Good pub food and the handsome Prince Alfred

A recent visit to the handsome Prince Alfred in Maida Vale, a stone’s throw from Warwick Avenue tube and picturesque Little Venice, was both a pilgrimage and a pleasure. This is one of London’s ‘must see’ pubs, a Mecca for a pub architecture lover.

Its decorated bow windows are unique in the capital, its original interior layout comprising five small bars, has somehow survived intact. Each bar is separated by a wooden partition and topped with etched glass panels and carved joinery, each has a small door to crawl through to the next. Okay, you could just go around outside, but where’s the fun in that?

Attached to the pub is the Formosa Dining Room, formerly the pool room, once a gloomy dust trap, now a smart restaurant, its walls covered with a panoramic photo-mural of Little Venice.

Starters (c.£7) include potted trout, moules mariniere and goat cheese tart. Main courses (c.£14) include confit of duck, grilled sea bass, wild boar sausages and mash, and a steak and ale pie, which is a proper short-crust pie, not a flaky pastry capped dish. All had the thumbs up from our party.

If you are into wine and prepared to splash out there are plenty to choose from. We had a gentle chateau bottled Fleurie and a delicious Pouilly Fume, both not much shy of £30 a bottle. There are, however, a few around the sub £20 mark.

The service was friendly, efficient and professional. The only disappointment was first the Wells Bombardier went off, and then the Chocolate Stout ran out, which for a Young’s pub is pretty poor show. There’s a two for one special offer on a weekday lunchtime and look out for Young’s online promotion of two main courses and a bottle of wine for £20, available until the 25th November.

If you want to find out more about the Prince Alfred, you’ll find a particularly well written article on Young’s website. We know, because it was copied and pasted from pubs.com! Cheers!

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