The William ,
16 Harper Road,
London,
SE1 6AD
0871 971 7513
The ViewLondon Review
Housed in a room belonging to The William pub, just a can’s-throw from an Elephant and Castle high-rise estate, first impressions of the Pacific Kitchen aren’t promising. However, in this case appearances are certainly deceptive.The Venue
The pub is all pool and football – very much a South London local – and the restaurant area’s mismatched furniture and slightly dilapidated décor are definitely more shabby than chic.
The Atmosphere
Leave behind West End expectations, however, and it has a genuinely unpretentious charm, magnified to no small extent by friendly service from the family-run team of staff.
The Food
The menu promises Pacific-inspired dishes from Vietnam and China and doesn’t disappoint: this is definitely a cut above your usual pub-based Asian food, with a wide range of imaginative dishes alongside the usual suspects.
Starters are generous, so it’s worth holding back to ensure you have room for the huge range of main courses; seafood is a definite strength, with tilapia, catfish, sea bass and pomfret alongside squid and king prawns, as well as a good range of pork, beef and poultry, noodle dishes, and specials from softshell crab to frogs' legs. The amenable chef can customise your choice according to your own preferences, and most importantly everything tastes incredibly fresh and incredibly authentic.
The Last Word
Despite the quality of the food, nobody could call The William a gastropub; it just ain’t that kind of place. But while Elephant and Castle may not be London’s most salubrious locale, it’s definitely worth taking a trip South of the river if you’ve got a yen for real Vietnamese cooking. The Pacific Kitchen may not be Claridges, but it is the genuine article, and in cosmopolitan London that should go a long way.