It's all change at this beloved Barnes local
As locals go, they don’t come much better than The Brown Dog in Barnes. Tucked away amongst the pretty terraced houses of ‘Little Chelsea’, this historic and much-loved little pub has been pouring pints since 1898.
Back then, it was known as The Rose of Denmark, and now, over 100 years later, it still oozes that same sense of proper pub character.
Recently, it has welcomed a new set of owners to the fold, and with them a sense of renewed energy and attention to detail. The new ‘investor group’ consists of five local families, each with impressive business experience.
Since their arrival, they’ve not done anything drastic, thankfully. Interiors have had a refresh, there’s a new general manager, and both the food and drinks menus have been ‘revised’.
Their mission is to make The Brown Dog the best family-oriented pub in London, and so another recent change has seen the introduction of an ingenious free childcare service for dining parents (on select days), in collaboration with The Kids Table.
Inside, the small pub has always felt incredibly cosy and reassuringly olde worlde, and better suited for winter than summer (inside, anyway). The new owners have brightened things up – the wood panelled walls are now a dazzling Colgate white, there’s a smattering of plants, and some new contemporary prints have gone up.
There is a new feeling of quality about the place. It feels cleaner and neater, bordering on sparse, but I suspect that in time it will soften into its new grown-up guise. Thankfully, the lovely dark wooden furniture, flickering candlelight, and a few friendly locals (and their lovely dogs) remain. Outside, the small garden is as gorgeous as ever – heated and filled with greenery, fairy lights and old enamel signs, it’s overlooked by the pub’s brilliant pizza shack (currently open weekends only).
What's on offer
Excitingly, the drinks menu has been turned up a notch; there are new top-tier partnerships with the delicious Champagne Billecart-Salmon, American whiskey distillery Michter’s (also delicious), fantastic Portuguese vineyard Quinta Da Pedra Alta, and beers from David Coulthard’s Blue Coast Brewing Company (Coulthard is part owner of the pub).
Food-wise, there’s a renewed focus on feeding the family. There aren’t starters as such, but crowd-pleasing nibbles for the table instead - giant queen Spanish olives and smoked almonds, sourdough with whipped butter and balsamic oil, padron peppers with flaked sea salt, and so on. The marjoram arancini were hot, crispy, and well-seasoned, and came with a punchy little pot of fresh salsa verde - an excellent snack alongside some ice-cold pints of very nice Austrian lager (on tap).
For mains, it’s a similarly straightforward affair – there’s a good-looking Brown Dog burger on offer and a very generous plate of battered haddock with some terrific hand cut chips, but there is also a splash of sophistication to be found. Daily market fish with crab bisque, saffron potatoes, and spinach (at a very reasonable £20), bavette steak with hand cut chips, roasted mushroom and red wine jus, and a roasted aubergine salad with curried yoghurt, beetroot, kohlrabi, apple and pomegranate are all up for grabs.
Instead, on a cold October evening, I chose to dive headfirst into a HUGE bowl of ‘Stanley’s Spaghetti Alla Nerano’, named after Stanley Tucci, no less, who lives nearby. This simple but immensely comforting dish of spaghetti, fried courgettes, cheese, and lashings of olive oil from Campania is a favourite of the Hollywood actor, and it really hit the spot.
A peppery rocket and pine nut Parmesan salad provided freshness on the side (and not a soggy leaf in sight), and on the recommendation of our excellent waitress I had it with a glass of delicious Sicilian white, well priced at £6.80 (175ml). I think Stanley would approve.
Puds were elevated pub grub at its most satisfying and delicious. The moist square of sticky toffee pudding was nothing short of perfect and the kind of comfort food I want to eat every day from now until April. Maybe even May. It came topped with a fat dollop of clotted cream, which melted down the sides and swirled into the sweet butterscotch sauce. Heaven.
Final thoughts
Proudly independent pubs like The Brown Dog are a dying breed, and SW London is lucky to have this cosy little gem on its doorstep. You get the sense that the new owners understand this too. They’ve elevated the offering and improved the quality all round, whilst retaining the pub’s characterful comforts and charm. The result is a lovely neighbourhood spot that cleverly caters for all.
And as for that sticky toffee pudding, well, you know where to find me this winter...
The Brown Dog, 28 Cross Street, Barnes, London SW13 0AP, is currently open Tuesdays-Sundays for dinner, as well as lunch from Thursday to Sunday. Book online at thebrowndog.co.uk
