The Thatched House

In London, people tend to get worked up over the smallest of matters. Whether it’s parking spaces, nurseries or the noise of their neighbours, people in the capital are quick to ire.

I came across an instance of this ready to be rash tendency when talking to a friend who is living in Stockwell. A pub he used to frequent has had a refurbishment and has been reopened as a much more civilised venue. He acknowledged that it was no longer grotty and had stopped serving food that would be turned down by cockroaches. But with a tear in his designer contact lenses, he shrugged and said, ‘But it’s just not real’.

While much has been made about the advent of gastropubs, they are exerting upwards pressure on the standard of food in pubs. For those looking to keep it real with pubs that have sticky carpets and a clientele who will shank you for reading books, London still offers a good number of places. For those interested in more than warmed-up quiche, there are places like the Thatched House.

The insides of the venue are tidy enough and when my companion and I visited on Friday night, there was a convivial atmosphere. I started off with the mackerel pate (£7.25), while my companion ventured for some serano ham with sherry vinaigrette (£6.50). The pate was pleasing in that it was not too oily. My companion was also pleased with her ham, the sweetness of the meat contrasting well with the dryness of the dressing.

For main, I choose the shepherd’s pie (£12), whilst my companion plumped for the sausage and mash with red onion gravy (£10.25). Although both of these were done well, they did present quite a swerve away from the tone set by the starters and while they were decent, the prices did seem a little high for what was on offer.

To round the meal off, my companion was very eager to get her hands on some sticky toffee pudding (£5) while I heartily tucked into the affogato (£5). My companion was extremely satisfied with her pudding, delighted with its richness and eager to smack her spoon onto my marauding fork. The affogato was pleasant without being as luxurious as it might be.

The Thatched House is a smart venue that will probably come into its own during summertime. I would recommend a visit, unless you’re one of those people who gets misty-eyed at the thought of being mugged in a pub’s toilets.

The Thatched House
115 Dalling Road
Hammersmith
W6 0ET

Tel: 020 8748 6174