, Asami)
• Strawberry Meringue (Roland and Vera sharing)
• Buttermilk pudding and fruit (Darren)

Pimm's potential

Observations (collective and individual):

The food:

• Ugly appetisers. Maybe it was the light but the tomato salad looked terrible. So did the Salmon. Like a can of Smedley’s Mixed Veg dumped on a plate and served with a garnish of fuckall. (Darren)
• The angry Waitress changed attitude when trying to put one appetiser on the table. Her voice changing from polite yet a little angry “excuse me” to bitter and angry “excuse me.”
• It’s sharp. About her salad (Claire)
• It’s really sharp. 5 mins later about her salad (Claire)
• Cue the porn music. “My carrot is long and uncut.” (Roland)
• The food was reasonable, not amazing. (Roland)
• The food was nice but not spectacular. (Claire, who was far from Roland and his similar comment)
• A balsamic vinegar would have been a more appropriate choice for the salad (Claire)
• Claire’s beef had a huge vein of gristle.
• Cold Yorkshire pud, and very salty spuds. (Darren)
• Butter beans, samphire and salty fish balls? (Darren looking at Vera’s meal) That must have been a big fish to have balls that size.
• Beef was tender and cooked as I like it. (Claire)
• Smoked salmon was cut thickly. It reminded me of how sashimi is cut. I’m not sure if this is traditional, but I liked it. (Asami)
• The beef was nice and tender, but the potatoes were too salty and the spinach was not my cup of tea… I didn’t like the flavour. (Asami)
• Sun dried salty tomatoes, fish balls too salty. Interesting ingredients, an interesting combination, just too salty to finish. (Vera)
• Potatoes were mushy on the outside, dry inside. My spinach was cooked to death, and what was that rhubarb-looking stuff with it? (Franc)
• My yorkshire seemed cooked too quickly… mushy inside and darkened on the edges.  The beef and the posset saved the day (Franc)
• Potatoes were soft on the outside and dry in the middle? Veg was cooked to death (Franc)
• For the price point, it isn’t living up to expectations.
• The whole chicken for 2 looked great. (Darren) Shame we didn’t have it.
• Dom, recovering from stomach issues, asked if they had any ice cream, even though it wasn’t on the menu. The nice waitress went to the kitchen, checked and confirmed they had homemade vanilla ice cream, which he ordered. A nice touch.
• The yorkshire was too… symmetrical. (Claire)
• Slice of lemon on top of the posset not caramelised or anything. It’s just a full on lemon. (Claire)
• Nice posset Claire. (Darren)

Other stuff:

• The baby likes the windows (Vera)
• The staff was quick to respond to our requests (Vera)
• Little  toys along the ceiling are cute (Franc)
• I’d go back, but it weirdly lacked ambiance (Claire)
• Looked neighbourly but didn’t feel it. (Franc)
• Nice but not amazing. (Claire)
• Service was nice and smiley. Referring to the nice waitress. (Asami)
• Toilets were clean. I bet they’re really chilly in winter. (Franc)

On to the Scores: (scoring based on these rules)

Afterword

I am genuinely disappointed with the pub. We had a conversation with a fellow Twitterer about that exact pub and it was talked up. It supposedly won the Harper’s 2010 Wine Pub of the Year which doesn’t ring true given how bad everything else was. Some scores were skewed high because of people who were (a) famished and (b) hadn’t been to a roast for a while and didn’t have alternatives to compare against.

Would I recommend the Coach and Horses to anyone needing a pub in EC1? No. The Well, The Green, The Princess of Shoreditch,even untried local hostelries such as The Eagle would get the nod ahead of it.

I guess Franc’s final comment summed up just how great the Coach and Horses, Clerkenwell is – “toilets were clean.”

So here we are, with Darren writing this entry telling of our second visit to one of our local bars, The Green in Clerkenwell..

The pub looks the same as it did before, however I took the opportunity to take a picture of the upstairs bar, as we were confined there despite much of the downstairs seating being free.

In attendance today were Bridgette and Pete (with a rather subdued baby Max), Andy and Sunday Quest virgin Asami, Francoise and me.

The menu was limited to four mains – beef, pork, fish or veggie suet pudding. Suet, of course, meaning it wasn’t veggie at all. Veggies would be served family style and were mange tout and roasties. Desserts, although we didn’t partake, were fudge brownie, STP, vanilla ice cream and apple crumble served with a odd sounding clove custard.

Dishes ordered: Beef (Bridgette, Francoise, Asami, Andy), Pork (Pete, Darren) and are shown in order below with the veg.

