If you happen to be around Horseferry Road, you should stop-off at Loose Box. An initial visit is likely to convert you and next time you’ll plan a route specially to return.

The Venue
For those unacquainted with the area, Horseferry Road may seem just an empty continuation of a bridge over the Thames. In reality, the area is home to a number of pubs, fast food chains and – the newest addition - Loose Box, a contemporary, clean-cut bar and kitchen. Past the patio and the large windows at the entrance, the space is tidy and airy, structured around a raised platform reserved for the dining area and a series of tables and a couple of couches around it, for drinks. The decor is simple: different shades of wood on the floor and furniture mix with hints of sage on the railings and the green of one of the couches. The long bar occupies one side of the room and it has imposing dark wood cabinets on the back wall to display bottles. One large screen near the couches entertains the crowd, while a wall nearby hosts a temporary art exhibition. Neat and tidy, the space seems well suited to welcome office workers but it lacks a defining element and therefore appears as slightly void of personality.

The Atmosphere
Loose Box is surrounded by big office buildings and this fact reflects not only on the clientele but also on volume of customers and peak times. The pub tends to get very busy as soon as the nearby offices close and becomes quieter as the evening progresses. The customers are mostly office workers coming in for a pint and often sticking around for a meal, once a sharing platter has been ordered and the food has been sampled. You will see suits and formal wear but not nearly as many as in City pubs. The occasional local and visiting businessman from one of the nearby hotels can often be spotted as well. The atmosphere is relaxed and chatty. There is a rather loud humdrum backdrop until the pub starts to empty, but you will not be forced to shout. The staff are one of the great points of Loose Box: the service is not only attentive and friendly but also kind and genuinely smiley.

The Food
The menu focuses on British produce used in British recipes. For every item on the menu, you can read the provenance: sirloin steak from Somerset, goat’s cheese from Wiltshire, beetroot from Kent and so on. The menu is also strictly seasonal with considerable changes happening monthly, with weekly themes running through it. The evening menu is of ideal length: a handful of starters (£4-5), eight main courses (£8-14) and four popular large platters (£8-10). During the winter some of your options are wild mushroom and lambs kidneys with garlic and parsley butter on bread, grilled goat’s cheese with roasted red pepper and chard, handmade beef burger, beetroot and conference pear salad with stilton, and pan fried sea bass.

Good options are the spiced butternut soup, flavoured with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg and clearly prepared with fresh ingredients, and the salt and pepper squid. The latter comes nicely presented on a rustic wooden cutting board. The platters are served the same way but the board is much larger and the variety of food quite dazzling. On the vegetarian platter, grilled artichokes fight for attention with roasted tomatoes (surprisingly cold), deliciously strong marinated olives, homemade hummus, warm pita, halloumi, roasted red peppers dressed with pesto and rocket salad.

The Portobello mushroom burger is pretty much perfect and is composed of aubergine, halloumi, red pepper and pesto. The bread is toasted to perfection and the halloumi is flavoursome and cooked very well, for once it is not chewy. The accompanying chips are nicely salty and full of flavour but a bit dry. There are only few desserts (£4) on offer but enough to satisfy the curious as well as the traditional palate. The Eton Mess with strawberry coulis satisfies the latter, while the innovative grilled figs with Amaretto cream and toasted almond flakes provides a touch of exoticism.

The Drink
The wine list is short and to the point, with a dozen bottles on offer not including Champagne. Most whites and reds are available by the glass (£3.75-£4.55 for a small glass, £4.95-£6.10 for a large one), or by the bottle (£14.25-£25.95). The Sauvignon Blanc Fairfield from New Zealand (£17.95) and the Rioja Don Placero Tempranillo (£16.75) are both excellent choices which will not break the bank. Sparkling and Champagne options start from £20 and escalate to £65.

Beer lovers will find a slice of paradise at Loose Box – there are around eleven draught options (£3.50-£4.20) and thirteen bottles (£3.50-£4.75). Great brews like Vedett Extra, Bitburger, Sierra Nevada and others are available alongside lesser known beers like the English Kingstone Press and Wandle Ale, the Austrian Steigal, the Scottish Trashy Blond, the German Koing Ludwig and the Czech Veltins.

The Last Word
The decor of Loose Box could do with a bit more personality, but this is a minor thing in comparison to the great staff, the good, honest food, the excellent list of beers and wines and the affordable prices.

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