The best Sunday lunches in the world, washed down with a choice of over a hundred beers.

The Venue
Situated right on the too-cool-for-school Broadway Market, The Dove is housed in a high-ceilinged, dark wood bar, where traditional European style mixes with touches of kitsch. It used to get packed out, but a generous sized extension means there’s almost always a table free, especially if you head down to the back.

The front area is flooded with light from the huge windows, and a few lucky souls get to bag the outside tables right on Broadway Market. The back end, down a set of stairs, is darker and more sombre with a European beer cellar feel to it. Finally, to one side there’s a slightly more upmarket restaurant area with higher prices and a more sophisticated feel, in contrast to the noisier main bar.

The Atmosphere
Weekends see The Dove at its buzzy best as crowds pack in from the surrounding markets for a perfect pub lunch. It can be full to the point of overcrowding but is always good natured, and the staff, though busy, are friendly. Week days are often reasonably quiet, making it a nice place for a more upmarket drink of an evening.

The Food
Where to start? They don’t take their food lightly at The Dove, and neither will you – it’s fantastic, hearty pan-European fare. A standard menu of burgers and other classic pub food is complemented by a changing menu of more upmarket dishes. Everything is super-fresh and high quality, and they get their fantastic beer selection involved in plenty of the dishes, too. Sunday lunches are on offer with a good selection of meat and veggie options. As you’d expect, prices aren’t bargain basement but they’re quite affordable – mains start from under ten pounds.

The Drink
The Dove takes pride in its Belgian beer selection and their range is as close to definitive as anywhere in London can offer. From dark ales to lagers to speciality beers, they’ve got the lot, though conservative types will be glad to hear that a few big name brands are also on offer. The choice of fruit beers is particularly extensive - why stick with one brand when you can try various varieties like raspberry and strawberry beers? There’s also over a hundred bottle beers to choose from, each with its own glass.

The Last Word
Gastropubs are two a penny these days, but The Dove is a timely reminder of just how good pubs with grub can be.

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