Despite the clever play with words the Battersea PIE Station is nowhere near SW11, in fact this quirky little pie shop (with an emphasis on little) is slap-bang in the middle of lively Covent Garden and offers hungry punters a traditional East End pie and mash experience.

The Venue
Over the past year the Battersea PIE Station’s silver Airstream has been a regular favourite at festivals all over the UK. However, deciding to make things a bit more permanent the Battersea PIE Station has recently opened its first eat-in pie shop on the ground floor of the Covent Garden Piazza. Tucked away in a corner of one of London’s most popular tourist spots, the BPS is definitely a blink and you’ll miss it sort of place with much of its trade coming from neighbouring drinking hole, the Punch & Judy. Inside the decor is small and cosy, clean ice-white butchers’ tiles adorn every wall whilst small solid grey-white marble tables and new wood stools add comfort to its ice-cave appeal. There’s a couple of monochromatic images of its namesake dotted around the place and its quirky layout and flickering candles in glasses all add to its unique cosy-snugness.

The Atmosphere
So petite is the dining area, means that you quickly get friendly with the neighbours. Nice funky tunes are played discreetly in the background and the whole experience is pleasant and friendly rather than cramped and rushed. The clientele is generally quite mixed, from those who know and love the pies to lucky tourists and visitors passing by enticed in by the warm wafts of pastry.

The Battersea PIE Station’s simple concept is very much along the lines of Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Nandos. You initially order from the main counter, from then on food and wine is swiftly delivered to your table and extra drinks and desserts can be ordered from the oh-so friendly waiting staff. For the truly hungry the Battersea PIE Station is a real blessing. Fresh pies are baked throughout the day and displayed on a glass counter and the super-quick turnover makes the wait for grub mere moments. Even though it is definitely more fast-food than leisurely dining, it’s surprisingly not a rushed experience.

The Food
The menu here keeps to the roots of a traditional pie shop by offering a selection of homemade pies, good creamy mash, traditional liquor (a thin parsley sauce) or gravy. The choice of pie is slightly more modern yet all the old favourites are still available from The Classic, steak and Guinness pie (£4 takeaway/£5 eat in), to the vegetable rogan josh pie (£4/£5) or for special occasions try the fancy pants game pie (£5/£6) in which scoffers are warned it may contain traces of lead shot.

The Winstone (£4/£5), named for actor and celebrity fan Ray Winstone, is a genuinely good steak and kidney pie. Rich buttery shortcrust pastry is filled to the brim with deliciously meaty gravy, chunks of finest beef and flavoursome kidney. It comes on a large white dish crammed with a pile of soft, perfectly seasoned mashed potato (£2), a generous helping of minted buttery peas (£1.50) and a little white jug of rich red wine gravy (generously complimentary). The free-range chicken and bacon pie (£4/£5) is another winter-warming winner. A large oval crust topped with a scattering of herbs unearths large chunks of succulent white chicken breast, salty bacon and a winey cream sauce. Hugely enjoyable to eat, again served with a generous blob of buttery mash and some ruby red spiced cabbage giving the whole dish a nice festive flavour. All the traditional pie-accompaniments adorn the tables, Lea & Perrins, mustards, ketchup and malt vinegar.

There are a handful of dessert options for those with a sweet tooth, although with such generous portions don’t punish yourself if you can’t squeeze one in. The sticky toffee pudding (£4.50) is probably the best of the three on offer. A gloriously soft turret of dark sponge is liberally doused in a buttery toffee sauce and served with jugs of warm vanilla-specked custard and double cream. The spotted dick (£4.50) is not as tasty – it’s pleasant enough but has a vague dryness about the pud.

The Drink
Those who don’t fancy a cup of tea with their pie can opt for a nice carafe of red, white or rose wine instead. All come in at £8 for 500mls, which, for the quality, is an absolute steal in WC2. The red is a remarkably good Montepulciano from Gran Sasso, it’s full of lovely berry flavours and has a smooth, all too easy to sup nature. Wines are served in a small glass beaker which fits in nicely with the quirky nature of the place.

The Last Word
The Battersea PIE Station is a shiny little gem in this notoriously expensive area of central London. With tasty pies, cracking mash and a quirky ice-white decor, it’s a great place to grab a pie on-the-hoof as well as to sit down for a cosy meal a deux.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (4) image gallery (5)