The Rye

Another jaunt in South East London, and another marvellous discovery for POTD.  Aptly named for a pub sitting on the edge of Peckham Rye Common, The Rye is far bigger than most pubs but still manages to feel as friendly and welcoming as anywhere you'll find.

I have to fess up to never having visited The Rye before its recent makeover and reopening earlier in the year, so I can't comment on how it has changed in the last few years, but whoever is behind the current set up has made a very good job of it indeed.  It feels like a proper drinking pub, but it's also got a great menu that seems to change almost daily.  They succeed in offering really hearty food without charging a fortune through sheer imagination and a range of dishes that doesn't include many of the well-trodden clichés of modern day pub food.

Cliché free gratin dauphinois with wild mushrooms

The staff are very friendly and dogs are well looked after with water and the odd treat for the well-behaved.

Post lunch slump

Better still for sportsfans, The Rye has all the big games on TV, but not in a way that ruins the afternoon for everyone else.  Add a selection of board games to the mix and you have something close to the perfect Sunday afternoon...

31 Peckham Rye, London, SE15 3NX 

http://www.theryepeckham.com/

Petitou

We came across Petitou whilst on our travels in South East London, and hopefully Paws on the doors will be reporting more regularly from this part of the world before too long.

On a drizzly morning there's no better place to be than behind the big glass windows looking out with the warm glow from an oversized plate of scrambled eggs and a cup of coffee.

The staff are very friendly and there's enough space for dogs to stretch out and relax.

If it it hadn't been such a horrendous day we'd have certainly enjoyed sitting outside and watching the world go by on this peaceful leafy corner of South East London.

63 Choumert Road, Peckham, SE15 4AR

The Swan

Sunday just gone was a very fine day indeed.  Blue skies and bright sunshine meant that we spent as much of the day as possible outside.  But we did find ourselves with an invitation to lunch at The Swan in Chiswick from our good friend Moet (winner of the waggiest tail contest at Chiswick House Dog Show just a few weekends ago, now a minor celebrity in these parts.)

One swan, many dogs

The Swan is in fact quite a long way from the river so you are unlikely to see any real swans there, but there are plenty of dogs.  In fact I'd go as far as to say that of all the dog friendly places we've visited in the last year or so, this is the one place where you might feel a bit left out if you don't have a hound in tow.  

"Will one portion of bangers and mash be enough?"

The Swan looks like a proper pub.  Oak panelling, the original stained-glass windows, and a roaring fire inside give it a timeless charm. 

No UPVC in sight

There's a garden that's full of life at the back.  Hanging baskets and window boxes at the front of the pub are well tended, and the patrons are decent enough not to use them as ashtrays.

The menu is full of variety.  Everything that comes out of the kitchen looks like the result of a bit of imagination.   We had an excellent pork terrine as a starter, followed by home made fishcakes and bangers and mash which were both very good.  The Sunday Roast seemed a justifiably popular choice.  

Being as it was such a nice day we had lunch and then went to make the most of the remainder of the afternoon, but we could quite easily have whiled away the rest of the day on the battered sofas by the fire which will be an inviting prospect in the months ahead...

1 Evershed Walk, 119 Acton Lane, Chiswick, W4 5HH

http://www.theswanchiswick.co.uk/

Pubs dogs love

You might have seen the front cover of Time Out last week:

All well and good, but they forgot to mention whether any of them were dog-friendly or not.  Therefore here's my definitive top 10:

North

The Hollybush Inn, Hampstead: Cosy fireside drinking and quality meaty stodge like sausage rolls and pies.  

The Wells, Hampstead: A great spot after running about on Hampstead Heath.  Dog treats on the menu and a wonderful sun-trap.

South

The East Hill, Wandsworth: Great food and dog treats on the menu.  Now that's what I call customer service.

The Fox and Grapes, Wimbledon: An old favourite with excellent food and a warm welcome after a bracing afternoon hunting for Wombles.

East

The Albion, Barnsbury: Great garden in the summer and delicious hearty food like pot roast chicken and whole roast leg of lamb.

Sadly we haven't spent enough time out East to make further recommendations, but Paws on the doors will be there before too long to make sure that we will be better placed to do so.

West

The Dove, Hammersmith: Enjoy the evening rays during the summer or get cosy by the fire during the winter months.

The Atlas, West Brompton: Oak panelled cosyness and a nice fire in winter.  Great homespun food and nothing pretentious...

