Before the 1990s there were pubs and there were restaurants and ne’er the twain shall meet. If you wanted a beer you would go to the local and if you wanted to eat, you’d book a table at a bistro. Somewhere in the middle sat wine bars which, apart from ancient oddities like El Vino, had emerged in 1964 with the Boot & Flogger and had their heyday during the 70s & 80s. There you could get wine, often only wine due to licensing restrictions. Food was usually limited to charcuterie or a cheese board.
Along came chef David Eyre who, unable to afford a restaurant, took on The Eagle pub, stuck a range and grill behind one end of the bar, coined the term ‘gastropub’, and got cooking. You ordered at the bar from the day’s menu chalked on the bar wall above. Food was just brought to you when ready. Great grub it was too. Large plates of British fare at its best for a most reasonable price. Crucially it was still a pub though. You could just sit down for a pint of decent beer. Nobody was obliged to eat. No reservations were taken. Their manifesto reads “Never forget, it’s a pub!” Word spread and so did gastropubs, germinating all across the land. Life was good for the drinker with a thirst and an appetite for a good meal. Gastronomy had pulled a stool up to the bar and tucked in.
Unfortunately it couldn’t last. One can get superb food in certain pubs now, but most are just restaurants under that guise, often in the premises of a defunct public house. You sit at a table, instantly approached by a besuited ponce with a clipboard demanding: “Do you have a reservation?” I just came in a pub for a pint, please sir. Worse, beware of any establishment that boasts ‘Gastrobar’ above the door. There you will find a ubiquitous menu of pies, fishcakes and burgers, all sourced from a remote supplier, vacuum packed, out the freezer and microwaved. I’d prefer a pickled egg.
Amazingly though the Eagle has stuck to its guns. Eyre has gone and it’s had a few owners but only one other chef, prior to present incumbent, Edward Mottershaw. They still don’t take reservations, you can just sit for a great beer, the prices are fair and the food is still bloody excellent. Get in early though. It is very popular and rightly so.
The Eagle
159 Farringdon Rd, London EC1R 3AL