Leandra Box, MyVillage's Profile Page

The Bird in Hand is an excellent pub that serves very good food.  Located in West Kensington a short walk from Shepherd’s Bush, it is right in the heart of a lovely local community (if rather heavy on BBC employees).  It occupies a large corner spot with ceiling high windows making for a very light and airy interior.  A large bar occupies the centre of this pub with lots of large wooden tables surrounding it.  The décor is simple; the obligatory large print wallpaper on one wall, stripped floors, and neutral colourings abound.  It works.  The Bird in Hand it a very comfortable and attractive pub.

It is also warm and welcoming; the clientele, 20, 30 and 40 something west Londoners, the staff casual and unassuming, more than willing to serve and to do so with a smile.  The evening I was there also happened to be the night of an England friendly, a night I would normally avoid going into a pub, however the Bird in Hand was completely bearable. Despite a large screen showing the match in the corner, the volume remained down and the viewers were very restrained.

Onto the food. The menu is changed on a daily basis and is supplemented by a regular bar menu which includes burgers and other hot and reasonably priced sandwiches. I started with the most delicious potato and coriander soup, light yet creamy, seasoned well and incredibly moreish!  The only disappointment was the rather too crunchy and a little cold toast that accompanied it.  I desperately wanted to try the halloumi with rocket and pine nuts, but it had already sold out, instead we settled on the mushroom bruschetta with stilton cheese, poached pears and sesame seeds.  This was also very good and the ingredients worked very well together.

For the main, I opted for the fillet steak with peppercorn sauce, sautéed potatoes and steamed vegetables.  The steak, cooked exactly as I ordered it, was melt in the mouth perfection. The sauce was equally good; rich and flavoursome with a peppercorn explosion. The accompaniments were a little bland, however the rest of the dish made up for this.  My companion ordered the pork tenderloin with cinnamon gravy.  This was good, if a little sweet. To drink, iced water and a rather lovely prosecco.

Three very good desserts were on the menu, full to bursting we couldn’t resist squeezing in the chocolate brownie with ice cream (although the banana and toffee terrine came a close second).  It was home made, warm and soft and went perfectly with the vanilla ice-cream.  An ideal end to a delicious meal.

The food at the Bird in Hand is reasonably priced, of a very high standard and the drinks menu extensive.  I would happily go back and indeed travel to do so.  Despite being a local, it should pull punters in from far and wide.  It’s combination of inviting and comfortable interior, friendly staff and good quality food is a winning one.  Highly recommended.

The Pear Tree is a small local pub that serves food.  I went expecting yet another gastro pub/restaurant experience much like hundreds of other establishments in this vein.  I was surprised.  This is a local boozer in every sense of the word. It is small and personal, it was busy but with room enough to sit down.  There was a real fire in one corner, bar in the middle and a very small room off the back, ideal for a little privacy if you fancy a meal with a group of friends.  It has a really cosy feel and the clientele have the option of a quiet drink, a bite to eat and even a board game or two.

A large blackboard displays the daily changing menu. It is not vast but that is a good thing indicating that everything will be cooked to order.  The first thing that caught my eye was the chicken pie – sadly though my late arrival that night meant that it had sold out (another good sign). The fare at the Pear Tree consists of modern staples. Options to start were limited but included an interesting sounding onion soup – I confess to not ordering it simply because I knew it would prevent me eating a main course and a pudding (the dessert board had in fact been the first thing to catch my eye).  In the end, I plumped for mussels in white wine, herbs and cream with some super fat chips and mayo.  The mussels were plump and cooked very well; the broth they cooked in was flavoursome but maybe a touch too watery.  The chips were good, fluffy middles and crispy shells. My companion went for a home made burger with salad.  Her view was that it was decent, cooked more well done that medium//well and the salad fresh.

The dessert menu was also small, however the chocolate layer cake with cherry brandy cream had caught my eye from the moment I walked through the door, so I didn’t need choice!  We decided to share as the portion size was on the large size.  Whilst presentation was not the top priority for this dish (it was a little messy to look at), the chocolate/cherry combination was really rather good and the brandy cream the perfect accompaniment.

Service was good in that it was friendly and helpful, it was a little slow but that was clearly due to the place being busy as opposed to the staff lacking interest or being inattentive.

The Pear Tree is really a very decent local.  I quite fancy the Sunday lunch that was being advertised and would certainly pop in for a bite to eat or a drink if I was passing.  The problem is however that this place is really a little off the beaten track (hidden away behind Charing Cross hospital and a trek from both Baron’s Court and Hammersmith tube), this means it is likely to remain a local, but well worth a peek if you are in the neighbourhood.

Hurray!  At last the empty Bakers n Spice shell has been transformed into a glorious Gail's.  It is a little pricey, but not as much as its predecessor!  Anyway I am very happy as I LOVE their cheese sticks almost as much as I love cake! This place serves up all manner of delicious bakery items: breads galore, pastries, patisseries, drinks and sarnies.  Take them out or take a pew in their little white back room.  Only problem is the vast number of Queens Park great and good who cram into the place talking too loudly about things better kept to themselves!  I can put up with this minor incovenience as long as the cake keeps coming!