The Dartmouth Castle

Photography by Orange Giraffe Pub Co.

Words by Simon Difford

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Address: 26 Glenthorne Road, (corner Overstone Rd), London, W6 0LS, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 8748 3614
Email: dartmouth.castle@btconnect.com
Door: Open door
Style: Gastro bar
Food: Set menu

Review

The Dartmouth Castle is a classic neighbourhood boozer that's been gentrified by brothers Richard and George Manners and their Orange Giraffe Pub Company. Like the other pubs in their estate, the Castle is far from flashy, offering good quality honest food and good value for money. Don't expect flamboyant garnishes on your Bloody Mary but do expect very friendly attentive service.

Daylight floods in through the large windows on two sides of this corner pub, lighting what by day could otherwise be an oppressively dark space with khaki green and burgundy red walls, dark mahogany wood and oak topped pub tables. The high ceiling and impressive Victorian embellishments such as etched back bar mirrors topped by carved mahogany which continues across the front of the bar counter, lift what would otherwise be a fairly utilitarian interior. On clement days the large front patio offers bench seating in the shadow of the new buildings that neighbour and dwarf this old pub.

Home baked bread served warm with oil is a great start to any meal and pretty much sums up the quality and style of generous portioned comfort food served here. The daily changing menu features dishes such as "Roast corn-fed chicken breast, roast potatoes, parsnips and glazed carrots, spiced cranberry relish and bread sauce" and "Salmon & dill fishcakes - sautéed spinach & paprika hollandaise." There are, of course, also gastro pub staples such as "The Dartmouth Burger", "Grilled rib eye steak", tasty "Hand-cut chips" and roasts on Sundays. Every gastro pub dessert menu should include sticky toffee pudding and here it is served "with honeycomb ice-cream & toffee sauce."

Despite the good food, happy The Dartmouth Castle is foremost a pub rather than a restaurant, so fittingly usually has one or two traditional cask ales on draught with keg offerings including a line-up from Meantime. The reasonably priced wine list seemingly has something from every country amongst its 43 wines, 20 of which are available by the glass.

Incidentally, this pub takes its name from the ancient fortress that sits in an idyllic situation guarding narrow entrance to the Dart Estuary and Dartmouth harbour in Devon.

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