The Shaston Arms in London's West End is the latest establishment to jump on the 'pub revival' bandwagon, but a recent visit suggests it may have missed the mark. Perched in a draughty corner next to a dumb waiter, the experience was less cosy boozer and more sterile dining experiment.
The menu is ambitious, offering dishes like red mullet with squid ink rice for £16, beef-fat onion rings with smoked cod's roe, and caramel flan with miyagawa. However, the execution is inconsistent. The onion rings were 'whopping great and not particularly crunchy', while the caramel tart was overloaded with salted almonds and bitter citrus. As the reviewer notes, 'just because you can do these things doesn't mean you should do them'.
The service, particularly in the restaurant area, was notably lacking. Staff failed to provide basic niceties such as checking if customers wanted another drink, changing cutlery, or even making eye contact. A passing bartender loudly remarked, 'God, it’s cold in the restaurant bit, isn’t it?', while diners sat shivering next to a ringing phone.
All this came to a total of £144, including a £16 service charge. The reviewer suggests the money would have been better spent on several visits to Wagamama. The Shaston Arms, like many other 'poshed-up' pubs, attempts to balance old-school charm with modern dining, but lacks the staff and atmosphere to pull it off.