Comments and observations (collective and individual):

• Andy: I was really looking forward to digging into the meat, but by the time we got spoons for the veg it was cold. I was facing the sun the whole time so thought Pete (Who had his back to the window) was just a silhouette for most of the meal.
• Asami: It was okay.
• Pete: It was a bit of a shitty spot. There was a large birthday party going on when there was room downstairs.
• Franc: Beef was fatty and not medium rare. It was disappointing given how good it was last time. The waiter did no check on us. However, the horseradish sauce was great. My main comment would be that the sides were better than the main. And No Cheese Plate on menu?
• Bridge: Less than medium rare, it was bloody and full of fat.

On to the Scores:

Previous Visit Scores:

This visit

Afterword

As you can see there is a marked difference between our scored visits. The upstairs was not a good fit for anyone when there was a birthday party going on attended by 15+ twenty somethings jibberjabbering away the whole time. The round table in the window blinded one half of the table, and was too small for 6 plus a high chair. The service was terrible, and as it was just the birthday party and us we would have expected the blond idiot to notice he never gave us any serving spoons. The menu was very short and the beef was just not good. Still, at £20 a head all in, including drinks, it could have been much worse, Sun in Splendor worse.

It was a last minute choice this morning, and when we rang at 11ish for a 1230 reservation, we should have taken note when we were (rather oddly) advised our table was only available until 2pm.

Joining us on the Quest today are Vera, Roland, Oscar, and Darren. The Sunday menu from their website, offering both brunch and lunch, is here. Today’s menu differed a bit, but the sample menu is a good representation of the offerings.

Dishes Ordered: We went for the set menu.

Appetizers:
Unfortunately, there aren’t any pictures of the appetizers because the soup arrived before the fritters, and when the fritters arrived, only two orders were delivered. Darren waited another ten minutes for his appetizer.

• Okra, courgette, turmeric, and feta fritters, mango and ginger puree
• Smoky aubergine soup, tahini yogurt, Turkish chili oil

Mains:

• Poached Guinea Fowl , Plum, Nectarine, and Hijiki relish – served with spiced roast potatoes, carrot and parsnip quinoa, Yorkshire pudding (Vera, Darren, Franc)
• Roast Saddle of Lamb, Smoked Anchovy, and Tomatillo -served with spiced roast potatoes, carrot and parsnip quinoa, Yorkshire pudding (Roland, Oscar)

Desserts:

• Yuzu, lime, kiwi, and green tea sorbet (Vera)
• Gooseberry, Buckwheat, and Oat Crumble, White Chocolate Creme Anglaise (Darren and Roland)
• Spiced apple and raspberry tart, Eton Mess ice cream (Split by Oscar and Franc)
• A selection of cheeses, The Modern Pantry Chutney, Oatcakes (Split by Oscar and Franc)

Observations – collective and individual

• The bill, when it was finally presented, was incorrect. We had been charged the set menu for courses rate with each dessert billed at full price.
• The service sucked. It was neither friendly nor intuitive. (Oscar)
• Yorkshire pudding with the main was fine, but out of place. It should have been presented with a dish that included gravy. (Franc)
• There should have been a beef or pork option (Oscar)
• Excellent selection of local beer (Oscar, Roland, Darren)
• The Aubergine soup was OK – nothing special (Oscar)
• It took them ten minutes to bring mustard, had I waited for it, my lunch would have gone cold. (Oscar)
• I liked the food (Vera)
• Oscar and Darren didn’t like the gravel (aka: cous cous), but I really liked it (Franc)
• The venue is sparsely decorated, and as there’s nothing to absorb the sound, it is surprisingly loud.
• What decor? (Oscar)
• I like my dessert (Darren)
• The cheese plate was OK. It would have been nice if the waitress had identified the cheeses and thought to suggest a glass of port.  (Franc)
• This experience really shows how bad service can really color one’s impression.
• The Eton Mess ice cream is brilliant. I am going to try to replicate this at home. It’s wonderful. (Franc)
• The service was so poor, I told the server to remove the gratuity from the check. She did so apathetically and made no inquiry as to why I had elected to do so.I have never asked a server to do this. (Franc)

On to the scores: (awarded on these guidelines)

Joining us on the Quest today are Vera, Roland, Oscar, & Darren.

Not joining us is Dag, who despite asking specifically to come along this Sunday, cancelled on Friday. Werder Bremen weren’t playing today, but we’re sure there’s a good reason for his absence.

We settled in at the venue, only to find that Oscar had overslept.

Being a polite lot, we waited for his arrival to place our orders. The waitress fed us bread as a bit of a consolation prize and despite getting a late start to order, we at no point were hurried.

