Try walking into a public place and announcing loudly, “I ate a pig’s face last night”. It’s an instant conversation stopper. But pigs’ cheeks feature on the menu of Gordon Ramsay’s first venture into the 21st century realm of the gastropub, The Narrow.

The Venue
A Grade II Listed building in East London’s Limehouse, it dates back to the early nineteen hundreds and was originally a dock master’s house serving the Limehouse Basin. It then became a public house, initially called The Barley Mow and later renamed The Narrow Street Pub and Dining Room.

Since it was taken over by Gordon Ramsay’s empire at the end of 2006, much care has been taken to retain the building’s original features and to create a relaxed ambience in keeping with the locality. The result is pleasing - light and airy, but with a sense of history and echoes of a bygone era. Part of the Ramsay refurbishment is a huge conservatory that runs along the rear of the building overlooking the river. Equipped with heaters, this provides much-needed extra space - The Narrow was popular even before the Ramsay rebrand - and can be opened out to form outside seating, if we ever get any sort of a summer.

The Atmosphere
The Narrow attracts an eclectic mix of young girls and boys-around-town - including, once, a black-tie-clad sextet who had been partying all night and tottered in for brunch - as well as gourmet members of the Ramsay fan club and some well-heeled locals. Limehouse is highly des-res these days, don’t you know.

The Food
Pigs’ cheeks aside - but do try them if they are on the menu; they are deeply ‘piggy’ and a knife is redundant - The Narrow leans towards hearty British fare. Starters include soft herring roes or devilled kidneys on toast, potted salmon and even (whisper it) prawn cocktail. Mains might be hake and chips - and they are excellent chips - with mushy fat peas, beef in red wine pie and mash, white lamb stew with spring vegetables and good old bangers and mash (champ in this instance) with onion gravy. This last is a symphony of deep flavours; sweet onion offsetting rich, meaty jus, the whole decadently glossy.

Puddings take you back to the nursery, and are none the worse for that - apple pie and custard, which tastes like the real McCoy; treacle tart and clotted cream, and sticky toffee pudding, for which the Trade Descriptions Act need not get involved. A well-balanced cheeseboard showcases British fare - the Exmoor Blue is particularly fine, creamy and piquant. Blessed are the cheesemakers! No starter on the current menu costs more than £6.50 and the most expensive main is £14 (for rib-eye steak). The Cumberland sausage with champ and onion gravy is £10.50, and you get plenty of banger for your buck.

Bar food echoes the English theme. Where else in London, in such salubrious surroundings, could you get a pot of cockles or whelks? Or, for that matter, a scotch egg with HP sauce. There are also a generous ploughman’s and potted shrimps, a pint (or half) of juicy prawns or a portion of those excellent chips. They come in their own little steel bucket - genius, but what’s the bet a few have walked out the door? There is a daily soup, too, and the mushroom version is superb, thick and earthy, served with a generous dollop of creme fraiche.

The Drink
Now this is where the fun starts. When it comes to alcohol, The Narrow clearly believes British is best. With the emphasis on real ale and cider, the list begins with Fuller’s London Pride, while a guest beer is often sourced from local microbreweries. On draught is Meantime Wheat Beer, which, as its name suggests, is brewed in Greenwich, a little further down the river. The same company’s Union is among the bottled choices, as are something called Banana Bread, brewed in Wells using Fair Trade bananas, and Double Chocolate Stout. Is this pre-dinner drinking or dessert?

The wine list, too, features English produce in the form of Chapel Down, including a lively sparkler and a flavourful white called Bacchus Reserve. The list is extensive without being overwhelming - bottles start at £13.50, including a quaffable Merlot, or multiply that by 10 for Dom Perignon.

The Last Word
Possibly the only downside of The Narrow is that it is fast becoming a victim of its own success - you may need to book some weeks in advance. However, during the summer months and with the aforementioned heaters, it’s no hardship to sit in the conservatory, and the bar food manages to be both fun and filling. But with those buckets of chips, scotch eggs and buttery potted shrimps, would-be dieters may be tempted off the straight and Narrow.

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