The Crown and Greyhound in East Dulwich, south east London, is quintessentially a neighbourhood pub, a pub and it has a neighbourhood. You can get a pint of modish IPA and it’s probably the village’s main watering hole as when I came here it was filled with young couples and their kids and floppy eared dogs. It doesn’t want to be anything else than the local institution. Why should it? Every town needs a good local. This one is a multi-chambered boozer decorated in shades of shades of grey, dark wood panelling, fancy cornicing and glass panelled ceilings. Of course there’s mismatched furniture as that’s voguish. We sat outside where there’s fronds of greenery and a roofed terrace made for dining in the open air.
Chicken Caesar salad £10.75 that someone else ordered.
I went for the pan fried sea bass £15.95 with trinkets of green olives, cherry tomatoes and herb gnocchi. The whole plate is a gesture of simplicity, but I dare to say it since I’m a paying customer – the freshness was questionable. I got the stink that usually develops when the fish has been loitering too long. I left most of it.
Jeff’s ale battered cod £14.25 with triple chips looked the part though, he reported back that he didn’t get the stink and it went down a treat.
Julie ordered the schnitzel £12.50 and fries with roast chicken mayo which I’ve not heard or seen before.
For deserts, first up was the thigh cladding, if predictable warm chocolate brownie with hazelnut ice cream £6.50. Was it good? Hell yeah.
Sticky toffee pudding £6.50 is an old faithful, a desert that belongs on a pub’s menu. This pudding is so sweet it cloys your palate for the rest of the evening. Eat this type of dessert if you don’t have any plans for the evening other than to mooch on the sofa.
Verdict
When did I go? Aug 2018
The damage: Expect to pay £25/30 per head sans drinks
The good: The chips and fries were convincing as was the simple chocolate brownie, sometimes the most compelling things to eat are the humblest. and the pub is a lovely place.
The bad: Don’t get me started in the seabass which was as fresh as my footnball boots from 1993, apart from the chocolate brownie, I wished everything else just wasn’t there. I think the people of Dulwich deserve better food.
Rating: 2/5
Would I go again? Still deciding…
Address: 73 Dulwich Village, LONDON, Greater London, SE21 7BJ
Web: https://www.thecrownandgreyhound.co.uk
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