The Cock Tavern, Fitzrovia

Post

Subscribe

The Cock Tavern is one of those places that you could easily walk past and not notice. But driven by hunger pangs and a certain innate knowledge that unexciting looking pubs in London can sometimes turn out to be gems, we stepped inside.

The pub has a heartening Dickensian feel and from the looks of it, the bar and fittings all seem to be original from that period. On first glance, the vast bar area can be off-putting especially if it's busy (as it was at this time). However, the dining area can be easily reached by the staircase at the far end side of the bar.



The dining area is much calmer and seemed to be full of young people, enjoying its relaxed atmosphere. It is dimly lit but the cosy fire to your side as you enter compensates for this. You need to seat yourself, however, despite the fact that the restaurant is busy, it was still fairly easy for us to find a table. The menu won't exactly offer you anything different, but then on a cold winter's night, enjoyable pub fare was exactly what we wanted. The pub boasts dishes such as gammon and chips, steak and kidney pie and chicken tikka masala. I had the Southern fried chicken burger and my companion had the fish and chips. The food was brought out to us on wooden platters, which wasn't the most thrilling presentation. However, the food was delicious. The chicken was crispy yet full of flavour whilst I've been assured that the fish and chips were very filling. Drinks-wise the choice was not great. I'm a cider girl but didn't rate their selection of ciders. I ended up having a glass of wine, which complemented the meal nicely. I could live with having to make this alternative choice.



The service was friendly and accommodating. It is possible to have a quiet chat here and not be disrupted. The food is well-priced for a pub in such a central location. It also boasts some nice features, such as the oversized lamps outside, which adds to the atmosphere whilst stopping by for a drink or meal.



Of course, the pub won't be to the liking of anyone who sniffs at visiting "an old man's pub". If anyone asks you where this pub is, an adequate response is "1863". Definitely worth a visit if you find yourself peckish in that part of London however.

#british_restaurants
#burgers
#fish_and_chips
#fitzrovia
#food_wine
#nightlife
#vintage_retro
%wnlondon