FIRE STABLES - a Real Turkey?

On a day we missed an Eatery opportunity because we did not book, the Fire Stables became a quick sign of hope and change of plan. It is known locally at the Village, sitting on a secondary street leading to the Wimbledon Tennis courts, but you won't see it from afar or stumble on it easily in a daily routine. There is no clear sign outside and the name sits in white on a cream background - not easy to spot for the unexperienced traveller.

The pub inside gives you the opposite colours and feel. A traditional "woody" pub with a modern twist that felt pleasant on this cold wintry day before Xmas. It is pleasant, lovely, cozy for those wintry nights. The fireplace and vintage furniture make you feel welcome, while the large windows top to bottom take away the dark atmosphere typical of old pubs. There is a sense of calm in the area, with calm, jazzy music in a very soft background.

Service was prompt and delivered by staff wearing Christmas Jumpers. It gave a plus to the whole experience. We also noticed a one-side open plan kitchen: quite a rarity across pubs. Menu had a good, wide selection but names did not stand out easily. Choices fell on a mixed of pub grub and Xmas spirit.

The turkey sandwich and the fish finger sandwich did not get the best rating. The former had unseasoned stuffing with tasteless skinny fries and the latter was too dry with lettuce pieces too chunky to fit. Both were difficult to eat on the very small. retro style wooden board. English Rose Turkey was one of the specials, in anticipation of the turkey-and-all-the-trimmings season. Meat was tender and sunk enough in gravy and red cabbage. It was a great shame you could only count three roast potatoes, the one pig in a blanket and the two sprouts: the plate somehow felt empty and not festive enough. The old vintage plate it was served was a half-point in favour.

Surprisingly, great satisfaction came from the beef and lamb burger. Disappointed by size at first, we were happy with the quality and freshness of the meat, and the good-side chunky chips. It seems meat is the better and safest option to go for in this place. Price-wise, the Fire Stables sits above your average pub due to its location but without a "wow" factor on food, and we feel it mainly survives thanks to the locals and its atmosphere.

Our verdict is as follows:

Quality of Food        3.00
Hygiene                     4.60
Value for Money      3.60
Speed of Service       4.00
Quality of Service    4.00
Ambience & décor   4.80

Fire Stables gets an overall rating of 77.1%

HAND AND RAQUET - In the Small Heart of Town...

Cold months make you look for warmth and it is where pubs are more sought after instead of the sterile and artificial settings of modern chains. We had not visited an old-fashioned pub in a while and the next choice in line could not be one of the few oldest premises Wimbledon has to offer.

The Hand & Raquet is the perfect name tribute to what Wimbledon is famous for, and its name differs greatly from the traditional "Prince of Wales" or "Queen's Head". Inside it is a cozy wooden pub refurbished only a few years ago. It gets very busy with the locals and the one drawback is quite difficult to find a place to sit. Seating options come in different shapes or forms but there are very few. Long high table with high chairs, large low table with wooden chairs, and even some sofas with a medium-sized coffee table. The latter was our final choice. When the dishes came, our small table proved to be a small hazard for plates, food and glasses almost falling off the edge...

Atmosphere is the one you expect from a good wholesome pub. Slightly darkened but bright, festive and with some nice good old rock music. The menu offers a good range of pub favourites with the odd and unusual break from tradition. Staff is friendly and seem happy to help in any situations - especially with the table hazard we experienced.

Our food choice focused on the foundations of pub food: fish and chips, fish pie, steak and ale pie, and in addition an usual menu item: the "stoup" - a hybrid between stew and soup. First thing to bear in mind is that portions are deceptively large, and you don't realise until you feel full half-way. All dishes felt rich to the palate, and did not taste plastic or cooked from frozen. Presentation is of course rather home-made but it comes across as a strong point with the surroundings.

We did not have space for dessert - happy bellies all the way home!

Our verdict is as follows:

Quality of Food        4.00
Hygiene                     3.75
Value for Money      3.50
Speed of Service       3.75
Quality of Service    3.50
Ambience & décor   5.00

Hand and Raquet gets an overall rating of 77.5%

ALL BAR ONE - The "New" Pub

This well known chain always pleases everyone for how trendy their bars look. It definitely tries to dismiss the old pub look in favour of a modern bar with a continental hint.

The feedback was mainly focused on the nice lounge music and the well lit open space with wide and large tables. Waiters serve you at the table for both drinks and dinner, and tend to bear close resemblance to waiters from a French bistrot with white apron and all. The menu is quite extensive and it holds a wide and appealing selection of dishes.

Once food was delivered, most of that "trendy bar" look and feel vanished in thin air as we were all confronted with food that tasted nice but looked un-appetising, especially when served on a white plate twice the size of your portion. Fine for Michelin Star restaurants but not convincing for a Southern Fried Chicken Wrap. The extravagant choice was the Moroccan lamb cutlets, served on a black carbon-like slab, which indeed look original, except the way cous-cous, mint yoghurt and harissa sauce were displayed reminded you of an abstract paint or a 5-year-old's drawing with no order or measure whatsoever.

We still admired the "trendiness" of it all but it did not seem to impress as we rushed out without even trying the dessert. For some it is a nice place to hang out, for some there is nothing so special about it.

Our verdict is as follows:

Quality of Food        3.17
Hygiene                     4.17
Value for Money      3.17
Speed of Service       4.00
Quality of Service    3.83
Ambience & décor   3.83

All Bar One gets an overall rating of 72.6%