Pub food and Pub Etiquette

I can't see any problem if one of you is ordering from the dining menu, but I suppose it depends on the pub. I mean even in pubs that have dining areas people will tend to sometimes order drink from the bar and sometimes from the waiter.

I think you will need to see what the pub you fancy says. There is a pub near me with a very formal dining area where you need reservations and you definitely couldn't wander in with your bar food. But, another local pub doesn't care where you sit.

Thanks Laura. I've stuck my foot in my mouth in Italy ordering food "incorrectly"...but we'll be speaking basically the same language in London so hopefully I don't do that again!!

Just a thought, but if you are seated in the dining room or dining area, would you even be offered the bar menu?

Norma - I think it would depend on the pub. One of the pubs near me has quite a posh dining area, but you order from the bar and both the dining and bar menus are displayed on the bar.

I think Becky is just going to have to be brave and ask. Us Londoners are not that scary! ;o)

Thanks Laura!! I plan on trying all kinds of new things while I'm there...and I've looked at a few menus already..I'm not sure if I'm up for the mushy peas though. :o)

I would pass on the mushy peas too!

While I've got you on the line...what's the deal with Scrumpy? I watched a RS show and they made out that many pubs don't serve it because it makes people rowdy...I've bought a couple of bottles here (woodpecker) and it wasn't so bad...Not being a beer drinker I would like to try something while there. What are your thoughts?

Real scrumpy is the cider equivalent of moonshine whisky! My father remembered buying it from farmers in the West Country when he was a lad on cycling holidays. He always claimed that the odd dead wasp found in it added to the flavour and strength!

Woodpecker isn't scrumpy, it's mass market, weak cider and widely available. In most pubs the cider choice will be either Woodpecker or Strongbow (think of these as the Coors and Budweiser of the cider world.) You'll also see bottled Magners in a lot of places now (served over ice) in a triumph of advertising over taste.

Real scrumy is very difficult to get in the parts of the country where people don't talk like pirates, the chances of a tourist stumbling across some in London are slim. Linda's moonshine analogy is spot on, scrumpy is usually a lot stronger than commercial ciders (10% ABV+, wine strength.)

P.S. There is a brand of cider called "Scrumpy Jack", don;t confuse this with real scrumpy.

Thanks Linda...Now I'm a little afraid...but if I find it on a bar menu I'm getting one...Hopefully you won't see a newspaper telling the story about a crazed American tourist loose in London!!! ;o)

Linda, if you have the chance, order a "roast lunch" on a Sunday in the pub. Usually it is roast beef, lamb, chicken or pork, served with roasted or mashed potatoes and vegs. If it is beef you might get lucky and have a great Yorkshire pudding too (or you might get a horrible one- let's hope for good luck). My husband love the fish and chips and even eats the mushy peas (they are "english" peas cooked well done and mashed up). I also love the pies- sheppherds' pie, steak and ale..... yum! but not kidney pie. Many pubs also have good desserts- usually called puddings or "afters" (and appetizers are "starters") try sticky toffee pudding.

Backy: You won't have the "Italian Problem" in London! I know what you mean. We ran into it in Genoa, and I still do not understand how the system works (or doesn't in our case!).

Enjoy your stay at the Lime Tree. It is in an ideal location fro sightseeing. If you want a more formal dinner, try Bumbles on Buckingham Palace Road.

If you want some help figuring out the pubs in London you can try to pick up a copy of the Good Pub Guide or check out their website:

http://www.thegoodpubguide.co.uk/

The guide lists when different pubs serve food (e.g. lunch only, roast meals on Sundays, etc), costs, if you need reservations, whether its family friendly, etc. I picked up a copy for my upcoming trip and I'm looking forward to using it.

Pubs in Britain vary enormously, as does the food they serve. There are low drinking dives with very basic food, chain pubs with similar menus all over the country, gastropubs with quite expensive menus, and hotels which provide accommodation as well as food and drink. I shudder at the thought of some of the pubs which tourists must find themselves in.

City pubs, and London pubs in particular, are very different from country pubs. Many rural pubs are part of a chain, although it is not always too obvious. For an example of the sort of food to be found at one such chain, have a look at the Vintage Inns website at www.vintageinn.co.uk/. You will need to specify a particular pub to see the menus.

Some of the Vintage Inns are old buildings, but they are still building new places with uneven roofs, stone floors, low beams and inglenook fireplaces.

At pubs like this, you normally find a table (or are shown to one) and order at the bar. Nobody minds how many courses you have, but if one of you wants a starter and one chooses a main course, make sure you say if you want them served at the same time. Some choices are designed to be shared, but it is not commonplace for two people to share a main course. Asking for two spoons for a desert is very common.

There is no requirement to order alcohol and you will see plenty of people drinking soft drinks and fruit juices. Most pubs will have a range of beers, and there will probably be some local "real ales". These are worth trying as a change from the mass-market beers.