A charming and long established pub on the end of the row of shops opposite Maida Vale tube station, The Elgin recently converted its upstairs room (once the preserve of those in search of a game of pool) into a dining room, giving diners a more formal option as opposed to its already extensive bar menu downstairs.

The Venue
The bar downstairs is atmospheric and dimly lit, with Prohibition-era photos on the walls and a mixture of seats and tables and more comfy settees to sink into. Upstairs feels a little more formal and quieter, with modern art on the walls and a lovely view of the park outside.

The Atmosphere
A mixture of couples and post-work friends, mainly in the 30-something upwards age bracket. They‘re smartly dressed but evidently in relaxed, off-duty mode.

It is also noticeably friendly - the clientele seems to consist of a lot of regulars, some of whom have been coming here for years, if not decades. The staff seem to know many of them by name, and while not intrusive, they are happy to engage in a casual chat with their customers. They also have some live entertainment, sometimes in the shape of an excellent jazz singer, although again this does nothing to diminish the low-key, civilized atmosphere.

The Food
The new dinner menu (£25 per head) is outstanding and exceedingly tasty, with familiar dishes given an ambitious, experimental slant. For starters there’s a choice of crayfish tails, marinated anchovies, croutons and parmesan on baby gem lettuce, a goat’s cheese tartlet with sweet red pepper mousse - which looks small but proves deliriously rich (in all the right ways) and filling - and cured Parma ham and melon with basil pesto, which is equally good. The main course offers lamb steak with ratatouille and slow-baked, cheesy layered potato and port wine sauce, baked chicken supreme on mash and petit pois with onion and bacon, and a roast salmon steak served with new potatoes, green beans and Pommery mustard sauce – a dish you may have trouble finishing because it is so substantial.

If you’re a veggie, you can tuck into the likes of the thick, grey wild mushroom risotto, which is truly exquisite and, again, luxuriously rich. Dessert offers a choice of Marco’s bread and butter pudding, which follows a recipe formulated by Pierre White himself, with thick chunks of apricot lurking beneath the gloriously gloopy custard, and a conspicuously alcoholic-tasting slippery nipple cheesecake, which again tests those of a delicate constitution.

The Drink
Wines come in three ranges, with four choices in each, from the house selections at £14, slightly posher at £17 and the top choices at £19. A thoroughly enjoyable tipple is the creamy Marcus De Caceres white rioja (£19), as well as the Singapore slings before the meal – again, a very reasonable £5.50.

The Last Word
Both in terms of the homely, intimate atmosphere and the sensationally tasty food, The Elgin is clearly a cut above the rest, and worth traveling to the area to experience.

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