Review of the latest 2011 Michelin Eating Out in Pubs guide.
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The arrival of each new edition of the annual Eating Out in Pubs Guide from Michelin is always a delight. The book lists over 550 of the best pubs and inns in Britain and Ireland for dining, from sophisticated city gastropubs to idyllic country inns serving top local produce, often at bargain prices.
The 2010 edition of Eating Out in Pubs runs to over 650 pages, slightly bigger than the 2009 edition but at the same cover price. It reviews roughly the same number of pub restaurants, about 550 of them, but over 80 of them are new entries. So what's new for 2010 on the British and Irish good pub scene?
Eating Out in Pubs 2010: Restaurant of the Year
The Michelin inspectors' choice for the 2010 Pub of the Year is the Masons Arms in Knowstone, Devon. It's an attractive 13th-century thatched pub on the Somerset-Devon borders, and it's not a surprising choice as the chef-owner Mark Dodson was for 12 years the Head Chef at Michel Roux's Waterside Inn at Bray-on-Thames, with its three Michelin stars. The Masons Arms remains very much a village local, yet not too many village pubs have a Michelin Star of their own: the Masons Arms does. Dishes like Suprême of Corn Fed Chicken with Tarragon Ravioli and a Morel Cream Sauce can be enjoyed while gazing out at wonderful views of Exmoor.
Eating Out in Pubs 2010: Michelin Inspectors' Favourites
The Michelin pubs guide doesn't rate the entries with stars, as the main Michelin restaurant guide does. Instead there is a two-page spread of the Inspectors' Favourites – these are the pubs which not only serve exceptionally good food, but have an extra quality that makes them stand out. It may be the setting, the view from the dining room, the friendliness of the staff, the value for money, or that the food is exceptional even by the high standards of the Michelin pub guide.
Eating Out in Pubs 2010: Best Pub Food in London
The Michelin Inspectors list eleven pubs in London which in their view serve the best pub food in the city. Anyone visiting London and not eating at least one good pub meal is missing out on some of the best contemporary cooking in the capital – if not in the country. The Michelin choice of best London pubs for food is:
- The Admiral Codrington in Chelsea
- The Anchor and Hope in Southwark
- The Brown Dog in Barnes
- The Devonshire in Chiswick
- The Harwood Arms in Fulham
- The Havelock Tavern in Shepherd's Bush
- The House in Canonbury
- The Narrow in Limehouse
- The Rosendale in West Dulwich
- Sands End in Fulham
- The Thomas Cubitt in Victoria
The Inspectors show that visitors need to get out of the West End and go a bit further afield to find the best pub grub, and it's particular good in the south-west of London.
Eating Out in Pubs 2010
The new 2010 Michelin guide is as essential a dining reference source as previous editions, but there is a tendency to focus on England. Almost all the Inspectors' Favourites are in England, with only two in Scotland, four in Wales, and one each in Northern Ireland the Republic of Ireland. There are many more good dining pubs in all those countries, so with that small caveat – the book is terrific.
More Details on the Michelin Eating Out in Pubs Guide 2010
Eating Out in Pubs 2010 is published by Michelin at £14.99 in the UK and $19.95 in Canada. More information about Michelin books at the Michelin website.
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See also the Michelin Great Britain and Ireland Guide 2010.
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Mike Gerrard - Mike is an award-winning travel writer who has worked for National Geographic, the London Times, and many other clients. ...
