sticking to the straight and NARROW

[John Whiting]

The Narrow, Gordon Ramsey's latest London venture, is a straight-up, no nonsense pub/restaurant in the rapidly gentrifying docklands, so spot-on that it threatens to give gastropubs a good name.

[bakerestates]

Interesting to see the 12.5% discretionary charge at the bottom of a pub menu, which I have the feeling it is pitched as given it is under the Pubs section of his website. Did you order your food and drinks at the bar or was it full service?

I am not saying service in a pub doesn't warrant a tip, but a discretionary charge printed on a menu is more of a restaurant thing...no?

[John Whiting]

There's a substantial amount of pub space, indoors and outdoors, that isn't table service, with an ample and reasonably priced hot-and-cold pub snack menu. In the restaurant section it was full service, and very cordial. We didn't begrudge them their 12 1/2%.

[dharold]

I rather liked this place too. Service is definitely restaurant level.

A breezy day made us choose the narrow dining room (no more than 35 covers I'm guessing) rather than outside (maybe another 30 covers).

Started with handmade pork pie with homemade piccalilli for £5.00 - not bad but could do with more jelly (mind you, what pork pie couldn't ; )

Then more pie: braised lamb neck and turnip pie with mash (£9.50). Not bad but quite a bit of the pastry top was immovably attached to the pot and inside there was a heck of lot more gravy than meat. Tasty though.

Ended on a high note: marmalade pudding with custard (£4.00). Sounds prosaic. Tastes like something from Paddington Bear's heaven. A thick crust of marmalade on a light sponge with a foam of piquant custard. Not what I was expecting - and probably worthy of a return trip to give The Narrow another go.