A well executed pie is not only a thing of great beauty, but a British staple, so it seems only right to sing this humble dish’s praises. Next week 2-8 March the country celebrates British Pie Week, seven days dedicated to flaky pastry, meaty fillings and lashings of good gravy. Here are our top five picks of the best pie pitstops in London…
“Pie heaven!”; this “time-warped” Young’s boozer, near Savile Row, offers pastries with a “huge variety” of fillings, and at “very reasonable prices” too.
Tucked away in a mews, attached to a quaint pub, this “old-school” dining room serves “solid” steak and pies in quaint (slightly “tired”) comfort; this is Mayfair, though, and prices are “hardly pub prices!”
Strangely enough this Holloway Road fixture has never graced the pages of our guides, so we’re bringing this recommendation to you as an ‘editor’s tip’. Piebury Corner, which started life as a food stall by Arsenal stadium, is so much more than just a pie and mash shop. Try the classic Steak & Ale or one of their footballer-inspired creations like The Ian Wright (lamb, veg and a hint of mint), all served with roasties or mash and red wine gravy. Utterly rammed on match days – you have been warned.
A new venture from Will Lander (co-owner of The Quality Chop House) and Daniel Morgenthau (ex-10 Greek Street) serving food all day, including the now famous game pithivier (pie to us regular folk), and over 20 wines by the glass. Portland has become something of a critical darling since it opened in January with glowing reviews from Marina O’Laughlin, Zoe Williams and Giles Coren.
“Subdued light, romantic booths, and quirky touches like a button to summon champagne” – all conducive to creating a “brilliant” impression at this madly “luxurious” Soho diner; “you pay for all that gorgeousness”, naturally, but the “high-end comfort food” is generally very “enjoyable”. Get one of their intricately patterned pies next week, the contents of which are cooked in champagne (natch) and served with truffle gravy.
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