The Well’s Sunday menu boasts both a brunch and a lunch section, but we stayed on plan and stuck to the lunch offerings.

Dishes Ordered: (Pictured left to right)

Observations: (collective and individual)

• I received everything I wanted, as I wanted it. I asked for a more rare piece of beef, and the server gave me the rarest serving on the table. (Oscar)
• I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. The dining area’s design is well executed but in no way unique. (Roland)
• My faith and will to live are restored (Roland, stillscarred from his last roast)
• I like the aesthetic of the brick walls, windows, and blue window trim. (Vera)
• The Roast was served with plenty of vegetables, horseradish sauce, and amuch appreciated little boat of gravy. (Franc)
• The Oatcakes with the cheeseboard were crunchy, delicious, and not too thick, and I usually won’t eat oatcakes because I think they take from the cheese experience. I also liked (aka: devoured) the generous ramekin of quince. (Franc)
• Nice, clean, modern space. (Darren)
• Good list of whiskeys (Oscar)
• Fishtank in the basement is nifty. (Franc)
• The sliced lemons in the water are a nice touch. (Franc)
• The staff was very understanding about our late friend (Darren)
• I have a new favorite dessert (Darren, who also declared last week’s pub as his favorite dessert… it seems the torch has been passed)

On to the scores: (awarded on these guidelines)

We had actually planned to skip roast this week, and instead, to have a wander around the neighborhood. I had high hopes for my camera on this first sunny weekend day of the year, but after said walk and a dearth of souls I wanted to steal, we were hungry.

We had read about The Easton in the past, and when we found ourselves around the corner at Exmouth Market, we decided to venture over.

From the outside this pub looks like nothing special. It doesn’t even have door handles. It actually looked almost closed, as the windows were covered with condensation.

The wave of deliciousness hits you once you open the door. It smells amazing. The interior is simple, bright, and very clean. The collection of mismatching chairs lends character.

The menu, pictured, looks wonderful.

Dishes Ordered: (Pictured left to right)

• Roast Beef (Darren & Franc)
• Apple Crumble (Darren)
• Chocolate Bread & Butter Pudding (Franc)

Observations: (collective and individual)

• Every table was booked; however, the staff welcomed us to sit for as long as the table was available. (We enjoyed Rodney’s 2:30 table until 2:15.)
• Portions were very generous. (Franc)
• The meat was a bit gristly on the edges, but removing those bits, it was excellent. (Darren)
• The food was served piping hot. (see picture, Franc)
• The mix of vegetables with the roast was nice.
• It was both child and dog-friendly
• Best dessert since I’ve moved back to the UK (Darren, who moved back 2 years ago)
• I’m glad I didn’t have to share my dessert (Franc)
• Our table was for four, but it wasn’t suited for four, as the table’s legs got in the way on two sides. (Darren)
• Ladies’ room was impeccably clean. (Franc)
• This pub could be much more aesthetically inviting from the outside and cozier on the interior.
• We would definitely come here again.

On to the scores: (awarded on these guidelines)

I’ve had lunch at this pub, which is within walking distance of my office, but this was my first Sunday Roast. We’ll probably be looking at more pubs in this area as year end approaches, as we’re considering Clerkenwell as our next home.

The menu had all the traditional stuffs.

Joining us today were Vera & Roland of Taiwanese Wedding fame, and our friend Oscar, who was making his Quest debut.

Dishes Ordered:
(Pictured left to right)

• Maple & Horseradish roasted sirloin of beef with roast parsnip, onion, & garlic (Darren, Oscar, Franc)
• Roast Loin of pork with braised red cabbage, baked apples, and crackling (Roland)
• Roast Chicken with a chorizo & red pepper stuffing, greens and real chicken gravy (Vera)

and sides of roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, and vegetables were served family style:

Naturally, we caved in for dessert.
The stilton & quince was lovely, so lovely that we all forgot to document it.
We made up for it by also eating dessert!

(Pictured left to right)

• Banoffee Pie (Split by Oscar & Franc)
• Apple crumble with vanilla ice cream (Roland, Darren)
• Chocolate and clementine mousse torte (Vera)

Observations: (collective and individual)

• Potatoes & Yorkshires were excellent (Darren)
• The family-style serving of the sides is nice (Franc)
• Roasts were a little more done than anticipated (medium well, rather than medium rare)
• Service was excellent. Attentive, but we never felt rushed.
• Bathrooms were fine, but not spectacular. (Nothing a Dyson airblade wouldn’t fix!)

On to the scores: (awarded on these guidelines)