The Chamberlayne, Kensal Rise: King of steak, master of bearnaise sauce.  I require very little to convince me for a trip North by Northwest.

Wild cards (not quite London)

The Griffin, Fletching: Just over an hour in the car on a good day.  The perfect escape from the city.  Imaginative food and cosy rooms.  If you're planning on staying overnight do warn them that you are bringing a hound...

The King John Inn, Tollard Royal: Homely pub and well-proportioned rooms with extra comfortable beds.  In the middle of nowhere - very quiet, and brilliant for it.

So there you have it.  We'll publish an updated top 10 at the same time next year.

Tapped and Packed Coffee

It's doggycinos all round at No. 26 Rathbone Place.  One of three Tapped and Packed Coffee shops in the West End, it's a welcome respite from the travails of Oxford Street, where dogs really don't get much of a warm welcome.

"Mine's a yak's milk macchiato. Drink in..."

At Tapped and Packed Coffee they couldn't be more hospitable.  Calm, cool people make the coffee and throughout the day there are excellent eats for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.  

Repeat visits suggest that the ham and cheese croissants will see off any mid-morning tummy rumbles, the banana bread is world class, and the Victoria sponge well worth the consequent mid-afternoon dip in productivity as all the blood rushes to your stomach to deal with the onslaught of sugar.

26 Rathbone Place, W1T 1JD

114 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 5AH

193 Wardour street, W1F 8ZF

http://www.tapcoffee.co.uk/

Brown Dog

Well it would be a silly name for a pub if it wasn’t dog friendly.  Actually the Brown Dog is more than dog-friendly it’s frankly dog-adoring and judging by some other reviews out there this gets right up the nose of that strange breed of people that think a pub with food is no place for a hound.  The pub dog, Willow, is as welcoming a landlady as you’re ever likely to find and much classier than most!  I imagine the Polaroid pictures of regulars that makes up the Rogue’s Gallery – canine only – was her idea.  Presumably they have their usual basket at the end of the bar and a special pewter water bowl reserved just for them, I like to think that Teazle aspires to being a regular somewhere and now I’ve got the theme tune to Cheers stuck in my head.

Anyway, back to the Brown Dog.  Tucked away down a residential side street in deepest Barnes, it isn’t the easiest place to find, but the fact that it’s close to the river and not far from Richmond Park makes this a great spot for warming up after a long walk.  The menu is pretty interesting with plenty of choice and some more adventurous options than your bog standard pub but for those unconvinced by the gastro-pub revolution you’ll be pleased to hear that this place also has a great bar area with plenty of tables for anyone just looking for a quiet pint without the fancy food…

All in all a good little find that we stumbled on purely by chance one dreary evening.

28 Cross Street, SW13 OAP

http://www.thebrowndog.co.uk/

Charley Chau

Whilst doing some early present shopping at the Spirit of Christmas fair (an event highly unsuitable for dogs, and capable of testing the resolve of most human beings too...) we came across a stall belonging to the rather excellent Charley Chau.

Set up by sisters Christine and Jenny just over two years ago, Charley Chau make all kinds of dog accessories, including handmade wicker baskets, pure new wool blankets, Italian calf leather collars in imaginative colours, and their star product - the snuggle bed.  For those of you struggling to imagine what a snuggle bed might be it's essentially a big soft pillow with a toasty pocket that dogs can crawl into for a really cosy night's sleep.  (Those still struggling to imagine, watch this)

Teasel has added a snuggle bed to the top of her Christmas list, but I haven't had the courage to tell her that I'll be commissioning a bespoke on that I can sleep in before I buy one for her...

http://www.charleychau.com/

The Brown Cow

A new and welcome addition to a stretch of the Fulham Road that’s always lacked a nice local place with good food.  The Brown Cow is a sister pub to the Sands End (reviewed here some months ago) and it’s certainly keeping up with it’s big sister when it comes to food and might even be surpassing her on the décor front.  

It’s a cosy corner spot, not really a pub – it’s definitely more on the gastro side - but it was warm and welcoming on a particularly nasty late October evening. 

"More Scotch Eggs, please"

Teazle was keen on the home made Scotch Eggs and was pleased to be offered a big bowl of water.  After a taste of the Rib Eye she stretched out under the table for an hours’ kip while we polished off a few bottles of red in preparation for the cold walk home.

676 Fulham Road, SW6 5SA

http://www.thebrowncowpub.co.uk/