The Last Pub Standing

It’s a beautiful British summer evening and the scorching sun beats down, but the air is close, humid. I feel a sense of imminent approach, something is coming. The radiant sky begins to dim and the feeling of tension grows. Then it breaks, and in the tradition of all good British summer evenings the heavens open and a deluge soaks me on my short walk to the pub. I love the summer. My waterlogged shoes squeaking like Squidward on a particularly bad day I seek shelter, somewhere to hold up until the storm passes. I find it, The Last Pub Standing.

Atmosphere Greeted by a soundtrack of 80’s synth-pop, The Human League’s lovelorn lament is the score to our soggy approach to the bar. I dig it. The décor is all polished surfaces, pendant lights with fancy filaments and welcoming leather sofas that threaten to swallow you into a comfortable oblivion. We find ourselves in a booth from which we’re able to survey the room and enjoy the comfortable buzz. There’s an indefinably friendly air to the place as drinkers chat and a steady stream of new arrivals seek solace from the unrelenting weather.

The Main Event .As we nibble on olives and await our meal I have a sense of déjà vu, I’ve been here before. I’m sorely tempted to ctrl c, ctrl v my way to an easy review (who would know??) but when the plates arrive I realise it would be a disservice to the lovely food we’ve been presented with.

Before we know what’s happening most of the table is taken over by an enormous sharing board with a number of different smaller dishes. We’re talked through the selection but, faced with such an array, I quickly zone out; desperate to start eating. I dive right in with the bang bang shrimp and only after filling my face do I remember the words of the kindly host from a few moments ago; ‘It has a bit of a kick.’ Ah, yes, should’ve paid attention there. I assure you, they’re tears of joy, as it wasn’t simply heat for its own sake. There was plenty of flavour to be found in the rich sauce through which the satisfying tenderness of the shrimp could be enjoyed. Next was the red pepper hummus dip, creamy, cooling and moreish. A great excuse to demolish the crisp flatbread with gusto and a welcome salve to my mildly scorched palate. Beside this the tempura battered courgettes and peppers were a refreshing and delicate little treat.The board was rounded off with battered chicken; white chicken breast, tender and wonderfully yielding beneath the darkly appetising and enthusiastically seasoned batter. Lots going on with these little treats but a great board to share and to mix and match for a fun meal.

Moving away from the board we also had a couple more sizable dishes. A homemade tomato pizza is really just a middle class margarita but it was made with fresh ingredients and really, who doesn’t like pizza? Finally we had a homemade half pound cheeseburger with a couple of the juiciest meat patties I’ve had in a while. Full of flavour they were soft and barely able to hold themselves together, like me watching Toy Story 4.

Overall The Last Pub Standing has bags of character and the place’s aesthetic merges contemporary cool with a timeless style. There’s also a large courtyard garden to enjoy when the weather is a little less malicious. The food we had was fun and tasty and I’m really keen to see what a full menu will look like. It’s definitely one to visit again for a drink in the sun and a great bite to eat.

Venue – 8.5 Fodder – 7 Value – 7 Overall – 7.5