One of the Davys Wine Bars, The Crusting Pipe is located in the very heart of Covent Garden – The Market. Although a pleasant place to while away an evening, its attempt at restaurant-quality food with matching prices is its downfall

The Venue
Located as it is in the centre of bustling Covent Garden, the location of The Crusting Pipe is certainly a good one. Perfect for a pre-theatre visit or to chill out in after a hard day sightseeing and shopping, it’s got appeal from the outset. It’s a little hard to find, located down some stairs in one of the centre courts of The Market, meaning it has a sprawling and pretty selection of outdoor seating. However, although it’s all undercover, it’s certainly not warm and, in the winter months, its best to go into the cosy indoors of the bar.

Inside has a warm, olde world pub feel with old fashioned but pleasant decor. There’s not a set dining area as such, although tables are clustered primarily around the front entrance and large glass frontage. Further in, through a labyrinth of adjoining tunnels, are more booths and larger seating areas for drinkers. You’ll know you’re eating in a pub, but it is what it is and is nice for a mid-range evening with a chilled vibe.

The Atmosphere
How busy the Crusting Pipe is will depend on when you go. However, based where it is it is never empty and a contented hum of diners and drinkers lays across the place. It’s a pretty eclectic crowd who frequent this pub, a few of your typical ‘old man pub’ regulars, tourists on a flying visit, couples enjoying a nice meal and groups of after-work drinkers out for a post-5.30pm bevvie.

The staff are particularly friendly, although don’t expect restaurant-style service. There’s no ice bucket for the wine and you’ll be pouring your own drinks. However, everything is done with a smile and the banter is genuine and pleasant. It’s not what you might imagine from a chain of wine bars, being more akin to a gastropub, although that’s not a bad thing.

The Food
The food is, unfortunately, the downside to this nice little pub. It seems to be punching above its weight, when simpler dishes done well would have sufficed. Also, the prices are pretty steep – comparable to some nice restaurants in the surrounding area although, it must be said, that Monday-Wednesday there is an excellent meal deal, which substantially reduces the cost.

Starters include a simple Buffalo mozzarella with tomato and pesto. It’s pretty basic and at £5 a bit on the pricey side. Nicely presented there’s only the tiniest smidgen of pesto but there is plenty of tomato and mozzarella. However, the mozzarella isn’t creamy and a little tasteless, but it serves the purpose of a starter and does cleanse the palette. The potted shrimps is also pleasant enough, it doesn’t look overly appealing, the shrimps appearing in a yellowy butter that crumbles apart when you try to spread it on the toast. However, it tastes good and the dry toast provides a nice crunch to the cool, slippery shrimp and butter – once you finally manage to spread it on. Overall, the starters are nice, just not as good value for money as you might expect.

The mains fare better. The steak is particularly good – cooked perfectly to specification, a large slab of meat facing you, full of flavour. The lamb shank is also perfectly cooked, crumbling off the bone and melting in the mouth. The gravy is a good accompaniment, even if you’re not usually a fan, and just serves to soften the lamb further. Delicious. However, it’s a little disconcerting to be offered mint sauce in a supermarket-branded pot, a problem that could be easily rectified by placing condiments in a separate jar for serving. The only real complaint would be the sides the mains come with. Although delicious, it’s a little on the stingy side – if you can count the number of green beans on your plate in one quick glance it really means there’s not enough. Still, the mashed potatoes are creamy and melt in the mouth and the new potatoes are just soft enough so as to give you a nice bite. At £10-£15 a go for a main course (when not on the meal deal), this is really too expensive for what you get, so go Monday to Wednesday when the value for money goes through the roof.

The desserts are nice and better value for money at £5 for a good-sized portion. The apple and berry crumble is a little on the gloopy side, with a crumble more akin to a pastry. However, it’s just sweet enough with a pleasant tang offered by the berries. You’ll find it satisfying. The treacle tart is also particularly nice – delicious, in fact. It’s a shame it’s on the hard side, seeming to have just come out of the fridge where being at room temperature for a couple of hours would have served to soften it just enough. But again, it’s sweet and pleasant.

The Drink
There’s a nice range of wine on offer at The Crusting Pipe, which is where Davys excels. Particularly good is the Kendall Jackson, Chardonnay Vintners Reserve from California. Priced at just £23, this fabulous blend of tropical fruits, apple and melon with oak and butterscotch is an interesting and pleasant blend that works well. A little bit of a kick could be softened, but overall it’s an excellent selection. Alternatively, there’s a large choice of whites, reds and roses with Davy’s own brands appearing consistently throughout. There’s nothing to bust the budget and it’s all good value for money.

The Last Word
The Crusting Pipe could be a great pub; however, it’s punching above its weight, offering expensive food that doesn’t quite live up to its promise. All the ingredients are there to make this a top venue, and if you go to eat when the meal deal is on then it is a fine place to enjoy laid back food in a friendly venue.

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