Rustic but elegant, Putney Pies reinvents the humble pie by elevating it above pub standards whilst keeping it nice and traditional too. And the experiment is a complete success.

The Venue
Pastoral (almost) and unpretentious, Putney Pies presents itself in the best of ways, with a calm colour scheme made of warm neutrals and powdery dark hues. The front of the restaurant sits under a glass conservatory (ideal to catch some sun), with the rest developing over a rectangular space lined with wooden furnishings and bricks painted cream. A few booths towards the bar provide a cozy arrangement for small groups and on the walls there are old-fashioned advertisements as well as artwork from a local artist. Upstairs, the function room is crisper, with whitewashed walls bedecked in a pretty period pattern - a perfect airy nest for cold days.

The Atmosphere
Pie rooms are usually the prerogative of pubs, but at Putney Pies the emphasis is taken away from the beer. This means the clientele isn't necessarily what what you might expect, with elderly couples, groups of friends, families and those on a quiet date all coming together at this veritable crowd pleaser of a restaurant. The reasons for its success (the restaurant is full even on a Monday night) are simple: the atmosphere is intimate and the restaurant spacious enough for privacy, ensuring an overall experience that's relaxed in the most comforting way. Which suits somewhere serving the archetypal comfort food.

The Food
Pies and their traditional accoutrements are, obviously, Putney Pies' forte, but don’t think of frozen dinners - everything is made fresh, every day, with ingredients sourced from specialist providers. The starters (£3.50-£5.45) don't exactly vary from the theme, but they do add novel ingredients. The English asparagus tartlet is puff pastry encrusted with coarse salt and topped with fresh cured beetroot gravlax and shaved cucumber. Likewise, the puff pastry with smoked duck and orange and pomegranate salad may remind you of a pie, but the flavour is much fresher. Deliciously coarse homemade chutneys are served alongside, without any of the excess of sugar and vinegar typical of the supermarket varieties.

The eponymous pies (£6.45-£8.50) are traditional and gourmet, so expect things like venison and Strong Suffolk Ale pie in juniper berry short crust, a chicken pot, shepherd's pie, traditional ox cheek, rabbit with redcurrant and pancetta, and a whole lot more. They're also presented traditionally, in a tin, with a puff pastry top and shortcrust for the sides. The flavours are rich, round and deliciously comforting. Desserts (£5) are similarly indulgent, with the Putney Mud Pie being a tad too hard but Jude’s blackcurrant and apple sorbet having perfect consistency and flavour.

The Drink
A great list of ales and lagers (£4-£6) is the perfect companion for a good list of pies and here you can choose between Suffolk Springer, Old Speckled Hen, St. Edmunds and The Kernel London Saison, amongst others. A handful of wines, mostly from Italy, is also available (£16-£22.50 or £3.25-£5 per glass). And even the soft drinks are well thought out, with an extensive selection of old-fashioned sodas (£2.55) from Fentimans and Belvoir, as well as a good variety of teas (£2-£2.50).

The Last Word
Comforting without being unhealthy and satisfying without being excessively filling, Putney Pies is a cozy cocoon in which to retreat for quality comfort food.

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