The Traditional English Restaurants of London

The flames which consumed much of the old Gun four years ago have proved to be a blessing by fire and emerging from the ashes Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton’s historic rendezvous is, with a little help from English Heritage back in business. Certainly M’Lord had an eye for a site and some of the primest bits of real estate in London are now located within range of The Gun.

To take advantage of all the options there is now a 40 seater dining room in the main bar, a back bar with two snugs, two private dining rooms and a riverside terrace that would get the average developer gibbering with emotion, with serious views of the Thames, Greenwich Park, even the Millennium Dome if you like that sort of thing.

Presiding over the gastronomic scheme of things is Scott Wade, previously of Mirabelle, Drones, and Thyme. His and his team’s endeavours are spread between four menus, one in the dining room, a bar menu and two brunch menus for Saturday and Sunday.

In a dining room dominated by a copy of William Wyllie’s 1915 “Masters of the Sea”, a nice touch given that the original is just round the corner at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, expect to find starters of potted duck with pear chutney and sage brioche, oysters with shallots and cabernet sauvignon vinegar, or papperdelle with oyster mushrooms, peas and a lemon oil.

Main coursers inspire with a rare breed mixed grill, South Down lamb “Barnsley chop” with roasted garlic mash and cepes duxelle and mint juice, or a delicious lasagne of halibut (fresh daily from Billingsgate), smoked salmon, leeks and warm aioli sauce. Side orders tend to be a touch expensive by comparison, but extraordinarily tempting.

Puddings steer much the same course, offering a classic crème brûlée, a well-balanced rum and raisin parfait with mango sorbet and bitter ice cream, and some really interesting British cheeses, eaten with pear chutney and Scottish oat cakes.

The pub menu operates in a space that would do more than justice to the average wardroom of a British man of war, with fancy woodwork, traditional lighting and an air of permanence. Food consists of some items from the dining room menu, such as a pint of prawns with mayonnaise, rare breed pork sausages with Lyonnaise potatoes and Pommery mustard sauce, a bookmaker’s sandwich with horseradish sauce (yes, you’ve guessed), The Gun fish pie, or an Old Spot bacon sandwich with brown sauce.

The Gun caters for all eventualities, including Sunday mornings following a heavy night, when spiced Bloody Mary soup is there to assist your return to the planet, followed by Belvoir crumpets, poached eggs, Benedict or Florentine, or the full works with Aberdeen Angus roast rib and the traditional trimmings.

A comprehensive wine list signals the wide social appeal of The Gun, with champagne from £25 to £395 a bottle as a good example. A really good selection is available by the glass, from £3.10 upwards. The Gun also caters for private parties, and with a mezzanine area for up to 40 people.

There is about The Gun an aura of elegance not always found in places of its kind, and it fills a major gap in the Docklands.