Fantastic food that speaks for itself combined with a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere and drinks that will keep everyone from beer lovers to cocktail connoisseurs happy – The Alice House will be a long-term favourite for locals and visitors alike.

The Venue
This is the second Alice House (the original is in West Hampstead) from the Urban Leisure Group. And with its imposing wooden exterior, big double doors and eye-catching sign, there’s little chance of missing this one. The interior is just as inviting, with wooden tables and chairs as far as the eye can see, comfy looking sofas and art dotted along the walls. There’s an exclusive section sumptuously named ‘The Lounge’ that can be hired out for anything from a private cocktail party to a family Sunday roast – it even boasts a Wii and karaoke machine to boot.

The Atmosphere
You will feel welcome as soon as you walk through the doors, where a friendly host will greet you. The bar is in the centre of the room, which helps to increase the lively atmosphere, one that’s full of chattering customers. The light display in the room is incredible; a web of wires covers the entire ceiling, with bulbs dangling down to give the whole place a warm, soft glow. There are lots of quirky bits and pieces around the room, including a rather interesting (and random) photograph of Tony Blair. Every member of staff, from the doormen to the waiters, is more than eager to help and is likely to have noticed you need something before you do.

The Food
There are two menus to choose from: a bar menu, with snacks and nibbles, and a main menu. The bar menu sees tasters including Welsh rarebit (£4) and succulent beef and pork sausage rolls with a tangy Tiptree brown sauce (£4.50) – all perfectly sized for a quick snack or to share with friends.

The main menu presents a succinct list of dishes, with starters including devilled kidneys on toast (£5.50) and homemade soup of the day (£4.50). Mains offer best of British dishes such as flank steak with hand-cut chips, slow-roast tomato and homemade horseradish cream (£12.50) – a truly impressive portion of juicy steak, chunky chips with the perfect amount of ‘crunch’ and a flavoursome horseradish sauce all presented on a rustic wooden board, and grilled fish of the day with seasonal vegetables (market price) – perfectly cooked fish (sea bass in this case) and fresh, al dente vegetables with a light, buttery sauce.

The desserts are not to be missed; a gigantic slab of melt in the mouth chocolate brownie marbled with white chocolate pieces and served with a dollop of ice cream (£5.50) is a chocoholic’s heaven, and the bread and butter pudding and custard is rumoured to be just as good.

The Drink
There are all sorts on offer where drinks are concerned, from wine to cocktails and even Alice House’s own brewed lager (£3.80 for a pint). House wine starts at £14.95 and bottled beers start at £3.50. The cocktail list is impressive with all the usual favourites, such as martinis and daiquiris from around £7, and some added extras under a section named the ‘Alice 5’, all offering a variety of flavours and priced from just £5.50. If you’re in a group, you can even order an Alice teapot to serve four to six people. The bar staff know their stuff and will be happy to help if you can’t quite choose.

The Last Word
The Alice House is a seamless blend of traditional British pub and stylish cocktail bar with a warm and friendly atmosphere that makes it as perfect for dining in pairs as it is for drinking in groups.

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