ALEXANDRA PUB - Sat on a Hot Roof Terrace

On another hot day in Wimbledon, there was only one more outdoor place that could help us enjoy the sun and the 32 degrees heat in the least painful way possible. Strange as it may sounds, the option was indeed a pub. Generally, they are built for colder weather but the Alexandra Pub is probably the most versatile we have ever seen. Dominating a whole corner of its retail block, the Alexandra is split into 4 different areas managed by the same staff and kitchen to please the different pub environments you may fancy or not: (1) a dark, all-wood pub from pre-modern times, (2) a traditional carpeted early 20th century pub, (3) a trendy modern pub names the 'Smart Alex', and last but not least (4) the Roof Terrace. This last one does not require further description and it is of course the destination for our 5th Wimbledon Eatery session.

Reached via a steep and narrow staircase, the Roof Terrace is built on top of the dark, all-wood pub downstairs but only covers a smaller area than the whole one covered by all 3 pubs on the ground floor. It therefore means a more contained space than you could hope for on a Friday or at the weekend when the weather is nice. Under these weather conditions, we were therefore happy to go for a Monday lunch when you can easily choose where to sit a large crowd of nine people.

The layout appears rather cluttered with a mix of different styles of furniture from large tables and cushioned benches to high chairs and tables. The front of the terrace looks onto the main road and at the back you have a small bar where you can order food and drinks without having to go downstairs. The combination of pub service and outdoor joint make it a good place to relax if the place is not too crowded. One half of the terrace, towards the bar, is covered, whereas the rest if fully exposed to whatever the weather conditions are. The cushioned benches were the most puzzling item: nice and comfy although covered with dead flying ants and really hot to the touch under a hot sun. On the contrary, probably soaked wet if it rained. Maybe different types of chairs or benches would work best.

Self-ordering is of course the pub norm and it was pretty quick. Same for the waiting time to be served. The food was typical pub food with the odd variation or clever twist on a classic. Under the heat, some of us were trying to avoid the usual suspects and maybe go for the fresher and cooler meals. Nice choice of sandwiches were at hand together with some less pub-like specials. Under all aspects most of the food tasted great, fresh and not artificial. Burgers and sandwiches were served on a wooden board to reinforce that sense of authenticity and simplicity. Couple of disappointments were the lack of spice on the Piri Piri chicken burger, the lack of oil and vinegar to dress the salads, and also the lack of lemon water or lemon wipes to tackle the greasy finger food on offer, especially the BBQ platter. Nevertheless, we were happy with the friendly, attentative staff, who were always available to meet our demands and provided a "buddy" feeling to the service. One good gesture we all appreciated was the empty tupperware we were offered as doggy bag for most of the BBQ platter left over.

Great placeto chill out and isolate from urban traffic - but avoid Fridays or get there early!

Our verdict is as follows:

Quality of Food        4.33
Hygiene                     4.33
Value for Money      3.83
Speed of Service       5.00
Quality of Service    5.00
Ambience & décor   4.67

Alexandra Pub gets an overall rating of 89.2%