The Prince Regent, Herne Hill

My review of that reviewer (Lord Regent - hmm - any connection perchance?)

>Overpriced drinks - all the pubs round here are expensive, the Regent compares well. if you drink Premium beers or wines, its going to cost.

I think the beer selection is very good, the wine was good and yes, London is expensive for drinks wherever you go. I have no complaints.

>Overlong menu - my criticism is that they don't change the menu enough.

Changing the menu is one thing, but the evidence speaks for itself - there was just too much on the menu for any of it to be given any special care.

> Food quality - nothing on the menu is advertised as organic, free range etc. If you want to know which farm your beef came from either buy it yourself or eat a top restaurant, this is a pub.

I don't want organic - it's a load of hype. But any half decent chef knows where his meat comes from - it's a very basic requirement. I should know - I run a catering company with many fine dining operations around the UK. And again, this is 2008. Good pubs no longer get away with bad food, especially when they're charging restaurant prices. There's no excuse.

>The chefs are good, but it does get very busy at times - would you complain if Ramsay swore at you?

Don't be so silly. In case you haven't worked it out, Gordon Ramsay swears for the TV cameras and at his kitchen staff. Have you ever seen him tell a customer to f*** off??? If he swore at me, I wouldn't pay his bill. Bad chefs see him on TV and think that by behaving like stroppy teenagers, they'll become better chefs. I recommend that they start with finding out where the beef comes from.

It's a nice pub with a good atmosphere and good booze. And I've been there many times. It could do nice food if it sorted itself out, but it doesn't. I went with 12 people, all from the area. I'll certainly drink there again, but none of us will be going back to eat there - that's difficult to argue with.

25 Apr 2008 14:44

The Prince Regent, Herne Hill

Went for dinner on a friday night. Nice big table, decent enough boozer. However, food is not great.
The menu is too big for them to be able to make everything competently.
Mussels were rubbery and swimming in watery cream.
I asked where the steak came from (a reasonable question when they're charging �14). "Scotland" was the response. I asked for more details such as was it from a known farm, how long was it dry hung? Waitress went to ask the chef again and came back with the answer "12 weeks"!! I put it to her that she had made that up because good beef is generally hung for anything between 14 and 28 days. She said she had made it up and that the chef's actual response to my question was "f*** off!" Nice! British service and quality at its very best.
Don't go here for food.
Oh, and I was very ill afterwards.
Don't hand over your hard-earned money for this rubbish.

19 Apr 2008 13:42